Rev. Dr. Katie Givens Kime
Hello, this is Katie Givens Kime, host of Day1. This past Friday, August 7th, 2026, the Rev. Dr. Joanna Moseley Adams died and entered the church triumphant.

Across our long history, Day1 has been blessed by generations of beloved preachers, each of whose witness remains part of this ministry's legacy. We cannot mark every loss with a special broadcast, but this moment is unusual.

Joanna's relationship with Day1 stretched back at least to 1989. It also extended far beyond her appearances as a Day1 preacher. She served on the Alliance for Christian Media Board of Trustees and on the Day1 Advisory Council, generously offering her wisdom, leadership, and financial support to guide and sustain this ministry.

One story captures the power of Joanna's preaching. During her ministry at Central Presbyterian Church in Atlanta in the early 1980s, Joanna urged the congregation to respond faithfully to the city's growing poverty and homelessness. After hearing Joanna preach one Sunday, attorney John Pickens left worship determined to use his vocation in the service of justice. He ultimately left corporate law and founded what is now the Georgia Justice Project. 40 years later, that organization continues to serve people across Georgia through legal representation, direct support, and criminal justice reform.

Joanna preached in a way that moved faith beyond the sanctuary and into lives of service. The Day1 conversation you are about to hear was recorded very recently, in 2024, and it became the final time we had the honor of welcoming Joanna to Day1.

Hear Joanna look back across her remarkable vocation, and she speaks with striking candor and a sense of completion about her faith and her calling, and the God who sustained her throughout her life. Hearing her reflections today, especially her words about hope, vulnerability, and end of life, and God's presence in the darkness, it is a gift to us all. And that is why we wanted to bring this conversation to you again.

In the sure and certain hope of the resurrection, we give thanks to God for Joanna's extraordinary life and ministry. We are honored to share her words once more.

Rev. Dr. Katie Givens Kime
Joanna, it is such an enormous joy and an honor for so many reasons to have you here on Day1. Thank you for being here.

Rev. Dr. Joanna Adams
Well, I'm so grateful for the invitation. I've always loved this ministry and believed in its importance in the world and in the life of faith of so many people. So we tell each other good news stories, and I think that's one reason why God put me on this earth, that I wanted to be able to share the good news, and—and I've had a great time and work with wonderful people over the years. And, you know, it would go from the "Days of Disco" to 2024.

Rev. Dr. Katie Givens Kime
I love that, from the "Days of Disco," for sure. And you were already preaching on Day1 35 years ago, which at that time, as you know, was called The Protestant Hour.

Rev. Dr. Joanna Adams
Indeed.

Rev. Dr. Katie Givens Kime
And we have the gift of a clip of that sermon. It was broadcast on June 18th, 1989, and the sermon was from Micah 4, and it was entitled "The Red Umbrella." Let's listen to a clip of that program and hear what you had to say then.

Rev. Dr. Joanna Adams (1989)
Peace is not what we make. If it were up to us, more often than not, we wouldn't make peace. We'd make divisions among people. Peace is what God makes—indeed, has already made.

In Ephesians, Paul writes to the church: Jesus Christ is our peace. Jesus Christ has made us one. He has broken down the dividing walls of hostility. Notice the tenses. It's already happened. It's done. The world doesn't know that. The world won't know unless the church does what God put the church in the world to do.

Rev. Dr. Katie Givens Kime
It's powerful words. One of many instances in your career of powerful preaching. 35 years later, what would you say are the ways in which the church has or has not managed to be the peace of Jesus Christ in the world?

Rev. Dr. Joanna Adams
Before I answer that, let me just say the sermon, "The Red Umbrella." I remember vividly writing it, and there was a crisis going on, a war. I can't remember what the particular context was, but I was watching the news on television, and I saw a child's umbrella, a little red umbrella, lying on the sidewalk.

And I was thinking about my children walking to school in peace and how important it is for us to pay attention to those who are victims of adults, forgetting that our mission is peace, and to protect the little ones and to protect society, and the contrast of what my son was doing that day, walking to school, and what that little girl—what context she might have been in.

And if we don't have that kind of heart for others, then the world is sunk. And so I remember it meant a lot to me to preach that sermon.

Rev. Dr. Katie Givens Kime
That is... Mmm. So what do you think? You know, like that last phrase you had: unless the church does what God puts the church in the world to do, the world won't know. So what does the church do?

Rev. Dr. Joanna Adams
Well, the church does wonderful things and terrible things. And so many places the church does tear down dividing walls. Here in Atlanta, it was the leadership of the church that—that opened the doors of—of the downtown churches in the early 1980s. We asked, "Who is that knocking at the door?"

And I remember preaching a sermon that says, "Please answer the door." And—and, you know, to have that kind of leadership of compassion that honestly began the—the movement to address the problems of homeless people.

I do remember that I thought that if we got a few good churches together and a synagogue or two and some city leaders, we could get that problem of homelessness knocked out within the next six months. And here we are 40 years later, almost, and the problem has grown so much.

And I think that the dividing walls—there's always an effort, as soon as they go down, to build them back up again with self-righteousness: we're better than you are. And we forget that we're here to serve and to live out the ministry of he who was called the Prince of Peace.

You want to call Jesus anything? Call him the Prince of Peace, to bring people together and to tell us to not return evil for evil.

And look at us now, in our society now, which is operating on what someone has called the engines of despair. Yes, the engines of despair. And if we can say the whole deal is about loving our neighbor, and the whole deal is about the peace that comes from righteousness and justice and the social order.

