Prophetic Preaching in a Fractured World: Wake Forest School of Divinity Convenes Leading Voices in Homiletics and Public Theology
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. — Wake Forest University School of Divinity will host the 2026 Mac Bryan Prophetic Preachers Series on Thursday, April 16, 2026, from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. in the historic Wait Chapel on the Reynolda Campus. This year’s program focused on the theme, Prophetic Preaching in a Fractured World, will bring nationally recognized leaders in preaching and public theology to engage the urgent moral and spiritual challenges of our time.
This year’s distinguished speakers include:
- The Reverend Paul Brandeis Raushenbush, President and CEO of Interfaith Alliance, a leading voice in interfaith advocacy and public theology
- The Reverend Dr. Carolyn Browning Helsel, Associate Professor in the Blair Monie Distinguished Chair of Homiletics at Austin Presbyterian Seminary, whose work explores preaching amid political division and trauma
- The Reverend Dr. Lis Valle-Ruiz, Associate Professor of Homiletics and Worship and Director of Community Worship Life at McCormick Theological Seminary, a prominent scholar of art, justice, proclamation, and liberative worship
The day-long event will feature lectures and public conversations designed to equip clergy, students, and community members to engage preaching as a vital form of public witness in a divided and complex world.
“The prophetic task of preaching is not merely to interpret the world, but to participate in its transformation,” said Dean of the School of Divinity and Wake Forest Professor of the Humanities Corey D. B. Walker. “In a fractured world marked by deep divisions and moral uncertainty, this gathering calls us to a more expansive vision of justice, community, and the common good. The Mac Bryan Series embodies a robust theological imagination that is intellectually rigorous, spiritually grounded, and publicly engaged.”
The Mac Bryan Prophetic Preachers Series was established in honor and memory of George McLeod “Mac” Bryan, Sr. (’41, MA ’44) by George (’61) and Carol (’64) Williamson, longtime supporters of Wake Forest University and early advocates for the School of Divinity. Bryan served on the religion faculty for thirty-seven years after joining the University in 1956. A pioneering teacher and public intellectual, he introduced courses on feminism, religion and science, medical ethics, and Black and liberation theology. A tireless advocate for civil rights and social reform, Bryan played a pivotal role in the integration of Wake Forest College in the 1960s. He authored several works on social justice, including These Few Also Paid a Price and Voices in the Wilderness.
In carrying forward his legacy, the series brings preachers and speakers to campus who inspire students to live and serve at the intersection of faith and social justice.
Dr. Melva L. Sampson, acclaimed theology and homiletics professor and respected voice in contemporary preaching, emphasized the importance of the series: “The Mac Bryan Prophetic Preachers Series continues to be a vital space where the craft of preaching meets the demands of justice. In a moment that calls for moral clarity and spiritual courage, this series helps to form preachers who are attentive to the complexities of our world while remaining rooted in a deep and abiding hope.”
The event is free and open to the public. Clergy, students, scholars, and community members are encouraged to attend.
About the Wake Forest University School of Divinity
Founded in 1999, Wake Forest University School of Divinity is a graduate, professional school that is Christian by tradition, Baptist in heritage, and ecumenical in outlook. Guided by the University’s motto, Pro Humanitate, the School prepares leaders informed by a theological understanding of vocation and equipped to serve as agents of justice, reconciliation in a complex world. The School offers masters and doctoral degree programs including dual degree programs in bioethics, counseling, education, law, management, and sustainability.