Episode Details

Welcome to the second episode of a special live taping of the Emunah Podcast, recorded at the historic 15th Avenue Baptist Church in Nashville, Tennessee. This sacred space holds deep meaning for host Dr. Tamara Henry, whose grandfather, Rev. W. R. Murray, served as the churchs second pastor for 24 years.

This two-part live podcast event explores the theme Legacy, Memory, and Erasure. It brings together descendants of Rev. Murray and his son, Walter R. Murray Jr., a trailblazing leader at Vanderbilt University, to reflect on how communities remember, preserve, and carry forward their stories.

Episode 2: Stewards of Community Memory

In this episode, a dynamic panel examines the power of legacy in the Black community, with special attention to the role of Black churches as guardians of memory, dignity, and justice.

The conversation explores how faith communities, educational institutions, and entrepreneurs help preserve history while resisting efforts to erase or sanitize difficult truths. From the pulpit to the classroom to the marketplace, this discussion highlights how memory, faith, and activism intersect to strengthen community resilience across generations.

Meet the Panel

Dr. Forrest Harris

Dr. Harris is a professor at Vanderbilt University Divinity School and the recently retired president of Nashvilles historic American Baptist College. Under his leadership, the college received Congressional recognition as a Historically Black College and University (HBCU).

A member of 15th Avenue Baptist Church, Dr. Harris is nationally recognized as one of the most influential theological educators and scholars in the Black church tradition, known for his work advancing prophetic Christianity and social justice.

Since 1988, he has led the Divinity Schools Kelly Miller Smith Institute on Black Church Studies, which has gained national acclaim as the only institute of its kind with a $1.8 million endowment dedicated to Black church scholarship.

Dr. Harris is the author of Ministry for Social Crisis: Theology and Praxis in the Black Church Tradition (Mercer University Press). His essay The Children Have Come to Birth: The Black Churchs Theological Response for Survival and Quality of Life received national recognition in the anthology Walk Together Children: Black and Womanist Theologies, Church, and Theological Education.

His work also includes the essay The Black Church Influence on Dietrich Bonhoeffer, written in support of the PBS documentary on the German theologian. Dr. Harris has received national recognition and awards for his scholarship and writing on race, human rights, and global justice.

Rev. Ronnie Simmons

Rev. Ronnie Simmons is the founder and pastor of House of Faith Christian Center, a non-denominational church in Smyrna, Tennessee.

Through Ronnie Simmons Ministries, he leads an evangelistic outreach that includes House of Power, a weekly national teleconference Bible study that provides spiritual encouragement and practical t