This course offers a framework for providing compassionate, grounded spiritual care during protests, advocacy gatherings, and social movements. Drawing from a variety of faith traditions and critical social justice theory, it equips chaplains, pastors, and spiritual leaders to respond with integrity, purpose, and preparedness.
Across the United States, communities are rising up—protesting policies, challenging systemic injustice, and demanding change from local, state, and federal institutions. These gatherings often carry emotional weight and heightened tension—for those participating and those witnessing alike.
As spiritual leaders, our calling compels us not just to show up, but to show up well. Presence matters—but so do action, preparedness, and a deep sense of pastoral responsibility. In moments of crisis, trauma, or unrest, spiritual care must be both rooted and responsive.
This course will guide you—and your leadership teams—in the practice of protest chaplaincy:
- Offering faithful, embodied presence in high-stakes moments
- Understanding the difference between church-based and street-based roles
- Providing pastoral companionship amid tension and traumaBuilding readiness for protest environments
Schedule
January 6, 2026 12 pm - 12:30 pm ET - Initial Zoom gathering
January 13, 2026 12 pm - 2 pm ET - Zoom gathering
January 20, 2026 12 pm - 2 pm ET - Zoom gathering
What We'll Explore:
Foundations & Frameworks
- Integrating social justice principles with spiritual care
- The theological and historical roots of protest chaplaincy
- Why protest/activist chaplains are urgently needed
Before the Action
- Clarifying your role: church vs. street
- Preparing spiritually, mentally, and physically
- Building and training a care team
- Gathering interfaith and trauma-informed resources
During the Action
- Embodying spiritual leadership and care
- Navigating conflict and emotional escalation
- Staying grounded and responsive in real time
After the Action
- Providing follow-up care, including support for those harmed or arrested
- Debriefing and reflecting as a team
- Sustaining your own spiritual and emotional wellbeing
- Sharing and curating resources for continued growth
Anna Golladay
Rev. Anna Golladay (she/her) is the Senior Director of Communications and Marketing at Convergence. Anna has served as associate pastor in the United Methodist Church. Her ministry is under girded by social justice and the inequity that exists both in and outside the church’s walls.
She is a protest chaplain and engages in direct actions of justice – in the streets and offices of power. She is an entrepreneur, running a small online-based apparel shop called Bias & Bourbon and social enterprise, Work of Place. She spends free time as an avid football and hockey fan and with life-partner to Mike, a small-animal veterinarian.