Balancing social justice and church and making peace with its shortcomings w/Dr Selina Stone

Leading the change within church

"I was excited by how can I lead, but not in the church space? It felt limiting. It felt like it was repetitive. I was kind of interested and excited by the world, which in my tradition was painted as quite a dangerous place. But I found it quite exciting. - Dr Selina Stone

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Who is Dr Selina Stone?

As a Lecturer in Theology at St Mellitus College, Dr Selina Stone brings together theology and religious studies with an emphasis on liberation through her work as part-time freelance researcher.

She's currently leading the team undertaking research for a project about wellbeing among BAME/UKME Clergy within Church of England institutions.

She was a Christian from a very young age and she grew up with that being reinforced in all areas of her life.

She had a very strong connection to God.

Dr Selina's transition from church leader to community leader

As you will hear in the episode, Dr Selina had a lot of awareness when she was getting more involved in the church.

She knew it wasn't perfect and that things had to be different if she was going to get on with it. And it didn't initially excite her.

But as we always say on this podcast, leadership starts with self.

And Dr Selina is a great example of a leader starting the leadership journey with self.

Particularly when it comes to leaning into that responsibility that we know we have to take to help others first.

For Dr Selina, the theological work that she does around helping people think critically about faith is very much intertwined with these concerns about social justice and having a kind of nuanced understanding life.

The politics/theology works together in all aspects when it comes to defending or discovering more equality for everyone; not just those who are Christian-based but also followers from other religions as well!

The importance here lies within exploring one's own identity while still being committed towards improving society at large - something which can be seen through every aspect including how we approach jobs like hers where there often isn't much room left to manoeuvre.

Key leadership learning moments

01m26s - Dr Selina's backstory

05m59s - Having the courage to see things differently

15m33s - What it was like for Dr Selina being a leader

26m10s - Navigating the balance between justice and silence

36m24s - How Selina makes time for herself

46m34s - Coping when prayer doesn't 'work' immediately

56m36s - How Dr Selina Stone defines leadership

Useful links

Dr Selina Stone on LinkedIn

Dr Selina Stone's podcast "Sunday School for misfits"

Dr Selina Stone's page on the University of Birmingham website

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