Regional Assembly 2026
WALKING IN COMMUNITY
172nd Regional Assembly
of the
Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in Georgia
April 23-25, 2026
Ray of Hope Christian Church, Decatur, GA
The Christian Church in Georgia invites members and friends of Georgia Disciples congregations to the 172nd Regional Assembly, on April 23-25, 2026, at the Ray of Hope Christian Church, Decatur, GA. "Walking in CommUNITY - Arise! Awake! Activate!!!" is grounded in our focal scripture from Isaiah 43:18-19a:
"Forget the former things. Do not dwell on the past.
See, I am doing a new thing!
Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?"
With a slightly expanded schedule of events, Rev. Terri Hord Owens, Disciples General Minister and President, will open the Assembly on Friday afternoon, April 24, beginning at 1 pm. During Friday evening worship, Georgia Regional Minister, Rev. Dr. Adam Harmon, will be installed and preach. On Saturday morning, Rev. Dr. Cynthia L. Hale, Senior Pastor of Ray of Hope Christian Church, will lead Bible study, which will be followed by a business session, Assembly service project, and more. In addition to the Assembly, clergy are invited to a Pre-Assembly Clergy fellowship gathering beginning Thursday evening, April 23, and a self-care workshop on Friday morning.
Read on for all the details and make plans TODAY to attend the 172nd Regional Assembly of the Christian Church in Georgia!
Download a flyer to post in your church or share through your church’s newsletter or social media.
*All events take place at Ray of Hope Christian Church, 2778 Snapfinger Rd., Decatur, Ga 30034.
Schedule
Thursday, April 23, 2026
6 pm — Pre-Assembly Clergy Gathering (dinner, fellowship, & fun)
Friday, April 24, 2026
8:30 am — Pre-Assembly Clergy Light Continental Breakfast
9:00-11:30 am — Pre-Assembly Clergy Workshop on Self-Care led by Rev. Kinsie M. Tate, LPCC (more information under Assembly Opportunities below)
11:30 am-12:30 pm — Pre-Assembly Clergy Lunch (pre-purchase required)
11:00 am-1:30 pm - Regional Assembly Check-in
1:00-4:00 pm — Opening of Regional Assembly Featuring Rev. Terri Hord Owens (workshop & breakout session)
4:00-5:00 pm - Regional Assembly Check-in/ Free Time/ General Ministries Displays
5:00-6:30 pm —Dinner (pre-purchase required, dinner by Rachel Catering)
6:15-6:55 pm — Worship Jam Session (more information under Assembly Opportunities below)
7:00-9:00 pm —Worship Service with Installation of Rev. Dr. Adam Harmon
9:00-10:30 pm — After Party (fellowship & fun, including games, line dancing)
Saturday, April 25, 2026
7:30-8:30 am — Regional Assembly Check-in
8:00-8:30 am — Light Continental Breakfast
8:40-10:00 am — Bible Study Led by Rev. Dr. Cynthia L. Hale
10:15-11:45 am — Business Session
12:00-1:00 pm — Boxed Lunch with Constituency Groups (pre-purchase required, Publix Catering)
1:15-2:15 pm — Assembly Service Project - Blessing Bags (more information under Assembly Opportunities below)
2:20-3:00 pm — Closing Ceremony (blessing of bags, adjournment & benediction)
Registration
Registration Fees — Regional Assembly
Adult Registration — $60
Discount Registration — $50 (senior adults 65+, college and seminary students, host church)
Youth — $25 (grades 6-12)
Children — $10 (grades K-5)
Nursery —$0 (6 months to 4 years, donations accepted)
Meal Prices — Regional Assembly
Friday Catered Dinner Adult and Youth — $20
Friday Catered Dinner Child — $10
Saturday Boxed Lunch Adult and Youth —$15
Saturday Boxed Lunch Child —$7
Registration & Meals - Clergy Pre-Assembly
Pre-Assembly Clergy Gathering — $20 (includes Thursday Dinner and Friday morning workshop)
Pre-Assembly Clergy Lunch — $12 (Friday)
Registration Guidelines
Please Note: Registration is not complete without the full registration fee. Pre-registration is required. A separate registration must be completed for each person attending, including children and youth. The registration deadline is April 10, 2026.
On the first page of the registration form, if your church is not listed, please select Ray of Hope Christian Church, which is the host church.
The Regional Assembly program will be available for free as a digital download prior to the start of the Regional Assembly, or through a QR code when you arrive at the Assembly. Printed copies must be ordered in advance when you register.
The registration form will include an option to make a donation supporting the Regional Assembly service project, Blessing Bags. See “Assembly Opportunities” below for more information.
Parents of children attending the Assembly will be asked to complete a Child Information Form when they drop off their child.
Payment Options
Credit/Debit/Bank account: Payment may be made by credit or debit card via online registration using the registration link below.
