Rev. DR. ANTHONY BATEZA

Associate Professor of Religion; Department Chair of Race, Ethnic, Gender and Sexuality Studies; Director of Race and Ethnic Studies, St. Olaf College. stolaf.edu/profile/bateza

Anthony Bateza is a specialist in Martin Luther, moral theology and Christian ethics. Luther’s political theology is his primary area of resarch, focusing on the reformer's understanding of human agency and his relationship with the virtue tradition and Augustinian thought. He is also personally and professionally invested in questions of race, identity, and social justice. He has written on Black liberation theology and connections between Lutheran teaching and confronting racism in the United States.

Dr. Bateza has earned degrees from Iowa State University (B.S, 2002), the Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago (M.Div., 2006), and Princeton Theological Seminary (Ph.D., 2017). He is an ordained pastor in the Lutheran Church (ELCA) and frequently speaks in congregational settings and at church events.

Dr. Bateza lives in Northfield with his wife, Cynthia, their two children, Austen and Magdalene, and their loveable dog Charlie. In his free time he enjoys cycling, board games, comic books and cooking.

REV. SARA CUTTER

Senior Director of Operational Effectiveness at ELCA Churchwide Organization (ELCA churchwide representative).

The Reverend Sara Cutter serves as the Senior Director for Operational Effectiveness in the Christian Community and Leadership Home Area of the ELCA’s churchwide organization.

In this role, she manages the operations of a variety of ministries engaged with supporting and nurturing ELCA congregations and their leaders. Prior to serving in this role, she led three different parishes of varying sizes and locations.

In Pastor Sara’s earlier professional days she worked as an engineer and during that time earned an MBA.

She is married to another pastor, the Reverend Todd Cutter who serves as Director of Spiritual Life and Counseling at Lenoir-Rhyne University. Together they have a delightful daughter, Amelia, and two persnickety dogs, Belle and Josie. She is an avid Ohio State Buckeyes fan.

Sister Lika Macias

Director of La Casa de la Misericordia y de Todas las Naciones in Nogales, Mexico

Alma Angelica Macias hails from Tecalitlán, Jalisco, México. Having dedicated her life to serving others through the Catholic Church, Sister Lika established Casa de la Misericordia where she helps to support more than 200 people of different nationalities in their Journey north in search of a better life. Since she was young, Sister Lika has been influenced by the social conscience, spirit of service in self-improvement; learned from her parents. With a great sense of humor, she's sensitive to the needs of others and joy radiates in everything she does.

After leaving home to study at the University of Guadalajara, she then enter the religious congregation of missionaries of the Eucharist, where she concluded her studies as a social worker and later earned a degree in Communications science at the ITESO (Jesuit University) of Guadalajara in theology in Mexico City. With missionary energy, she has engaged in youth ministry, catechesis, prison Ministry, creating Mission groups and listening with female prisoners, evangelization in different places in the Mexican Republic. She was part of the General Council of her congregation, coordinator of the educational area, General director of schools, from preschool to higher level (undergraduate). she was named president of the Federation of private schools in the State of Colima. In 2011 she felt the call to continue her missionary service apart from an official affiliation with the Catholic Church. She currently serves as the Director of La Casa de Misericordia y de todas Las naciones, a shelter serving migrants in their Journey.