Summer Week One

Summer Week One, June 9-15 

Kick off the summer season at Holden! The Summer Program at Holden Village includes opportunities for learning, relaxation, and fun for all ages. From bowling and backpacking to weaving and worship, there is something for everyone. You can learn more about the variety of things to do here.

Cole Parke-West 

Cole Parke-West studied theology at Texas Lutheran University, earned their Master’s in Conflict Transformation at Eastern Mennonite University’s Center for Justice & Peacebuilding, and has been working at the intersections of faith, gender, and sexuality as an activist, organizer, and scholar for nearly 20 years. Most recently, Cole served as the senior organizer at Carolina Jews for Justice, a grassroots organization working to build a powerful progressive Jewish justice movement in the South. Prior to joining CJJ, they worked as a research analyst at Political Research Associates, a social justice think tank dedicated to understanding and interrupting right-wing extremism, including white supremacy, misogyny, xenophobia, and antisemitism. Cole also serves on the Board of Soulforce, an LGBTQ justice organization working to “sabotage” Christian supremacy for the sake of collective liberation, and has organized and collaborated with many groups, including Showing Up for Racial Justice, Southerners On New Ground, Never Again, and the Catalyst Project. Whether they’re facilitating workshops on white supremacy and antisemitism, live tweeting about their adventures as a “queer spy” in right-wing Christian spaces, or digging up weeds at Farm Church, Cole consistently strives to do so with deep compassion, abundant joy, and a relentless commitment to justice.

Ben Johnston-Krase

Ben Johnston-Krase is one of the organizing pastors of Farm Church in Durham, NC, a congregation that meets on a farm and leverages the resources of that farm to address food security by honoring people with locally grown organic food. A year and a half into Farm Church’s story, Ben was diagnosed with stage IV cancer, and ultimately stepped back from his role as pastor. He remains passionate about the theological underpinnings that motivate people and congregations to move outside of their comfort zones and take risks, not for their own sake, but for the sake of those who are vulnerable and marginalized in our communities. Prior to starting Farm Church, he served as a pastor of churches in Texas and Wisconsin, and in a past life he taught middle school language arts. He and his three daughters live on a small farm just north of Durham, where Ben continues to engage work with faith communities, tends gardens and chickens, and writes about theology, congregational vitality, and life with cancer.

Nina Hagel

Nina Hagel is Assistant Professor of Government at Wesleyan University, where she specializes in political theory. She holds a BA in Political Science from Johns Hopkins University, and an MA and PhD in Political Science from UC Berkeley. She has published articles on authenticity and is completing a book on it with cases that focus on anti-racism and the experiences of trans youth.

Joe Martinez

Joe Martinez is the Executive Director for CIERTO, a non-profit farmworker recruitment and training organization that recruits, trains and dispatches farmworkers to agricultural employers in Mexico and the United States. This model offers a safe recruitment and labor compliance verification/assurance system that protects farm workers from fraud, trafficking, and slave conditions. Previously, Joe was the International Labor Advocate/Mexico Program Director for United Farm Workers. He coordinated and directed all of the union’s activities in Mexico and assisted in coordinating the UFW’s international work. Joe has also coordinated and participated in the Jornaleros SAFE project which is dedicated to identifying and documenting the problems relating to recruitment and dispatch of H-2A workers in Mexico. Joe has worked closely with NGOs, the US and foreign governments to address issues related to how farmworkers are recruited and dispatched to the US and to establish labor agreements between Mexican and Guatemalan State governments and the United Farm Workers. Joe has a B.A. in Political Science and Comparative History of Ideas from the University of Washington. He is based in Tacoma, WA.

Pat Doane

Since moving to New Haven in 2017, Patrick has played in the New Haven Symphony and Hartford Symphony, has served as concertmaster, appeared as soloist with orchestra, and has performed in recitals throughout the northeast. Patrick received his Bachelors and Masters degrees from Juilliard and is completing his doctorate at The Graduate Center, CUNY in New York City. Patrick has been described as a “compelling violinist” by the New York Times. The New Haven Independent writes, “His virtuosic playing and obvious command of his instrument was always in service of grand, thrilling musical gestures.” His recent solo and chamber performances include recitals throughout the northeast United States, concerto appearances with The Orchestra of the Bronx, and radio broadcasts on WMNR Fine Arts Radio. A DMA candidate at CUNY Graduate Center, Patrick is writing on Galina Ustvolskaya’s works for violin and piano. Patrick’s students range from Suzuki to graduate level. His private students have gone on to graduate study violin at NYU and Mannes. A Suzuki certified teacher, his younger students have gone on to study at Walnut Hill School and NEC preparatory division. Patrick enjoys long runs and cooking spicy food.

Daniel Fenn

Daniel J. Fenn is Director of Worship and the Arts at Lord of Life Lutheran Church in The Woodlands, Texas. He is a 2009 graduate of the Master of Sacred Music program that was shared between Luther Seminary and St. Olaf College. Dan also holds organ performance degrees from Mississippi College (BM, 2002) and the University of Houston (MM, 2004). Other churches served include St. John’s Lutheran Church in Northfield, Minnesota (2009-2013) and Grace Presbyterian Church in Houston, Texas (2002-2007 and 2013-2018). He is a past Dean of the American Guild of Organists and has been active in the Association of Lutheran Church Musicians and Choristers Guild. Dan has performed at the Institute of Liturgical Studies at Valparaiso University, and frequently performs organ improvisation accompaniments to silent movies across the Houston area. The son of two church musicians, Dan became the organist of his home church in Mississippi at the age of twelve and has been an active church musician ever since. It was there that he developed a passion for gospel music and congregational singing of all styles.