Keynote Speakers
Timothy McMahan King
Author of "Addiction Nation" |
"Addiction Nation"
After an extended illness, King found himself in a place millions of others have—addicted to opioids. In the midst of his own search for recovery, he began to ask theological, political and societal questions about addiction and overdose crisis. King believes that what we are seeing today is not just result of a handful of aberrant individuals, but a society that is built on and feeds addiction. His hope is that the Church, and faith community more broadly, does more than just make space for those in the midst of addiction or in active recovery. He believes that those in recovery are poised to be the kinds of prophets our country and world need. Author of Addiction Nation, Timothy McMahan King is a writer, nonprofit professional, and the owner of Vagabond Strategies. He has worked as a community organizer in Chicago, a chief strategy officer with Sojourners, and as a consultant for the Center for Action and Contemplation. King's work has been published in Christianity Today, Sojourners, the Wall Street Journal and CNN. A graduate of North Park University with degrees in theology and philosophy, King lives with his wife, Hannah, in New Hampshire. |
The Rev. Jan M. Brown
Founding/Executive Director SpiritWorks Foundation Center for the Soul |
"The Varieties of Recovery Experience"
Rev. Brown will present the various pathways, styles, frameworks and types of recovery, in addition to stressing the importance of recovery identities and cultural recovery. She will challenge us all to address our own bias and stigma, how it shows up in our lives and in our churches, and how it prevents us from welcoming and fully embracing the vast spectrum of people in recovery, their families, especially their children. Rev. Brown is Founder/Executive Director of SpiritWorks Foundation Center for the Soul. An ordained Deacon in the Episcopal Church, Archdeacon of the Diocese of Southern Virginia, she serves at Bruton Parish Church in Williamsburg, VA. She is a graduate of College of William and Mary with a BA in Psychology, is certified as a Peer Recovery Support Specialist, a Recovery Coach Professional and international scholar on Addiction Studies. She has a Master of Science Degree in Addiction Studies from the International Programme on Addiction Studies at King’s College in London, the University of Adelaide and Virginia Commonwealth University. She serves as the Chair of the Board of Directors of Faces and Voices of Recovery, Recovery Consultant on SAMHSA States Targeted Response (STR) Technical Assistance Center Team, Consensus Panel member for the SAMHSA TIP – Peer Recovery Support Specialists and co-chair of the Addictions and Recovery Commission for the Diocese of Southern Virginia. |
Plenary Speakers
D. Richard Wright,
CI, LADC Ojibwe Nation Author of “Mukwa and Adjidamoo," "The Way of Our People," and "From Wine To Mouthwash.” |
"A Pastoral Approach to Native American Ministry.”
I present the philosophy laws of Kindness, Sharing, Honesty and Strength as virtues. I share the emotional journey of American Indian people from all across the United States as they turned to God and surrendered themselves to spirituality teachings. It has taken me 25 years, of notes and journaling to reservations and major cities, to listen to the spirit of thousands of men and women experiencing drug and alcohol addiction. To see the value of how American Indian people reacted to severe bouts of drinking, often for months and years continuous, is quite spiritual. This spiritual miracle appeared as they experienced the virtue of Reasoning. It brought the cognitive realization that they did not want to live this destroying way, of the loss of self, anymore. They found Hope in Reasoning and when that happened, they stepped over the threshold into Hope that they could stop drinking with help. Richard is a member of the Minnesota Chippewa Tribe, Bear Clan, Pillager Band, raised on the Leech Lake Indian Reservation, Minnesota. “Richard” as he prefers to be called attended the University of Minnesota, Minneapolis Community Technical College, and the Archbishop Harry F. Flynn Catechetical Institute, Saint Paul Seminary. He is Licensed an Alcohol and Drug Counselor with the Minnesota Board of Behavioral Therapy. He has an active interest in drug addiction having worked in the field since 1986. He started his career in Hennepin County 4th Judicial District Court, adult probation, has since worked in residential treatment programs including Hazelden-Betty Ford as a clinician. He has spoken on an International and National level on drug studies, is an author of three books, “Mukwa and Adjidamoo, The Way of Our People, and From Wine To Mouthwash.” Richard is the father of nine children, eighteen grand children, and five great grand children. Today, Richard is a supervisor of drug addiction programs at the Indian Health Board. He is expected to retire in two years, and currently works as a consultant in the Chemical dependency field. |
Rev. Kal William Rissman
Author of "Knowledge to Power: Understanding and Overcoming Addiction." |
“Guilt and Shame”
Rev. Rissman will explain the difference between guilt and shame, demonstrate how guilt and shame drive addiction, reveal the cure for both guilt and shame and describe how the Christian Church can bring healing from these things. Kal Rissman was raised on a beef farm in Minnesota and still raises beef cattle as a hobby. However, most of his entire career has been working in the field of addiction. He has been the Spiritual Care Counselor on an inpatient chemical dependency unit, Addiction Counselor on both inpatient and outpatient chemical dependency units, Nicotine Dependency Counselor in a hospital setting, counselor on the Psychiatric Unit of the hospital and currently is a part-time parish pastor of two Lutheran churches. He is the author of the book, "Knowledge to Power: Understanding and Overcoming Addiction" and of the educational DVD series of the same name that includes a study guide for group use. |
"The misuse of opioids, both legally prescribed and illicitly obtained, has become a public health epidemic nationally and in Minnesota. The United States uses 80% of the world’s painkillers, despite having less than 5% of the world's population."
