Wesley Granberg-Michaelson is the author of several books includeing Without Oars: Casting Off into a Life of Pilgrimage, From Times Square to Timbuktu: The Post-Christian West Meets the Non-Western Church, and Future Faith: Ten Challenges for Reshaping Christianity in the 21st Century. His forthcoming book describes the ways of nurturing the inward spiritual journey in the midst of one’s active, outward engagement in the world.
He served as general secretary of the Reformed Church in America for 17 years from 1994 to 2011. Previously he held the position of director of church and society at the World Council of Churches in Geneva. Earlier in his career he served as executive and legislative assistant to U.S. Senator Mark O. Hatfield (1968-1976) and then as the associate editor of Sojourners magazine when it was founded. He played a leading role in establishing Christian Churches Together in the USA, and presently helps guide the development of the Global Christian Forum. Over the course of his ministry his ecumenical work has taken him to all corners of the world. In addition to the recent titles listed above, he is the author of Underexpected Destinations: An Evangelical Pilgrimage to World Christianity and Leadership from Inside Out: Spirituality and Organizational Change, as well as four other earlier books. His numerous magazine articles have appeared in Sojourners, The Christian Century, The Church Herald, Ecumenical Review, and other publications.
In the fall of 2012, Granberg-Michaelson was appointed as a Distinguished Visiting Scholar at the John W. Kluge Center of the Library of Congress. While there he researched and wrote the book From Times Square to Timbuktu: The Post-Christian West Meets the Non-Western Church (Eerdmans, Fall 2013). The book deals with the effects of the shift in world Christianity to the global South, and impact of global migration on congregational life and society in the global North. It was chosen to be part of the 2013 National Book Festival in Washington, D. C.
Granberg-Michaelson is a graduate of Hope College and Western Theological Seminary, both in Holland, Michigan, and was ordained as a Minister of Word and Sacrament in the Reformed Church in America in 1984. Presently he continues his work in ecumenical organizations, in writing and public speaking on issues facing world Christianity, and consulting to church-related organizations. He serves today on the governing boards of Sojourners, Church Innovations, and the Global Christian Forum. His wife, Kaarin Granberg-Michaelson, is an ordained minister in the Reformed Church in America, and they have two children. Wes and Kaarin make their home in Santa Fe, N.M.
Posts By This Author
Interview: Richard Barnet on Multinational Corporations
When this article appeared, Richard J. Barnet was a founder and co-director of the Institute for Policy Studies in Washington, D.C.
No King But Caesar
More than ever, the task of the faithful church in America during 1976 will be to discern how the principalities of American power are dethroned by the victorious triumph of the cross.
Politics and Spirituality
Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness
The Christian’s primary responsibility, politically speaking, is to live as a witness to the Truth.