Coffee with Sushama Austin-Connor

Sushama Austin-Connor has degrees from Emerson College, Fisk
University, and Harvard Divinity School.  Today she is part
of the Princeton Seminary Continuing Education staff
where she directs the Black Theology and Leadership
Institute. She worships with her husband and two boys in the
United Church of Christ and appreciates coffee from Dunkin'
Donuts. (Sometimes the world really does run on Dunkin'!)


Sushama describes herself as "faith leader, mom, wife,
religionista, and media generalist." She'll hit each one of
those in our conversation for listeners.


Some listeners will definitely identify with a struggle Sushama
is experiencing as she pursues ordination. Friends of this
podcast will know that we love and support the Christian
denomination called the United Church of Christ, UCC. It is
the denomination which Sushama happily aligns herself to
with its social justice values. You'll here her say, regarding
her ministry/job at Princeton about choosing a theme for the
Black Theology and Leadership Institute, that if they're not
doing social justice then she doesn't know what they're doing.
It's that important to her sense of Christianity and theology at
Princeton that one might expect a social justice denomination
like the UCC to wholey celebrate and quickly affirm that value in
a candidate for ordained ministry. While some faith traditions
are broadening their lenses about what ministries qualify for
ordination, even the UCC is slow to empower a clearly otherwise
strong candidate. I pray that our listeners stay connected to
Sushama to find out how her ordination story develops. Maybe we
can start an "Uncle Tony Campaign" to help Sushama. (You'll have
to listen to the episode for the inside joke.)


As you can hear in Sushama's voice and see in her
pictures, Sushama definitely has the ability to "let it all
hang out" and have a great time.  Thanks for the boldness
and security in who God made you to be, sister.
Links:

Sponsor: United Faith Leaders


Black Theology & Leadership Institute (BTLI)


Princeton Theological Seminary


Harvard Divinity School


Emerson College


Fisk University


Reinhold Neibhur Documentary


Prof. Preston Williams


United Church of Christ (UCC)


Twitter: @Sushama