Faithful Presence: How People of Faith Can Make a Difference in Today’s World

by Dale Davis

Christian faith assumes we are called to make the world a better place. Yet effecting change in society often includes political engagement that can end up overtly ambitious and coercive.

An alternative to thinking in terms of “redeeming the culture,” advancing the “kingdom” (realm), or “changing the world,” is the idea of Faithful Presence, a different form of power rooted in our relations with others in which God’s word of wholeness is enacted through our daily tasks and within the spheres of influence we find ourselves.

Dale Davis currently serves as Sr. Pastor of Immanuel United Church of Christ in Shillington, PA. He has been deeply influenced by the work and writing of Robert Greenleaf, pioneer of the Servant Leadership move-ment, and has extensive experience in helping individuals and organiza-tions clarify strategic choices based upon their values and goals. He is married to Helen Myrick Davis and they have two adult children, Hannah and Cameron.