Rev. Dr. Roland Stringfellow earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Education and a Master of Science degree in Counseling from Indiana University.  He later earned a Master of Arts degree in Ministry from Grace Theological Seminary and in 1990 became a licensed minister in the Baptist Church.  In 2005, Roland was ordained with the Metropolitan Community Church and in 2006 he earned his Master of Divinity from the Pacific School of Religion with a certificate in Religion and Sexuality.  In 2011, Roland became licensed with the United Church of Christ and The Fellowship churches, a predominately African-American denomination with an outreach to LGBT individuals.  He has worked as a pastor in Indiana and California.  In addition to all his work within church contexts, Roland also worked in the field of education in a variety of capacities – teacher, guidance counselor, college advisor, and vice-principal. Roland is currently based in Detroit, Michigan.

Contact: rstringfellow@clgs.org

After receiving his PhD from Yale University in the history of Christianity and teaching on the East coast, Bernie became one of the original staff members of the Center when it opened its doors in the fall of 2000. Since then he has held a number of positions at CLGS, including Program Director and Interim Deputy Director, before becoming Executive Director in July 2009. In addition, he directs the development and advancement work of the Center, teaches in the Certificate of Sexuality and Religion Program (CSR) at Pacific School of Religion, and serves as an editorial consultant for the CLGS/Pilgrim Press Book series.

Contact: bschlager@clgs.org 

Rev. Jakob Hero-Shaw is the Senior Pastor of the Metropolitan Community Church of Tampa. Jakob received his MDiv and Certificate in Sexuality and Religion from the Pacific School of Religion and his MA in Ethics and Social Theory from the Graduate Theological Union. He holds a Graduate Diploma in Christian Theology and Spiritual Direction from Cardiff University in Wales, and a BA in Religious Studies with an emphasis on Christianity and Islam, from the University of South Florida. Jakob has led trainings on human rights and participated transgender advocacy throughout the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, and Central and Eastern Europe. Jakob’s favorite thing in life is being a dad! He lives in Tampa, Florida, with his husband and their two children.

Contact: jhero@clgs.org 

Rabbi Jane Rachel Litman is the Rabbi of Coastside Jewish Community, a diverse and welcoming congregation in Half Moon Bay, California.  Prior to joining CJC, she served as the Rabbi of LGBTQI outreach congregations Sha’ar Zahav and Kol Simcha. Rabbi Litman has been a consultant on religious education for alternative families for the Metropolitan Community Church and National Council of Churches.  She was a lecturer at California State University Northridge, where she co-founded the Queer Studies Institute.  An LGBTQI and AIDS activist for over twenty-five years, including serving on the Board of the March on Washington and Freedom to Marry, Rabbi Litman is widely published in the fields of feminism, trans and queer theory, and is the co-editor of the award winning Lifecycles series. Her latest piece is the chapter on Judaism in Struggling In Good Faith, a multifaith look at religion in American from an LGBTQI perspective.

Contact: jlitman@clgs.org

Maij (they/he/sib/homie/fam) is a BlackVietnameseBipolarTransNonbinaryQueer currently existing in and with beloved community in Winston-Salem, NC. Maij’s formal education and training consists of a Bachelors of Arts in Sociology and Women, Gender, Sexuality Studies, as well as a Masters of Divinity from Wake Forest University.

A creative visionary, organizer, and liberation companion from the Southern United States, their soul work centers the bodies, voices, and lived experiences of oppressed peoples striving to transform their imaginations and worlds.

Contact: mmai@clgs.org