A Panel Conversation on Race and Culture

A Panel Conversation on Race and Culture
A Conversation about the impact of Race and Culture from Clergy of color and how we can make our ministries more inclusive

The EHF Congregational Engagement Team invites you to join us Tuesday, January 26 @ 6PM for a panel conversation on Race and Culture moderated by Scott Madison of St. James Episcopal, Austin and One Human Race with panelists Rev. Agook Kuol, Rev. Minerva Camarena Skeith, Rev. Rhonda Rogers, and Rev. Roy Varghese.

Learn how they bridged the gap between race and culture as they share their experiences from different vantage points of ministry. This evening will enlighten and challenge us to consider our role in making our ministries more inclusive.

ONLINE EVENT | Tuesday, January 26, 2020 @ 6:00 – 8:00 PM CST
Register Here!

MEET THE PANELISTS

The Rev. Agook Kuol was born in former Southern Sudan, now (South Sudan). He exiled during the longest civil war of the country and lived in various refugee camps where he ministered to refugees as a chapel lay leader. After completing High School in Kenya, he resettled to the United States with the Lost Boys of Sudan and attended College of Biblical Studies. After graduating with a B.S. in Christian Leadership, he returned to South Sudan in 2007 after 20 years and did mission work by training local pastors. After three years commitment, he returned to the United States and did evangelism and ministry among the Sudanese Community. He organized the Sudanese Community Church, now St. Philip’s the Evangelist Episcopal Church in Houston. In 2017, he got a call as church planter in the Episcopal Diocese of Texas under the mission of the Great Commission to carryout their ministry in cultural context with the help of Bishop Andy Doyle, Bishop Kai Ryan, Canon Saylors, and Jason Evans. Agook is now completing MA in Christian Leadership at Dallas Theological Seminar (DTS). He is married to Atong Deng and they are blessed with 5 children.

The Rev. Minerva Camarena Skeith is the rector of St. John’s Episcopal Church in Austin. St. John’s has both English and Spanish weekly service. She was born and raised in the border town of Laredo, Texas. She is bilingual in English and Spanish and worked for over 20 years with diverse lay leaders as an organizer and leader with the Industrial Areas Foundation. After many years of active lay leadership, she felt called to ordained ministry. St. David’s Episcopal Church in Austin was her sending parish. After graduating from the Seminary of Southwest, she served as the curate at St. Michael’s Episcopal Church in Austin.

The Rev. Rhonda Rogers is Vicar at St. Francis of Assisi, Prairie View. She is chaplain for Union of Black Episcopal Rev. John D. Epps Chapter. She is also a member of the Executive Committee, EHF Kitchen Cabinet, the Racial Justice Committee and the Province VII Anti-Racism Committee. Rhonda is an Associate with Order of St. Helena, an Episcopal order of nuns. She is also a member of Daughters of the King. She served on the board of St. James Nursing Home for two years. Rhonda worked in Technology holding various positions at Mobil Chemical and ExxonMobil Chemical for more than 38 years and retired in 2016. In addition, she was a coach and trainer of Organizational Development skills and Inclusion and Diversity. Rhonda lives in Humble, TX. She has three adult children and two grandchildren.

The Rev. Roy Varghese is the vicar at Good Shepherd Indian in Stafford. He was born, raised, and educated in India where he grew up in the Catholic faith. In his early adult years, he was influenced by an Anglican priest and ministry, which lead him to do his Theological studies in the Anglican faith. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Economics and a Master’s degree in Theology. Roy has a wide variety of experience in the ministry ranging from Bishop’s Chaplain in the East Kerala Diocese of the Church of South India to Prison Chaplain of 360 prisons in the State of Maharashtra, India and National Vice-president for the Council of Church of South India Congregations in North America and Canada. Most of these have been in a multicultural context and these experiences turned out to be a source of strength for the ministry. Roy is married to Princess, whom he met in the Seminary. Together they have 2 sons, Joshua, a senior and Samuel, a 10th grader.