Public church leaders must be prepared to engage pressing social issues with theological depth and courage. This module explores five key equity concerns—disability, gender, sexuality, ecojustice, and race—equipping you to analyze how these issues intersect with both church and society through a justice-informed lens.

Dr. Marvin Wickware is Associate Professor of Church and Society and Ethics at the Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago (LSTC), where he brings deep theological insight and a passion for justice to his teaching and research. A leading voice in conversations about race, power, and the church’s role in public life, Dr. Wickware is developing a new resource for Project Starling that equips learners to become transformative leaders grounded in the principles of the public church.
With a Ph.D. from Duke University and M.Div. from Union Theological Seminary, Dr. Wickware integrates Black studies, feminist theory, and lived community experience into theological education. His work challenges learners to engage the pressing social realities around them with theological depth, emotional intelligence, and a commitment to equity.
Through Project Starling, he is helping expand access to theological education and providing practical tools for leaders committed to pursuing the common good beyond the walls of the traditional seminary.