Future Tense

Future Tense is a collaborative initiative from Sojourners and the Kettering Foundation bringing together leaders and practitioners from across faith, advocacy, research, government, movement building, business, media, and other sectors to explore a shared question: What will it take to build a healthy, inclusive democracy in which everyone can participate and flourish?

At a moment when democratic institutions and norms face significant pressures, Future Tense begins with the recognition that no single organization, movement, or sector can meet these challenges alone. The initiative creates space for leaders working in different arenas to move beyond siloed responses, strengthen relationships, share what they are learning, and develop practical strategies for collective action.

The gathering will look not only at the forces threatening democratic participation, but also at the places where people are already building something different. Across communities, movements, workplaces, congregations, and governments, people are experimenting with more participatory and inclusive forms of democracy and finding new ways to share power, strengthen belonging, and ensure people have a meaningful voice in the decisions that shape their lives.

Through plenary conversations, small-group dialogue, and cross-sector strategy sessions, participants will examine the role of youth organizing and civic engagement, the relationship between theology and political power, and emerging models of democratic participation and collective action. The goal is to leave with stronger relationships, a shared understanding of the challenges and opportunities before us, and concrete possibilities for continued collaboration.

Discussion facilitated by Becky Monroe, a longtime civil rights attorney and leader whose work has focused on building coalitions across communities, countering hate, and strengthening civil rights protections at the local, state, and federal levels.