The Churches’ Center for Land and People, based in Middleton, Wis., is is an ecumenical organization working to strengthen rural life and the ministries of faith communities in Wisconsin, Iowa and Illinois. It is sponsored by a number of Christian denominations, religious orders and other organizations.

The Rev. Timothy S. Stevens, a United Church of Christ minister, is university chaplain at Northwestern University in Evanston, Ill. Northwestern offers an Interfaith Living and Learning Community – an interfaith dorm – so students of different religious backgrounds can live together in intentional community.

The United Church of Christ Coalition for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Concerns advocates for the full inclusion of LGBT people in society and the UCC. Contact executive director Andy Lang.

Evangelicals for Social Action is a Christian organization that works on social concerns from an evangelical Christian perspective. Contact through president and founder, Ron Sider.

Karen-Marie Yust is an associate professor of Christian education at Union Theological Seminary-Presbyterian School of Christian Education in Richmond, Va. She is a minister in both the United Church of Christ and Disciples of Christ denominations and is the author of Real Kids, Real Faith: Practices for Nurturing Children’s Spiritual Lives.

Jennifer Johnson is a senior associate specializing in Mexico and the U.S./Mexico border with the Latin America Working Group (LAWG), based in Washington, D.C., a nonprofit coalition including many religious groups that encourages the U.S. to develop policies toward Latin America that promote human rights, justice and peace.

John W. Riggs is professor of historical theology and church history at Eden Theological Seminary in St. Louis. He is an expert on Christianity in the postmodern world.

Noted Old Testament scholar Walter Brueggemann is an appreciative observer of the emergent conversation. He is professor emeritus from Columbia Theological Seminary in Decatur, Ga. and author of over 100 books and scholarly articles.

Author and researcher C. Kirk Hadaway is director of research for the Episcopal Church Center. He has written widely on the subject of church growth and also worked with the United Church of Christ and Southern Baptist denominations.