Building Positive Structures and Cultures in Congregations

Workshop Leader: James Croft
Saturday 15 November at Horsham Unitarian Church

Positive Peace

This workshop will explore the history of Positive Peace and teach us how to build sustainable and resilient structures and cultures in our congregations that have the ability to absorb shocks without falling or relapsing into conflict.  Instead of looking at the causes of conflict, we can explore the attitudes and structures that build sustainability and resilience, and strive to create these conditions in our congregations.

Prior to his appointment to Sussex University, James served as the Senior Leader of the Ethical Society of St. Louis, one of the largest Humanist congregations in the world. As clergy for one of the few thriving congregations for people without a traditional faith, James told stories and designed aesthetic experiences to invite people into the work of social change.

Before becoming clergy, James was an interdisciplinary researcher with a focus on the philosophy of Human Development and the role of the arts in learning. He completed his Master’s and Doctoral degrees at the Harvard Graduate School of Education, and his undergraduate degree at Homerton College, Cambridge. He is the winner of many awards for his academic work, including Homerton College’s Foundation Award for exceptional academic performance, and the prestigious Frank Knox Fellowship, awarded to those who demonstrate “leadership, strength of character, keen mind, balanced judgement and a devotion to the democratic ideal."

James is a gay rights and Humanist activist. His first speech as an activist, 6.12 seconds has been used around the world to train leaders in the art of Public Narrative (the use of personal stories to move people to action), and is literally a textbook example of the effective use of narrative to make change. James provides coaching for leaders who wish to communicate more persuasively.

A native of London, England, James lives in Brighton, England with his husband Kolten and their darling chihuahua Ella.