Christian Theological Seminary (CTS) will host “Testify! Sharing God’s Story Through Black Christian Arts” on Wednesday, July 9. The free event starts at 6:30 p.m. at Bethel Cathedral African Methodist Episcopal (AME) Church.
The Rev. Nick Peterson, CTS assistant professor of homiletics and worship, and artistic director Julian Davis Reid lead the gathering. It celebrates artistic expression as testimony within Black Christianity.
“Testify! brings back what many churches have set aside: the power of personal testimony,” Peterson said. “But we’re not just talking, we’re creating. Through music, movement, visual art and spoken word, we’re reclaiming testimony as the vital spiritual practice it was meant to be.”
The event emphasizes creativity as a form of witnessing and faith practice. It aims to show testimony extending beyond spoken word and Sunday services into all art forms.
Peterson highlighted the goal of reigniting testimony traditions.
“We’ve traded testimony service for efficiency and lost something essential,” Peterson said. “Testify proves that sharing our God-stories through the arts doesn’t just strengthen faith, it transforms how we understand ourselves as community.”
The gathering connects artistic creation to themes like divine creation, hope, healing, transformation and rest. Organizers stress participation over performance.
“Come ready to create together,” Peterson urged. “This isn’t about perfect performance, it’s about collective witness.”
No registration is required for the event. For more information, contact Dr. Rae Karim at testify@cts.edu.
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Noral Parham is the multi-media & senior sports reporter for the Indianapolis Recorder, one of the oldest Black publications in the country. Parham has worked with various leagues to provide a diverse perspective in sports, including the Big Ten, Big East, IHSAA, IndyCar, MLB, NHRA, NFL, NBA, WNBA, WWE and the Olympics. Prior to joining the Recorder, Parham served as the community advocate of the MLK Center in Indianapolis and senior copywriter for an e-commerce and marketing firm in Denver.
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