Father William Hart McNichols (he/him) is widely known as one of the world’s most gifted iconographers. A former Jesuit and student of Franciscan iconographer Robert Lentz, Fr. Bill’s icons have been in exhibitions across the U.S. In 1980, a year after becoming a priest, he moved to NYC where he ministered to people with HIV/AIDS. From 1983 - 1990 he worked with the AIDS Hospice team of St. Vincent's Hospital in Manhattan. In 1990, Fr. Bill moved to Albuquerque, New Mexico where he has assisted with sacramental ministry in Taos and Albuquerque. He is author and collaborator on numerous books including Mother of God Similar to Fire, with Mirabai Starr, Light in All Darkness, Image to Insight, You Will Be My Witnesses, and more. His most recent book with Dr. Christopher Pramuk is titled All My Eyes See: The Artistic Vocation of Father William Hart McNichols, which explores his life’s journey.

Rev. Cassidy Hall (she/her/hers), MA, MDiv, MTS, is an author, award-winning filmmaker, podcaster, ordained minister in the United Church of Christ, and leading voice in contemplative spirituality. She is the cohost of the Encountering Silence podcast, and the creator of the Contemplating Now and Queering Contemplation podcasts. Her films include In Pursuit of Silence and Day of a Stranger. Her forthcoming book, Queering Contemplation: Finding Queerness in the Roots and Future of Contemplative Spirituality. Cassidy is widely published and currently resides in Indianapolis where she is studying for her doctorate degree. You can learn more about her at cassidyhall.com.

James Crews (he/him) is the editor of several bestselling anthologies, including The Path to Kindness: Poems of Connection and Joy and How to Love the World: Poems of Gratitude and Hope, which has over 100,000 copies in print. He has been featured in The Washington Post, The Boston Globe, The New York Times Magazine, The New Republic, The Christian Science Monitor, and on NPR’s Morning Edition. James is the author of four prize-winning books of poetry—The Book of What Stays, Telling My Father, Bluebird, and Every Waking Moment—and a book of short essays, Kindness Will Save the World: Stories of Compassion and Connection. James also speaks and leads workshops on kindness, mindfulness, and writing for self-compassion. He lives with his husband on forty rocky acres in the woods of Southern Vermont. Learn more about him and his work at jamescrews.net. Click here to pre-order Love is for All of Us.

The Rev. Cassidy Hall (she/her/hers), MA, MDiv, MTS, is an author, award-winning filmmaker, podcaster, ordained minister in the United Church of Christ, and leading voice in contemplative spirituality. She is the cohost of the Encountering Silence podcast, and the creator of the Contemplating Now and Queering Contemplation podcasts. Her films include In Pursuit of Silence and Day of a Stranger. Her forthcoming book, Queering Contemplation: Finding Queerness in the Roots and Future of Contemplative Spirituality. Cassidy is widely published and currently resides in Indianapolis where she is studying for her doctorate degree. You can learn more about her at cassidyhall.com and support her work here.

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The Rev. Larry J. Morris III (he/they) is an apostle, digital marketer, scholar, and spiritual director based in Chicago, IL. In his work, he “helps individuals and organizations realize their extraordinary purpose.” Larry is also Executive Director of the Inclusive Collective, a campus ministry in the Chicagoland area. Larry is a Ph.D. student in the African American Preaching and Sacred Rhetoric program at Christian Theological Seminary (Indianapolis, IN), focusing on the intersections of Blackness, Queerness, and Sacred Rhetoric. You can learn more about Larry's work by visiting his website: https://larryjmorris3.com/

The Rev. Cassidy Hall (she/her/hers), MA, MDiv, MTS, is an author, award-winning filmmaker, podcaster, ordained minister in the United Church of Christ, and leading voice in contemplative spirituality. She is the cohost of the Encountering Silence podcast, and the creator of the Contemplating Now and Queering Contemplation podcasts. Her films include In Pursuit of Silence and Day of a Stranger. Her book, Queering Contemplation: Finding Queerness in the Roots and Future of Contemplative Spirituality was released May 2024. Cassidy is widely published and currently resides in Indianapolis where she is studying for her doctorate degree. You can learn more about her at cassidyhall.com and support her work here.