Michael Jones, M.Div. ®

Keeping dancing @HUMensBB🤞🏾

Blessed to spend time last week with scholars and pastors through FTE. Grateful in a season of transition to build new community. As Howard Thurman said, “There is something in us that listens for the sound of the genuine.” ✊🏾

@UNCG_MikeJones Great man and great coach, keep going my friend rooting for you as always.

It’s been a little over 24 hours since I was told my contract would not be renewed. I am disappointed & have done a lot of thinking. My thoughts… I appreciate the time that I’ve had here at UNCG. The 5 yrs have been both challenging & rewarding, like most low & mid-major jobs,

Honored to be elected as a 2026 Delegate for the State of Washington. In a time when democracy feels fragile, civic engagement matters more than ever. Justice moves forward when people show up, stand up, and do their part. Grateful for the opportunity to serve.

Honored to be nominated and named a finalist for the General George C. Marshall Award. Even more meaningful to introduce my friend Rashan Williams II, the 2026 recipient, whose work is transforming lives. Inspired by our generation and all who serve our community.

Truth remains: you cannot tell Black history without the Black Church, its faith, theology, and witness in both survival and liberation. Reflecting on Cone/Thurman reminds us that our history isn’t only political, but spiritual, calling us to truth, justice, and responsibility.✊🏾

If it wasn’t for Black women, where would we be? ✊🏾 This week, the @NAACP convened a powerful panel of Black women leaders in the PNW to talk leadership, impact, healing, and the real cost of showing up. Honest. Raw. Necessary. Black women are the backbone of the movement. 🖤

Honored to stand with @SenatorCantwell representing @NAACP in dialogue on civil & voting rights. Democracy isn’t a maze meant to exhaust voters it empowers citizens. Protecting voting rights protects civil rights & democracy itself. Every generation must choose to expand it. ✊🏾

This weekend, I joined former @ClarkCoWA Councilor @gototemple to moderate a powerful conversation with Gov. @BobFergusonGov on ICE, budgets, taxes, housing & political accountability. Grateful to the @ClarkCoDemParty for centering the @NAACP voice. The work continues.

He didn’t ask permission to be Black in America. He Stood, Preached, Organized & Dreamed Black. Rev. Dr. Jesse Jackson bridged the pulpit & the protest, the ballot & the block. He reminded us justice isn’t charity it’s power. He stretched America’s moral imagination. RIP ✊🏾🖤

I didn’t convene this conversation to host a panel. I convened it to disrupt comfort. Racial equity doesn’t move because we agree, it moves when we tell the truth, sit in tension, and refuse to walk away. Education, health, housing, and political power aren’t abstractions.

It was an honor to bring reflections at the 2026 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Community Service at Community AME Zion Church. The fire has already passed. The work is unfinished. May we be bold enough to carry the fire. May we be faithful enough to finish the work.

Last night I testified before the Clark County Council + Planning Commission urging the protection of remaining ag lands for food security & climate resilience. 12 community orgs largely led by communities of color are advancing equitable development in our Comprehensive Plan.

I traveled to Texas to celebrate my good friend Thaddeaus marrying the love of his life, Sumalee. Great seeing my New Bethel family, started out as Young Adult ministry became friendships that outlasted time, distance, and moves across the country 😂, intentional relationships.

This week I moderated a conversation on houselessness & homelessness hosted by @CityofBeaverton . In 2026, it’s deeply troubling we’re still here. This isn’t new, it’s a systemic and moral failure in a nation of immense wealth. Housing is foundational.

Thanksgiving 2025 in Honolulu, HI 🌺 Great food, unforgettable experiences, snorkeling, luau, scuba diving, a dinner boat ride, and time to relax, read, and enjoy the local restaurant scene. Grateful for the reset.

Volunteered twice last weekend with Highland Christian Center, and it reminded me of something we forget: we’re called to serve. Cooking, delivering, fellowshipping being in community was a blessing. When was the last time you served simply because it was the right thing to do?

Honored to moderate the keynote panel on racial equity in healthcare at the Odyssey World 2025 Women’s Health Symposium. 🙏🏾 Incredible panelists, insightful conversation, and important dialogue on advancing equity in the health sphere!

Last week was full of purpose! 🙏🏾 We hosted a Veterans Day panel at VHA, attended the Together Rising DEIBA conference, and joined Clark College Foundation’s “Connecting Clark” event celebrating students, community, and leadership across SW Washington.

Incredible night at the 2025 @ Native American Youth & Family Center Annual Gala & Auction! 🙏🏾 Proud to sponsor a table, connect with VHA colleagues, and hear Tanna Engdahl, Elder of the Cowlitz Tribe, offer a beautiful blessing. Celebrating Indigenous culture & impact! 🌿