06/03/2026
June 2026 Speakers
Services start at 11:00 am on Sundays. Childcare is provided.
June 7, 2026 - Dr. Thomas Reidy will present, "In the Darkest of Times: Scottsboro and Those Who Stood Against Violence and Injustice". Thomas Reidy received his PhD in History from the University of Alabama and for many years was a popular Lecturer at the University of Alabama in Huntsville. tom currently serves as the Executive Director for the Scottsboro Boys Museum, where he is credited with designing and writing the content for its exhibits. His association with the museum goes back to 2020 as he played a pivotal role lobbying for and writing the Scottsboro Boys Act (AL 2013), a law which allows the state to posthumously pardon convicted felons. In addition to his work at the museum, Tom serves on the boards of the Alabama Department of Archives and History, Historic Huntsville Foundation, and the Racial Equity Committee for the Community Foundation of Greater Huntsville. His published works cover both the anyebellum period in Alabama and the civil rights movement. He recently edited and wrote the introduction to The Founding of Alabama: Background and Formative Period in the Great Bend and Madison County (UA PRESS, 2019), which is available in bookstores today.
June 14, 2026 - Eli Milliman will present, "The Agape of God: Love is an Action Word". Eli Milliman is a practioner of peace, lover of philosophy, seeker of understanding in scriptural texts, musician, sound engineer, photographer, videographer, dad of five, working on a new music album, Ugly Americans. He's a catalyst who hopes to probe each of us to think for ourselves. Eli is co-host of a "not-your-preacher's-Bible study" podcast, the Far Side of Faith.
June 21, 2026 - Taryn Chase Jackson and Tim W. Jackson will present, "The Road That Slows You Down: Guide to the Natchez Trace Parkway". Authors Tim and Taryn Chase Jackson share the story behind revisiting every mile of the Natchez Trace Parkway for the newly updated 4th edition of their guidebook. Through stories, favorite stops, overlooked places, women's history, and practical travel tips, they explore why the Trace remains one of America's wondrous slow-travel experiences.
Tim W. Jackson began his publishing career at age 17, when he started covering sports for his hometown newspaper. He went on to earn degrees in journalism and creative nonfiction. Among other career stops, he's worked as an editor at Southern Living, Cooking Light, and Canoe & Kayak magazines; as student publications director at Radford University in Virginia and currently works in the realm of destination marketing. Taryn Chase Jackson is a grant-writing consultant and previously worked for universities and museums. Her writing has been publish in Southern Living, The Roanoke Times, The Laurel of Asheville, and the New River Voice. Taryn is also an exhibiting collage artist and currently serves on the Board of the Alabama Women's Caucus for Art. Tim and Taryn met at Goucher Colleg, where they both earned MFAs in creative nonfiction. They also co-wrote Images of America: Weaverville, a pictorial history of a North Carolina town near Asheville, from Arcadia Publishing, and created Grimrose Manor, a weekly publication that explores the macabre and mysterious side of life. They are based in Tuscumbia.
June 28, 2026 - Mollie Smith Waters will present, "Historic Resting Places of Alabama". Mollie Smith Water's book Historic Resting Places of Alabama was released in April 2026. She will share the research and stories that culminated in her book. She will sign books on Saturday, June 27th at Court Street Books in Florence and will also have books available after her talk to the congregation.
