Welcome to our Season 4 of Between the Pew. This season will focus on Black love & ministry where we will explore the experiences of five couples as they manage marriage and life in ministry. We will explore the highs, the lows, the pitfalls and wisdom gained from couples ranging in marriage from a few years to over 50. We will hear about the struggles and joys of being Black in an evangelical denomination and how that has shaped their marriages…or not.

Meet Marshall ‘Book’ Robinson and Tanisha Robinson; the first couple in this season's series. Tanisha and Book have been married for 22 years. They have a unique marriage story in that while having no biological children, the Marshalls have fostered and raised 17 children and adopted 2. Book has served and ministered to God’s people since age 13 in Missouri, Wisconsin, Tennessee, Oklahoma, Florida, Illinois & Indiana and is currently Pastoral Resident at New City West End in St. Louis, Mo. He is also working on his Master of Divinity at Covenant Seminary. Book also heads up InsideOut Jail & Prison Works, a holistic ministry serving the incarcerated, their families, and the communities affected by the prison industrial complex. Tanisha is a Guinness Book of World
Records Holder, a wedding and event planner, a former Bible Study organizer and leader, a talented choir 1st Soprano, and a former Color Guard captain and pom squad member. Once a Pre-Med college major, Tanisha now is intrigued by and regularly studies criminology and trafficking by watching Law & Order SVU and Criminal Minds. Tanisha, like Book, is an avid lover of musicals.

Catch up with Book at https://restorestlouis.org/inside-out-prison-ministry or email him at Book@ncfstl.org

African American Ministries hosts a weekend conference each year called LDR Weekend (Leadership Development Resource Weekend). LDR Weekend is our annual gathering for African Americans in the PCA and this weekend is an opportunity to connect with and encourage one of our denomination’s most underrepresented demographics.

In this special episode, Kellie shares what attendees can expect from LDR 2023 in Atlanta, September 1-3! Get ready for sound teaching, vibrant worship, rich fellowship, and... a block party!

LDR registration is open now! To register visit:

https://brushfire.com/mna/ldr2023/558225/register

Got questions? Reach out to Kellie at kellie@aampca.org

In the second part of this two part episode, Jenell and Kellie continue the conversation with Professor Suzanne Bates. Suzanne is a Licensed Professional Counselor and PhD candidate. She serves as the Assistant Professor of Counseling at Covenant Theological Seminary in St. Louis, MO.

Suzanne shares about her work in cultural identity development that the Lord has given her the opportunity to participate in. She also talks about her dissertation topic, the residual impact of slavery on sexual violence among African American women, and more!

To learn more about Professor Suzanne Bates visit,

covenantseminary.edu

To contact Suzanne, email,

Suzanne.bates@covenantseminary.edu