--US Dept. of Health and Human Services
Special Guest Storyteller
The Rev. Kurt P. Kalland
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Pastor Kalland has served as an associate pastor at Mount Olivet Lutheran Church since 1992. Pastor Kalland is the Pastoral Adviser to the Pastoral Care Team and is happy to be known as the “Monsignor” of the Mount Olivet Motorheads group. He has been happily married to his wife, Dawn, for over 30 years, (they met at Cathedral of the Pines), and blessed with two exceptional daughters, as well as a son-in-law. Pastor Kalland remains active in the recovery community. In his free time, he enjoys cleaning automobiles, humor, shooting sports, playing outside and his work as a volunteer Chaplain for the Edina Police Department.
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Our 2021 Conference Leaders
Rev Dr Ed Treat
Conference Organizer
Ed has been in long-term recovery from addiction for 35 years. He received his master of divinity and a doctorate in ministry from Luther Seminary. From 1995-2020, he was a parish pastor, serving congregations in rural Nebraska and around the Twin Cities.
Treat joined the newly-formed Fellowship of Recovering Lutheran Clergy (FRLC) in 1990. In 2001, Treat became the director of the FRLC and remains such today. In 2020, he founded The Center of Addiction & Faith, as a 501©3 nonprofit. He sits on the boards of the FRLC, the RMEC, the Center of Addiction & Faith, Minnesota Mental Health Connect, and serves on the PAC of Minnesota Recovery Connection.
He is author of The Pastor, a psychological novel about a small-town pastor who confronts a mystery surrounding the death of a member of his congregation. When he is not practicing social distance during a pandemic, he loves to plan group trips and travel. He and his wife Karen, also a Lutheran minister, have four grown children and one granddaughter.
Conference Organizer
Ed has been in long-term recovery from addiction for 35 years. He received his master of divinity and a doctorate in ministry from Luther Seminary. From 1995-2020, he was a parish pastor, serving congregations in rural Nebraska and around the Twin Cities.
Treat joined the newly-formed Fellowship of Recovering Lutheran Clergy (FRLC) in 1990. In 2001, Treat became the director of the FRLC and remains such today. In 2020, he founded The Center of Addiction & Faith, as a 501©3 nonprofit. He sits on the boards of the FRLC, the RMEC, the Center of Addiction & Faith, Minnesota Mental Health Connect, and serves on the PAC of Minnesota Recovery Connection.
He is author of The Pastor, a psychological novel about a small-town pastor who confronts a mystery surrounding the death of a member of his congregation. When he is not practicing social distance during a pandemic, he loves to plan group trips and travel. He and his wife Karen, also a Lutheran minister, have four grown children and one granddaughter.
Rev. Karen Knudson Treat, MDiv, RN, Spiritual Director. Karen is active with the FRLC and a grateful member of Al-Anon. She serves at Shepherd of the Lake Lutheran Church in Pastoral Care Ministries and to McKenna Crossing. Karen is also a spiritual director at Loyola Spirituality Center. She loves to spend time on her bike and being with her family.
Rev. Karen Treat
Pastor of the Addiction and Faith Conference
Rev. Karen Treat
Pastor of the Addiction and Faith Conference
