# Event Details - **Event Name**: Celebrating The Life and Ministry of Blessed Absalom Jones - **Event Start and End Date**: Sat, 14 Feb, 2026 at 10:30 am – Sat, 14 Feb, 2026 at 01:00 pm - **Event Description**: A diocesan service celebrating the Life and Ministry of Blessed Absalom Jones, the first African American priest in The Episcopal Church.About this EventServiceJoin us as we honor the life and ministry of the Blessed Absalom Jones, the first African American priest in The Episcopal Church, with a celebration of music and prayer at the Church of the Good Samaritan in Paoli.The gathering begins at 10:30 a.m. with Eucharist service at 11:30 a.m.Rev. Dr. Kenyatta R. Gilbert, who has garnered national recognition for his academic expertise, and African American preaching, will be our guest speaker. We'll also be commissioning a new Absalom Jones Icon in honor of Canon James Wynn's contributions to The Episcopal Church and his 52+ years of service. For all other questions or concerns, please contact the chair of Absalom Jones 2026, The Rev. Canon Jordan F. Casson, at rector@stmichaelsyeadon.org or 484-466-5330.ShuttlesShuttles will be leaving from Calvary St. Augustine and St. Jude and the Nativity. If you plan to utilize this service, please contact the parish nearest you by February 1st to reserve your spot.Calvary St. Augustine: 215-222-2070St. Jude and the Nativity: 856-580-7174LunchLunch will follow immediately after worship service. Please indicate when registering if you will be in attendance.Guest SpeakerRev. Dr. Kenyatta R. Gilbert is a nationally recognized scholar on African American preaching, and is currently serving as Dean and Professor of Homiletics at Howard University School of Divinity. His journey towards his esteemed position begins with his bachelor's degree in political science from Baylor University in 1996. Driven by a profound calling, he pursued further education at Princeton Theological Seminary, where he earned both his Master of Divinity and Doctor of Philosophy degrees in Practical Theology, specializing in homiletics.As an ordained Baptist minister, Dr. Gilbert has enriched congregations across various regions including Texas, New York, New Jersey, Maryland, and Kenya. In 2006, he found his professional home at Howard University, where he continues to inspire and educate future generations of ministers and scholars.Dr. Gilbert's scholarly contributions extend beyond the classroom, as evidenced by his prolific writing and public engagements. He is the author of four influential books: Exodus Preaching: Crafting Sermons about Justice and Hope, A Pursued Justice: Black Preaching from the Great Migration to Civil Rights, The Journey and Promise of African American Preaching, and Just Living: Meditations for Engaging our Life and Times. His insights on Black preaching, civil rights, and social justice have been featured in various esteemed platforms including PBS NewsHour, Sojourners, Word & Way, Religion Dispatches, and The Conversation.In 2011, Dr. Gilbert founded The Preaching Project, a transformative ministry dedicated to empowering ministers for effective service within African American churches and communities. Furthermore, he served as the Black Congregations Resource Center’s founding director at Howard University. In 2024, his inaugural year as dean, Dr. Gilbert was awarded a $1.25 million Compelling Preaching Initiative grant to launch programs on African American preaching at Howard and a $60,000 technology grant from the Wabash Center for Teaching and Learning in Theology and Religion to upgrade classrooms for HyFlex online learning. He is the General Editor for the forthcoming Preaching, Theology, and Culture book series by Fortress Press, and is a board member of the Association of Theological Schools. Additionally, Dr. Gilbert is a respected member of the editorial board of Homiletic, a peer-reviewed journal sponsored by the Academy of Homiletics, and Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc.In recognition of his outstanding contributions to academia and social justice, Dr. Gilbert was honored with induction into the Martin Luther King Jr. International