At a time when truth feels fragile and trust is fraying, the Church is called to stand as a community of integrity, courage, and hope. In this opening keynote, Presiding Bishop Sean Rowe joins Jonathan Rauch, writer for The Atlantic and senior fellow at the Brookings Institution, for a conversation on how faith and public life intersect in the struggle to uphold truth, rebuild trust, and renew the common good.

Together, they will explore what it means for the Church to lead with courage and conviction in a divided world—restoring community not through power, but through presence, grace, and a steadfast commitment to truth.

This conversation will name what is at stake in our time: the renewal of truth, the rebuilding of trust, and the restoration of community life shaped by grace, humility, and hope.

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Faith isn’t inherited—it’s formed. In a rapidly changing world, how do we help families nurture faith that is deep, resilient, and joyful?

In this keynote conversation, Dr. Brian Steensland, the Rev. Canon Scott Gunn, and Dr. Allison Norton will explore how imagination, daily practice, and family life shape the habits through which faith is learned and lived. Drawing on new research and real-world ministry experience, they’ll illuminate the practices that help faith take root and grow—storytelling, spiritual discipline, relational trust, and courage.

This keynote reframes faith formation as a lifelong, community-centered journey—not a program, but a shared way of discipleship. It invites clergy and lay leaders alike to create spaces where faith is practiced, modeled, and passed on—equipping people to follow Jesus with confidence, creativity, and joy in a constantly changing world.

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In our closing keynote, the Rev. Dr. Steven Tomlinson will gather the wisdom of the week into a single, living story of faith. Drawing on his gifts as storyteller, theologian, and teacher, Tomlinson will invite us to reflect on what it means to live faithfully in a world both aching and alive with possibility.

Rather than offering strategies or solutions, he’ll help us discern the deeper patterns of our time together—the courage to face truth, the willingness to be repaired, the hope that grows through community, and the joy of lifelong formation.

Through story, humor, and spiritual insight, Tomlinson will remind us that the Church’s shared life—its relationships, imagination, and witness—reveals God at work among us. Together, we’ll celebrate that EPN and the wider Episcopal Church are part of something larger than any one parish: a vibrant, connected community equipping leaders, strengthening parishes, and boldly imagining what’s next.

As we close EPN 2026, we’ll leave renewed in faith and imagination—ready to build a Church deeply woven together in faith and purpose that listens deeply, leads with grace, and meets this moment with creativity and hope.

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