Personal check: To pay by check, on the payment page of the online registration form, select “Pay later,” fill out “Billing Information,” and write check to the Christian Church (DOC) in Georgia; please note “2026 Regional Assembly” AND name(s) of participant(s) in the memo line.
Church check: If your church is paying by check for one or more participants, on the payment page, select “Pay later,” fill out “Billing Information,” and write check to the Christian Church (DOC) in Georgia; please note 2026 Regional Assembly, name of church, and include a list of all participants paid for through the church.
Mail checks to: Christian Church (DOC) in Georgia, 2306 Vineville Ave., Ste. B, Macon, GA 31204.
Questions? You may also call the Regional Office at 478-743-8649.
Hotel Accommodations
A room block has been arranged at a reduced rate at the Tru by Hilton at the nearby Northlake area, easily accessible via I-285. Hotel rooms must be booked separately through the reservation link below. Rates: 1 King Bed/$109 + tax and 2 Queen Beds/$119 + tax.
TRU BY HILTON NORTHLAKE PARKWAY
3274 Northlake Pkwy
Atlanta, GA 30345
770-810-2240
Room block available until March 26, 2026. Please book ASAP.
Other Hotel Options
You may also check other hotels for rates and availability. The following are two options in the Northlake area (click on hotel names):
HOLIDAY INN NORTHLAKE
2158 Ranchwood Dr NE
Atlanta, GA 30345
770-934-6000
HAMPTON IN NORTHLAKE
3400 Northlake Pkwy NE
Atlanta, GA 30345
770-493-1966
Children & Youth
Children
A Children’s Program for ages K-5th grade will be provided at Ray of Hope Christian Church, Decatur, on Saturday from 9 am-12:00 pm. The children will participate in study and activities based on our theme and scripture, "Walking in CommUNITY,” led by Rev. Eugene Williams, Ray of Hope Minister to Children, Youth, and Young Adults, along with ROH Children’s Church volunteers. They will also write cards with blessings to be included in our Regional Assembly service project.
Nursery care will be available at Ray of Hope Christian Church on Friday evening and Saturday morning for young children, ages 6 months through pre-K. Registration for children covers Saturday snacks; your child’s lunch should be pre-ordered as part of their registration. For infants, parents should supply diapers, bottles, feeding instructions, etc. Parents of children attending the Assembly will be asked to complete a Child Information Form when they drop off their child.
Youth
Youth are invited to bring their ingenuity, thoughts, opinions, ideas, and sensitivity to our changing world as full participants in all of the scheduled events. As an option, youth in grades 6-7 may choose to participate in study and activities geared to this middle school age group on Saturday morning from 9 am-12:00 pm, led by Rev. Eugene Williams, Ray of Hope Minister to Children, Youth, and Young Adults, along with ROH volunteers.
Registration
A separate registration must be completed for each person attending, including children and youth. Registration deadline is April 10, 2026.
Assembly Opportunities
Clergy Self Care Workshop
Clergy are invited to participate on Friday morning in a Self Care Workshop led by Rev. Kinsie M. Tate, LPCC, Executive Director and Founder of Restore Clergy, a nonprofit organization that exists to build resiliency in clergy so that they may have faithful and sustainable ministries. The workshop, “Returning to Presence: A Sensory and Reflective Experience,” offers clergy a space to slow down, reconnect with their bodies, and reflect honestly on what supports or disrupts their capacity for presence in ministry and life. At every stage of the experience, clergy are offered choice through gentle sensory practices, small-group sharing, and personal reflection. This workshop is not about fixing or improving performance, but about tending the soul, restoring agency, and remembering the practices that sustain wholeness in life and ministry. The Clergy Pre-Assembly Dinner on Thursday evening is included in the workshop fee; Friday lunch should be ordered separately.
Friday Worship Jam Session
Musicians from churches throughout the Georgia Region are invited to bring their instruments and join in a pre-worship jam session on Friday beginning at 6:15 pm. This will be an opportunity to join with other musicians in an impromptu band to create a fun-filled pre-worship environment with hymns like “Standing on the Promises” and “Just a Closer Walk with Thee.” If you would like to participate, please email Rev. Joel Tucker to receive music and instructions in advance of the Regional Assembly.
Assembly Service Project
The theme for this Regional Assembly is Walking in CommUNITY (Arise, Awake, and Activate!) The goal is to strengthen the bonds of community among the members of the Christian Church in Georgia and provide a tool for our churches to strengthen their bonds within the communities where their churches serve. During this Assembly, we will pack Blessing Bags, gallon ziplock bags filled with non-perishable snacks, hygiene products, etc. These Blessing Bags will provide an opportunity for individuals or groups to walk or drive through their communities to assist the homeless or the less fortunate at a moment’s notice. This is the ACTIVATE portion of our time together. As our theme scripture states, God wants to do something new in us; this may be something new for your church; but if not, maybe you can seek to do it in a new way.
