You’re Invited!
Annual Gathering of the American Baptist Churches of Connecticut
Theme: One Body, Many Members: Called to Love, Called to Serve
Scripture: 1 Corinthians 12:12-27
Date: Sunday, September 27, 2025
Time: 9:00 AM
Location: Messiah Baptist Church, 210 Congress St., Bridgeport, CT 06604
Join us for a Spirit-filled day of worship, learning, and fellowship as we gather as one body to celebrate God’s work among us.
Highlights Include:
Keynote Speaker: Rev. Dr. Cheryl F. Dudley, Regional Executive Minister, ABC Metropolitan New York.
Dr. Cheryl F. Dudley has led the American Baptist Churches of Metropolitan New York as Regional Executive Minister since 2015. She holds degrees from Pomona College, Princeton Theological Seminary, and McCormick Theological Seminary. Her ministry spans pastoral, global, and philanthropic work, including leadership roles with Church World Service and American Baptist Home Mission Societies.
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Workshops:
Spiritual Practices for Building Beloved Community –Facilitated by Rev. A.J. Smith Focus: Introducing prayer, silence, lament, and confession as disciplines that soften hearts and create space for collective healing and deeper unity. Rev. A.J. Smith: serves as Senior Pastor of First Baptist Church of Branford, CT. AJ is also a Spiritual Director at Yale Divinity School, where he has the opportunity to help students discern their ministry path.
Cultivating Radical Hospitality in Divided Times – Facilitated by Mrs. Deidra Riggs, Focus: Exploring how churches can extend genuine welcome across lines of difference—racial (inherited bias), political, generational, and economic—to reflect Christ’s inclusive love. Ms. Deidra Riggs – Author, speaker, coach, and consultant. She is adept at shepherding a group, offering clear and accessible tools and guidance.
Justice Mercy and the Mission of the Church – Facilitated by: Mr. Pat Speer, Focus:Unpacking Micah 6:8 and how local congregations can move from charity to justice in their ministries, forming deeper partnerships for systemic change. Mr. Pat Speer is the Mentoring Organizer at Greater Hartford Interfaith Action Alliance. CONECT – Congregations Organized for a New Connecticut and Yale Divinity School.
From Tolerance to Transformation Becoming Bias Aware Churches – Facilitated by Reverend Tom Carr, Focus: Moving beyond surface-level diversity to courageous conversations and actions that dismantle systems of exclusion within and beyond the church walls. Tom Carr is an ordained minister of the American Baptist Churches, USA, and recently retired Pastor of the Second Baptist Church of Suffield, Connecticut. He is a certified Spiritual Director.
This is an opportunity to connect, learn, and discern how we are being called to love and serve as the Body of Christ in our local communities and beyond.
Be part of what God is doing in and through us!
Per the ABCCONN Bylaw, each Church is represented by three delegates, with one being the Pastor. Delegates need to submit their name and Church affiliation to the Church Office by emailing jhadmin@abcconn.org by August 15. Then register on the ABCCONN website.
