Keynote Presenter:
Julian Davis Reid, Notes of Rest Ministry
Julian Davis Reid (M.Div., Candler School of Theology) is an artist-theologian who uses words and music to invite us into the restful lives we were created to live. A musician, speaker, and writer, Julian has created the spiritual formation ministry Notes of Rest to invite people to receive God’s gifts of rest through Scripture and Black music. Julian also makes original music with several projects, including his own ensemble Circle of Trust, his jazz-electronic fusion group The JuJu Exchange, and his ensemble work with Isaiah Collier & the Chosen Few. His most recent project is his first solo artist EP entitled Candid, which narrates from the piano his coming-of-age as a solo artist. Julian has performed at the Montreal Jazz Fest, Lollapalooza and the Berlin Jazz Fest, and has worked or performed with Chance the Rapper, Jamila Woods, Tiff Joy, Tank and the Bangas, Derrick Hodge, Andrew Bird, and Jennifer Hudson. He is a Fellow of Theological Education Between the Times and consults with the boutique consultancy Fearless Dialogues. Julian writes about faith, music, Blackness, and rest on his Substack “The Notes of Rest Fellowship,” and his work has been featured in Sojourners, Billboard, and Downbeat. He and his wife Carmen live in his hometown Chicago with their daughter Lydia.
For Formation Week 2023, Julian is collaborating with the Office of Student Services and the Trauma Healing Initiative (THI) in the creation of a worship service in the style of Jazz Vespers that will invite participants to experience rest as worship.
