Does everything feel partisan now? Why are many church folk either disengaged from politics or not wanting it talked about in faith communities? Then when it is discussed, why do we believe there are only two, and always opposing, sides? How does fear shape our responses to the world we believe we are called to love and serve as followers of Jesus? We claim to be Christians. We are custodians of the Gospel. The church needs to do some reckoning. We are called to bear witness to a God of justice and compassion. What if our righteousness was rooted in justice in community? Come wrestle with all this with our presenter and move from this gathering back out into the world with a groundedness in the Gospel.
The Rev. George Mason has been senior pastor of Wilshire Baptist Church in Dallas, TX, since 1989. He is a nationally recognized religious leader, serving the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship, Fellowship Southwest, Pastors for Texas Children, and Faith Forward Dallas at Thanks-Giving Square. He is the lead advisor for the Baptist House of Studies at Perkins School of Theology (SMU). George is an op-ed contributor to the Dallas Morning News and writes a monthly column on public theology for the community news magazine, The Advocate. Since 2018, he has produced and hosted Good God, a podcast featuring conversations about faith and public life.

At Wilshire, George birthed and directs the Pathways to Ministry clergy apprenticeship program. This includes a renowned pastoral residency program that has become a model for congregations nationwide. His book, Preparing the Pastors We Need: Reclaiming the Congregation’s Role in Training Clergy, was published in 2012 by Alban Press. One of his passions is encouraging those whom God has called into vocational ministry.

George earned a business degree in 1978 from the University of Miami (Florida), where he was a quarterback on the football team. He holds both the Master of Divinity (1982) and Doctor of Philosophy (1987) degrees from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth. His doctoral field of study was systematic theology, with a minor in philosophy of religion.

A native of New York City, George has been married to Kim since 1979. They have three children and six grandchildren.