J. Shannon Webster to appear at Joliet church

The Rev. J. Shannon Webster will share the story and challenge of First Presbyterian Church of Birmingham, Alabama when the pastor and congregation responded to the letter from Birmingham Jail written by The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

The event will be from 10 a.m. to 2:30p.m. June 29 at Westminster Presbyterian Church, 1015 Winthrop Ave. in Joliet. Registration will be at 9:30 p.m.

The event is free, but an RSVP is encouraged since a light lunch will be served. Call 815.725.6687.

About J. Shannon Webster

Webster grew up in the New Mexico oil patch, and played songs for short cash that put him through the University of New Mexico and McCormick Theological Seminary in Chicago.

He was executive of Sierra Blanca Presbytery for 18 years, has served churches in New Mexico and Kansas, and retired recently from serving as senior pastor of First Presbyterian Church of Birmingham, Alabama.

Webster has led numerous workshops.

He is also a singer/songwriter and has produced three albums of original music over the years.

Webster is the former president of the New Mexico Conference of Churches, the Association of Executive Presbyters and the United Interfaith Commission on Mass Media.

He also co-founded Faith in Action Alabama, as well as the Alliance for Responsible Lending in Alabama.

Honors include a public recognition for community service from Barack Obama, and the NAACP Community Service Award, both in 2015.