Wesley Granberg-Michaelson served as General Secretary of the Reformed Church in America for 17 years from 1994 to 2011. Previously he held the position of Director of Church and Society at the World Council of Churches in Geneva. Earlier in his career he served as Executive and Legislative Assistant to U.S. Senator Mark O. Hatfield (1968-1976) and then as the Associate Editor of Sojourners Magazine when it was founded. He played a leading role in establishing Christian Churches Together in the USA, and presently helps guide the development of the Global Christian Forum. Over the course of his ministry his ecumenical work has taken him to all corners of the world. He is the author of “Underexpected Destinations: An Evangelical Pilgrimage to World Christianity” and “Leadership from Inside Out: Spirituality and Organizational Change”, as well as four other earlier books. His numerous magazine articles have appeared in Sojourners, Christian Century, Christianity Today, The Church Herald, Ecumenical Review, and other publications.
In the fall of 2012, Granberg-Michaelson was appointed as a Distinguished Visiting Scholar at the John W. Kluge Center of the Library of Congress. While there he researched and wrote “From Times Square to Timbuktu: The Post-Christian West Meets the Non-Western Church”. The book deals with the effects of the shift in world Christianity to the global South, and impact of global migration on congregational life and society in the global North. It was chosen to be part of the 2013 National Book Festival in Washington, D. C. More recently, Wes wrote “Future Faith: Ten Challenges Reshaping Christianity in the 21st Century” which Ecumenical News designated as its Book of the Year. Last year he co-authored with Pat Keifert “How Change Comes to Your Church: A Guidebook for Church Innovations”. His latest book “Without Oars: Casting Off into a Life of Pilgrimage” is called an “uplifting work” and “inviting guide” by Publisher’s Weekly.
Granberg-Michaelson is a graduate of Hope College and Western Theological Seminary, both in Holland Michigan, and was ordained as a Minister of Word and Sacrament in the Reformed Church in America in 1984. Presently he continues his work in ecumenical organizations, in writing and public speaking on issues facing world Christianity, and consulting to church-related organizations, including Bread for the World. He serves today on the governing boards of Sojourners, Church Innovations, and the Global Christian Forum. His wife, Karin Granberg-Michaelson is an ordained minister in the Reformed Church in America, and they have two children. Wes and Karin make their home in Santa Fe, New Mexico.
Website: www.wesgm.com
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