Called & Crafted 2026: We Choose Joy

That is at the heart of Called & Crafted 2026, happening October 19–21 in Indianapolis, IN, at the University of Indianapolis. More than a gathering for preachers and ministry leaders, Called & Crafted is an intentional space for those who spend so much of their lives caring for others to experience care themselves.

This year’s theme, “We Choose Joy” (Nehemiah 8:10), meets us in a world that can feel increasingly chaotic, heavy, and uncertain. Choosing joy in such a world is not escapism. It is resistance. It is a declaration that the circumstances around us do determine the posture of our souls, the fullness of our lives, or our capacity to experience God's goodness.

Called & Crafted invites us to choose joy as an act of faith, courage, and resistance.

The conference will feature several leaders from the African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church. The Right Reverend Daran Mitchell, Presiding Prelate of the Midwest Episcopal District; Rev. Dr. Dominique A. Robinson, Program Manager of The A.M.E. Zion Church’s Compelling Preaching Initiative; and the event will be hosted by Rev. Arionne Yvette Lynch, University Chaplain and Director of the Lantz Center for Christian Vocation, and Rev. Simone' Walls, Program Manager of the Compelling Preaching Initiative both at the University of Indianapolis.

The keynote speaker, Rev. Dr. Teresa L. Fry Brown, Bandy Professor of Preaching, Candler School of Theology, brings her extraordinary wisdom as a preacher, scholar, author, and teacher to this important conversation.

Across three days, participants will find opportunities for worship, meaningful conversation, learning, creativity, fellowship, and—perhaps—room to breathe through a comprehensive offering of holistic wellness and relaxation experiences (mindfulness practice, meditation, yoga, massage, and more).

Because the people who care for congregations, communities, families, and countless others deserve to be cared for, too.

Called & Crafted 2026: We Choose Joy.

Come be renewed. Come be reminded. Come choose joy with us.

In a world that gives us plenty of reasons to despair, choosing joy is how we resist.