Author

Stephanie Spellers

Canon in Residence, St. Bartholomew’s Episcopal Church

The Rev. Canon Stephanie Spellers is the author of several books, including “The Church Cracked Open,” “Radical Welcome” and “Church Tomorrow? What the ‘Nones’ and ‘Dones’ Teach Us About the Future of Faith.” She recently completed nearly a decade as canon to the Episcopal Church’s Presiding Bishop Michael Curry, with responsibility for guiding the denomination’s work on evangelism, racial justice, new ministry development and environmental stewardship. An honorary canon in the Diocese of New York, she currently serves as Canon in Residence at St. Bartholomew’s Episcopal Church.

Her professional ministry began in 2005 at the Cathedral Church of St. Paul in Boston, where she founded The Crossing, a groundbreaking church that weaves Episcopal tradition together with voices from the margins. Before that, she was an award-winning religion journalist in East Tennessee and led admissions and career services at Harvard Divinity School.

Spellers is a Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Wake Forest University with master’s degrees from Harvard Divinity School and Episcopal Divinity School.

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Apply for a Vital Worship, Vital Preaching Grant 

Vital Worship, Vital Preaching Grants from the Calvin Institute for Christian Worship are designed for worshiping communities. These grants allow a wide range of Christian worshiping communities to focus on projects that connect public worship with Christian discipleship and faith formation. Funding awards range from $8,000 to $25,000. 

The grants support year-long projects that show promise in fostering renewed or strengthened worship practices within worshiping communities in the United States or Canada. Vital Worship, Vital Preaching Grants for teacher-scholars are also available. Applications for the October 15 deadline will open on July 15, 2026.

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