Georgia Disciples can participate in this project in several ways:
Include a donation on the registration form when you register for the Assembly
Purchase needed items through the Amazon Wish List created for the project (coming soon)
Pack the blessings bags at the Regional Assembly on Saturday afternoon
Blessing bags will be sent home with participating churches to distribute within their communities.
Speakers
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Rev. Kinsie M. Tate is the Founder and Executive Director of Restore Clergy, a nonprofit that provides programs for clergy that help bridge the gap between knowing about self-care and practicing self-care, so they might have faithful and sustainable ministry. She is a Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor with over 15 years experience and has served in the local church, community mental health settings, psychiatric settings, and private practice. She received her Bachelor of Fine Arts in Visual Art Studies from the University of Texas at Austin in 2002, her Master of Divinity from Phillips Theological Seminary in 2007, and a Master of Education in Applied Behavioral Studies from Oklahoma City University in 2010. She was ordained in 2007 and maintains endorsement with the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in the Pacific Southwest Region. Along with her work with Restore Clergy, she maintains a private practice in Newport Beach, CA, that focuses on creating relational spaces for women to gather together and move from a state of comparison into connection.
Regional Assembly Planning Committee
Rev. Donna Gunter, Ray of Hope Christian Church (Chair)
Velma Alexander, First Christian Church of Marietta
Erin Blackwood, Johns Creek Christian Church
Rev. Jabari Butler, Ray of Hope Christian Church
Vicki Tucker, Guyton Christian Church
Ron Turner, Ray of Hope Christian Church
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Teresa “Terri” Hord Owens is the General Minister and President of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in the United States and Canada. She is the first person of color and second woman to lead the denomination, and the first woman of African descent to lead a mainline denomination.
Elected in 2017, Rev. Hord Owens was re-elected to a second term as General Minister and President in 2023. Her ministry actively reflects the Disciples’ priority of being an anti-racist church, being a movement for wholeness, welcoming all to the Lord’s table as God has welcomed us. Her exhortation to the church is “Let’s be the church we say we are. It is in being who we say we are that we actively bear witness to God’s limitless love for all.”
Rev. Hord Owens earned her bachelor’s degree from Harvard University and her MDiv from the University of Chicago Divinity School, where she subsequently served as Dean of Students for 12 years. Rev. Hord Owens’ resume includes more than 20 years of leadership in corporate America leading diverse teams in data management. She serves on the National Council of Churches as the Treasurer of the Governing Board and is a member of the World Council of Churches Central Committee.
Rev. Hord Owens is married to Walter Owens, Jr. They are the proud parents of an adult son, W. Mitchell Owens, III and daughter-in-law Adriana Owens. She is also the joyful grandmother of Zachary Owens.
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Rev. Dr. Adam Harmon, a native of Missouri, has been an ordained minister in the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) for more than 20 years, and has served both urban and rural churches in Missouri, Washington, and Illinois. He comes to the Georgia Region from Central Christian Church in Danville, IL, where he served as Senior Pastor since 2018. He earned a bachelor’s degree in sociology from Central Missouri State University, a Master of Divinity from Lexington Theological Seminary, and a Doctor of Ministry from Phillips Theological Seminary. In addition, he has completed Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE), Pro-Reconciliation/ Anti-Racism training, Healthy Boundaries training, Hope Partnership Leadership Academy, and Christian coaching. Dr. Harmon is married to Tiffany, and they are the parents of two sons, the older, a junior in college, and the younger son recently graduated from high school.
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Rev. Dr. Cynthia L. Hale is the founding and Senior Pastor of the Ray of Hope Christian Church in Decatur, Georgia. Dr. Hale has been preaching for 51 years. She established ELAH Pastoral Ministries, Inc., a mentorship program that assists in the development of pastors and para-church leaders in 2004 and convened her first Women in Ministry Conference in 2005. In 2010, she authored her first book, I’m A Piece of Work: Sisters Shaped by God.
Dr. Hale presently serves as the Chairperson of the IC3 Conference Board, a member of the Board of Trustees at Hollins University, a member of the UNCF NFEI Advisory Council, a member of the Welcome.US Council and an emeritus member of the Board of Visitors of the Divinity School at Duke University. She is most recently the past President for the Hampton University Ministers’ Conference. Dr. Hale is an active Lifetime member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated.
Dr. Hale is a native of Roanoke, Virginia. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Hollins College. She holds a Master of Divinity degree from Duke University and a Doctor of Ministry from United Theological Seminary. Dr. Hale is a contributing writer for many books and publications and the recipient of numerous honors and recognitions including in 2023 when she was honored with the Duke University Distinguished Alumni Award.