Date April 1, 2013 Contact: Tina Atchenson, tatchenson@wmu.org or 205.902.0420
Noted Leader of New York’s “Graffiti Church” Will Keynote Statewide Baptist Gathering in Winston-Salem Birmingham, AL—“God is a freedom fighter,” explains Taylor Field, founder of Graffiti Community Ministries in New York City. As a featured keynote speaker at the April 5-6 North Carolina Baptist Missions Conference, “Relief & Release,” Taylor will present paradigm-shifting principles he champions in his upcoming book Upside-Down Freedom (due June 3 from New Hope Publishers). To find the freedom the Bible offers, we often have to do the opposite of what we’d expect, Pastor Field says. Field—who for more than 25 years has worked among
Taylor Field
people dealing with grueling issues of recovery—applies Scriptural principles for today’s issues.
“Relief & Release” is an event for all North Carolina Baptist men and women, to be held at Calvary Baptist Church, WinstonSalem. The event, sponsored by North Carolina Baptists on Mission, challenges Christians to minister to hurting people by meeting physical needs (Relief) and spiritual needs (Release). The event also features Kyle Idleman, author of Not a Fan, and Dove Awardwinning music artist Meredith Andrews. In his book Upside-Down Freedom, Field puts forth 10 “upside-down” principles for living free. Through Graffiti Community Ministries, Field has worked with many people in “deep outward bondage”—like homelessness, poverty, chemical addictions, or wounds of child abuse. For many others, he says, “bondage is much more hidden from public view.” He’s seen some who have died in bondage and others who have experienced “amazing release.” Graffiti Community Ministries is an extension of Graffiti Church (East 7th Baptist Church), which began with serving children in the drug-controlled culture of Alphabet City in the early 1970s. Graffiti now ministers to thousands each year through its original site as well as Graffiti 2 (South Bronx) and Graffiti 3 (Brooklyn). Graffiti also serves some 20 new churches and partners with many other New York City ministries. Taylor Field (MDiv, Princeton Seminary; PhD, Golden Gate Baptist Theological Seminary) has served as pastor/director of Graffiti Community Ministries in New York City for the last 25 years. He works together with his wife, Susan, and they have two adult children who also serve in ministry in New York City. Taylor is author of five books, including Upside-Down Leadership, Squat and Mercy Streets. The mission of New Hope® Publishers is to provide books that challenge readers to understand and be radically involved in the mission of God. New Hope Publishers is the general trade publishing division for WMU®, a missions auxiliary to the Southern Baptist Convention. New Hope Publishers is a member of the Evangelical Christian Publishers Association (ECPA). newhopedigital.com
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