This southern lady hails from Columbus, GA by way of Waynesville, MO. She is a daughter, sister, the coolest auntie around, wife and mother. She is a playful womanist scholar-activist who believes in the power of play, movement, aesthetics, and creative arts in life and in theology. She is not only an educator, but a facilitator, rope jumper, game-player, co-creator, sojourner, advocate and catalyst for critical consciousness and engagement in educating in faith and actually living into that faith through various spiritual and artistic practices.  She actively advocates for the usage of the body as a locus for doing theology through engaged and embodied pedagogical practices. 

Lakisha serves as Executive Secretary for the Religious Education Association and consultant for the Campus Ministry Theological Exploration of Vocation Initiative with the Forum For Theological Exploration on behalf of Lilly Endowment Inc. In this role she personally interfaces with 103 campus ministry programs across the U.S. and is able to learn first-hand about the changing nature of congregations as well as the practical, theological, and spiritual needs of ministers, students and congregants. In this capacity, she learns from campus ministers, future pastors, college, and high school students about both the present and future of the church.

This former Zumba instructor was name a 2019 Millennial Womanist to Watch and recently accepted an appointment as Assistant Professor of Christian Education at Union Presbyterian Seminary.

B.A., Claflin University
M.Div., Wesley Theological Seminary
M.A., Vanderbilt University
Ph.D., Boston College

“My Wildest Dream: A Letter to My Black Son.” Religious Education. Volume 115, 2020.

“Got Body.” The FTE Guide to Discernment Retreats. Decatur: The Forum for Theological Exploration, 2019.

Co-Author of United Against Racism: Churches for Change. National Council of Churches of Christ in the USA. Friendship Press, 2018.

Book Review of The Grace of Playing: Pedagogies for Leaning into God’ New Creation by Courtney Goto in Religious Education Volume 112, 2017 – Issue 3.

Public Lecture with Dr. Courtney Goto. “Holding Lighly: Cultivating Playfulness in Youth.” Joy and Adolescent Faith & Flourishing. Yale Divinity School, February 1, 2017. | https://www.youtube.com/watch?reload=9&v=VkcV3V9AX34

 “Let’s Dance: Zumba and the Imago Dei of Beautiful Black Bodies” The Other Journal: An Intersection of Theology & Culture. Vol. 26: Sport, Spring 2016. | http://bit.ly/2vVFybR