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The fourth annual “Jesus and Justice” Young Adult Advocacy Conference is less than two months away, and registration is now open for any young adults interested in participating! This year’s event, organized by Presbyterian Life & Witness staff, will take place at Columbia Theological Seminary in Decatur, Georgia, from October 23-25.
The 2026 YAAC boasts an impressive array of speakers, preachers, and facilitators, including the Co-Moderator of the 227th General Assembly (2026), the Rev. Dr. Kris Schondelmeyer; Columbia Seminary’s president, the Rev. Dr. Victor Aloyo, Jr., and the director of Advocacy and Witness for PL&W, the Rev. Jimmie Hawkins.
In addition to powerful keynote and worship offerings, the YAAC schedule also includes a panel featuring young adult activists, workshops to hone advocacy skills, and multiple opportunities for networking and socializing. The Rev. Carlton Johnson will offer a workshop on voting, and the Rev. Dr. Alonzo T. Johnson will lead one on drumming and poverty, as well as give a talk in collaboration with the Rev. Dr. Aisha Brooks-Johnson, executive presbyter for the Presbytery of Greater Atlanta. The conference closes out with a time for collective action and witness.
The Jesus and Justice conference is a collaborative project between staff from Advocacy and Witness, other PL&W staff, and local partners in each conference location. It grew out of a desire to help college students, seminarians, and other young adults discern how their faith and matters of justice intersect. The weekend-long event offers participants the opportunity to learn effective ways to stand up for causes they believe in, build networks, and engage with advocacy topics in meaningful ways.
Hawkins described the YAAC as “a wonderful way to connect with young adults and for young adults to connect with the church.”
“For many it is a uniting of two important elements in their lives — faith and justice, often engaged in separately,” Hawkins said. “At the Jesus and Justice conference we affirm that they are connected as a natural combination of serving God in the world. We engage in workshops on justice advocacy, issues, and ministry in the 21st century. Our catchphrase is that ‘advocacy is a spiritual discipline’ and we demonstrate it the entire weekend.”
The inaugural Jesus and Justice conference took place in 2023 at the Presbyterian Center in Louisville, Kentucky, with subsequent conferences taking place in Charlotte, North Carolina (2024), and Lansing, Michigan (2025). Organizers intentionally choose different geographic locations each year, hoping to make the opportunity accessible to young adults in various regions across the country.
Another aspect of the conference’s “young-adult-friendly” design is cost: the cost of attendance is only $15 total, with all meals are included. Participants are responsible for arranging and paying for their own accommodations, but staff do offer recommendations and assistance as needed.
During last year’s conference, young adult panelists spoke about why it is so important to them to engage in advocacy and justice work.
“I feel like it’s so apparent in the world today how much pain and suffering is all around us,” said Timothy Pinches, a Kalamazoo, Michigan student and former summer fellow for PL&W’s Office of Public Witness. “I think that’s what really draws me to advocacy is just the sense that we all need to get up and do the work.”
Hayley Scheir, who served as a mission specialist supporting advocacy committees of the PC(USA) and hosted last year’s activists panel at the conference, emphasized the importance of having a panel made up entirely of young adults. “Young adults have something important to bring to the church,” Scheir said, “and a unique perspective and experience that is important for us to elevate and make sure that it’s heard by everyone within the church and within our communities.”
A number of conference participants have expressed the importance of aligning their faith and their vocation.
“The Jesus and Justice conference was incredibly meaningful to me because it helped me realize how to tie my studies in International Relations to my faith,” said Sam Putt, who also served as a summer fellow for OPW. “It also helped me realize how faith-based advocacy can be applied in my studies and the global community as a whole.”
Olivia Phelps, who has attended previous Jesus and Justice conferences and now serves the Office of Public Witness as a Young Adult Volunteer, said the conferences have given her hope and invaluable connection with other young adults.
“The Jesus and Justice conference has encouraged and continues to encourage me in my faith and provide a sense of hope for what my generation is able to accomplish. Having the space to connect with other young adult members of the church to learn, worship, share stories and meals together has blessed me with relationships and experiences in ministry extending past the conference weekend.”
The Rev. Jihyun Oh, Stated Clerk of the General Assembly of the PC(USA) and Executive Director of Presbyterian Life & Witness, spoke to communications staff of PL&W during last year’s conference and expressed deep conviction about the importance of including, equipping and learning from young adults when it comes to justice work and the church.
Offering a word to young adults who might consider attending future Jesus and Justice events, she said, “Please come, because the church needs your voice. The church needs your witness.”
Young adults interested in this year’s conference can find out more information and register here.
By Layton Williams Berkes, Presbyterian News Service
