October 22 Dean's Lecture to Address Issues of Food Insecurity

Candler School of Theology’s next Dean’s Lecture, “Food Insecurity: A Challenge to Faith Communities,” will be held on October 22 at 11 a.m. in Room 252 of the Rita Anne Rollins Building.

The lecture features Dr. Jennifer Ayres, assistant professor of religious education and director of the religious education program at Candler, and Rev. Chad Hale, executive director of Urban Recipe, formerly Georgia Avenue Community Ministry. The two will be in dialogue on the issue of food insecurity and the role of faith communities in helping to address this pressing concern.

In addition to her roles at Candler, Ayres is an ordained minister in the Presbyterian Church (USA) and the author of several books, including Good Food: Grounded Practical Theology (2013, Baylor University Press). In Good Food, she reports on the brokenness of the United States food system and emerging practices in Christian communities that seek to address this brokenness in their own neighborhoods.

Hale is an ordained minister in the American Baptist Church, and served as the first pastor of the Georgia Avenue Church. In 1991, during his tenure, the church formed the Georgia Avenue Community Ministry, a food co-op designed to promote food security for families. It is now known as Urban Recipe. Hale has served as the co-op’s executive director since 2003. 

The lecture is part of Candler’s yearlong initiative to increase awareness and understanding of food insecurity in both rural and urban communities in the Atlanta metro area. Look for other events related to food insecurity throughout the year.