Collegium of Scholars at Morehouse College in 2022 and a recipient of the Diamond Award for Excellence in Leadership from the Not Alone Foundation, Inc. Most recently, Dr. Gilbert was named the 2024 McClendon Scholar-in-Residence at New York Avenue Presbyterian in Washington, DC and Baylor University Alumni Alliance’s Robert L. Gilbert Distinguished Alumni Award. Through his multifaceted roles as a scholar, preacher, educator, and community leader, Dr. Kenyatta R. Gilbert exemplifies a commitment to excellence, equity, and empowerment. https://cdn-az.allevents.in/events7/banners/f1543cf0-ec94-11f0-9788-055b7fa481f0-rimg-w740-h740-dcbdbfc2-gmir.jpg - **Event URL**: https://allevents.in/paoli/celebrating-the-life-and-ministry-of-blessed-absalom-jones/100001979733059875 - **Event Categories**: art, literary-art, health-wellness, meditation - **Interested Audience**: - total_interested_count: 0 ## Ticket Details - **Ticket Price Range**: min: 0, max: 0, currency: USD ## Event venue details - **city**: Paoli - **state**: PA - **country**: United States - **location**: Church of the Good Samaritan - **lat**: 40.0406904 - **long**: -75.4909077 - **full address**: Church of the Good Samaritan, 212 West Lancaster Avenue, Paoli, United States ## Event gallery - **Alt text**: Celebrating The Life and Ministry of Blessed Absalom Jones - **Image URL**: https://cdn-az.allevents.in/events3/banners/99264013c542ca24293efd1b8854e0d1466eef4b345d233045957635e56d1a90-rimg-w556-h357-dc46332f-gmir.jpg?v=1767878501 ## FAQs - **Q**: When and where is Celebrating The Life and Ministry of Blessed Absalom Jones being held? - **A:** Celebrating The Life and Ministry of Blessed Absalom Jones takes place on Sat, 14 Feb, 2026 at 10:30 am to Sat, 14 Feb, 2026 at 01:00 pm at Church of the Good Samaritan, 212 West Lancaster Avenue, Paoli, United States. - **Q**: Who is organizing Celebrating The Life and Ministry of Blessed Absalom Jones? - **A:** Celebrating The Life and Ministry of Blessed Absalom Jones is organized by Episcopal Diocese of Pennsylvania. ## Structured Data (JSON-LD) ```json [ { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "Event", "name": "Celebrating The Life and Ministry of Blessed Absalom Jones", "image": "https://cdn-az.allevents.in/events3/banners/99264013c542ca24293efd1b8854e0d1466eef4b345d233045957635e56d1a90-rimg-w556-h357-dc46332f-gmir.jpg?v=1767878501", "startDate": "2026-02-14", "endDate": "2026-02-14", "url": "https://allevents.in/paoli/celebrating-the-life-and-ministry-of-blessed-absalom-jones/100001979733059875", "location": { "@type": "Place", "name": "Church of the Good Samaritan", "address": { "@type": "PostalAddress", "streetAddress": "212 West Lancaster Avenue", "postalCode": "19301", "addressLocality": "Paoli", "addressRegion": "PA", "addressCountry": "US" }, "geo": { "@type": "GeoCoordinates", "latitude": "40.0406904", "longitude": "-75.4909077" } }, "eventAttendanceMode": "https://schema.org/OfflineEventAttendanceMode", "description": "A diocesan service celebrating the Life and Ministry of Blessed Absalom Jones, the first African American priest in The Episcopal Church.", "offers": [ { "@type": "AggregateOffer", "availability": "https://schema.org/InStock", "priceCurrency": "USD", "availabilityStarts": "2026-04-08", "availabilityEnds": "2026-02-14", "validFrom": "2026-04-08", "lowPrice": "0.00", "highPrice": "0.00", "price": "0.00", "url": "https://allevents.in/paoli/celebrating-the-life-and-ministry-of-blessed-absalom-jones/100001979733059875" }, { "@type": "Offer", "availability": "https://schema.org/InStock", "priceCurrency": "USD", "availabilityStarts": "2026-04-08", "availabilityEnds": "", "validFrom": "2026-04-08", "url": "https://allevents.in/paoli/celebrating-the-life-and-ministry-of-blessed-absalom-jones/100001979733059875", "price": 0, "name": "Celebrating - Blessed Absalom Jones" } ], "organizer": [ { "@type": "Organization", "name": "Episcopal Diocese of Pennsylvania", "url": "https://allevents.in/org/episcopal-diocese-of-pennsylvania/18432510", "description": "We have 134 congregations across 5 counties in Pennsylvania. 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