You know, it's not just, let's all be sweet to one another, but to—to ensure that our—our systems are such that people can live together in peace. And that's not happening very much anymore. It seems as if war and division are—war marking the world and division marking our country.

Rev. Dr. Katie Givens Kime
Yeah, that's so clear and so important to identify. One place I know I've watched you point to for hope, in addition to the places you were talking about just now, is about future leaders. And whether that's in the church or outside of—outside of the church, is that where you continue to find the most hope for the future of the church in the world?

Rev. Dr. Joanna Adams
No. Where I find the most hope for the future has nothing to do with what we do. It has all to do with what God does.

And God is the creator of the church. And as long as there still is a God who has covenanted with people to live out the gospel, you know, God's in charge of the future of the church. And honestly, I don't think this is a—a dreary time for the church. I actually think this is perhaps one of the most hopeful chapters of Christianity.

Rev. Dr. Katie Givens Kime
Oh. I love this. Tell me this!

Rev. Dr. Joanna Adams
[Laughs] Since Constantine got converted and the meeting of the confusion of the mixing of state power and the church that established the church as official, and ever since, we've been dealing with institutional matters more than anything else.

And this is—one of my favorite theologians is a Canadian named Douglas John Hall. And he says—he uses the term "The Awkward Church." We're not going to be mainstream anymore. And if we are, we're maybe not being what we ought to be, that we have a chance to be a part of a new chapter of the Christian movement, the Christian movement.

People weren't drawn to Jesus. And the early days after his resurrection, it was all about the communities that gathered together and broke bread and cared for their neighbors.

Rev. Dr. Katie Givens Kime
Yep. Yep.

Rev. Dr. Joanna Adams
You know, and then people said, "Oh, what's going on with those people? I'd like some of that. They seem so joyful. They seem to have hope. They welcome us in." And, you know, and I've been a pastor of five churches and several of them large churches.

Rev. Dr. Katie Givens Kime
Some of the largest in your denomination. Yes.

Rev. Dr. Joanna Adams
Correct. Actually, when I was at Trinity, it was the largest one in—in the Presbyterian Church with a woman as a senior pastor. And that wasn't that long ago, by the way.

Rev. Dr. Katie Givens Kime
I know it.

Rev. Dr. Joanna Adams
But I—I just feel as if we stop counting our communion cups and worrying about our own survival and remember that we are God's gift to the world for one reason and one reason only, and that is to share the good news.

Or, as someone wise has said, "Here's it. This is what the church is: in the church, tell the story; in the world, live the story." And I think we can be free in this new context.

And, you know, ways Christianity is lived out, they change across the decades, though I think it was Martin Marty who said, of course the church changes about every century or so, they do something new!

Rev. Dr. Katie Givens Kime
[Laughs] Yes.

Rev. Dr. Joanna Adams
And.

Rev. Dr. Katie Givens Kime
It's important!

Rev. Dr. Joanna Adams
But we have a—we have a chance now to do something new. You know, the thing about preaching is that it is hard. It is not easy if you do it right. Yes, a lot of blood, sweat, and tears go into every sermon I've written.

Rev. Dr. Katie Givens Kime
Say more about that. Like, because I think, you know, in thinking about all the ways that those of us who've tuned in to The Protestant Hour or Day1 for a long time, sometimes it's good to remember just how much—well, like you said—blood and tears goes into these sermons. Say more about that.

Rev. Dr. Joanna Adams
Well, I'm a traditionalist in that I usually follow the lectionary, and I work ahead. I, you know—do you know—a whole season? I choose my texts and titles and that sort of thing. And then that lets me have all that in my heart and mind to think about.

But when I sit down to write, after the research and the prayer and all that, I—oh, many times I'd sit down and say, "Okay, what am I going to say? Yeah, what am I going to say? Will there be a word from the Lord this Sunday?"

And, you know, I've gotten a little better about that, but I think most preachers are, if they're good, are in awe of the task. Yes. And do not take it lightly and work hard on it.

And after a while, somehow the Holy Spirit finally breathes into my study and into my soul, and I—I find myself writing the sermon the Holy Spirit wants me to write, and not one that will make me seem—I don't know what.

You know, I think pastors and preachers get a full of themselves sometime, but I do know—I do feel, Katie, that—that I was called to be a preacher, and it was God's idea. And if God wants me to keep on doing that, then I will. But to God be the glory.

Rev. Dr. Katie Givens Kime
That's right. And that matches your ecclesiology, doesn't it? Just what you were saying about, you know, sort of: we are God's gift to the world. And those of us who preach get up in that pulpit with fear and trembling, and only as long as it's—it's God's idea, and with some awe and humility for sure. Oh, boy!

Rev. Dr. Joanna Adams
[Laughs] Well, I think we—we moderns do have a difficult time with even the idea of miracles. And clearly the—the early church did not. The writers of the—of the scriptures, you know, I think believed in miracles in a—in a more literal way.

I came across that phrase that defines a miracle as an unexpected possibility. And to me, that is just the greatest thing. And I see miracles every day.

And, you know, I think the point of these two stories, Katie, is to reveal to the world that this person among you is a revelation of the God that you worship, with you here and now, attending to your needs, standing beside you.

And, you know, then you have the hit-us-over-the-head miracles with the fish and the loaves, and—and do I need to go to the grocery store and, you know, and—and pick up a few trout.

Rev. Dr. Katie Givens Kime
Right! [Laughs] How many? Oh, well, lots!

Rev. Dr. Joanna Adams
[Laughs] And—and walking on the water is to show this was a unique individual that was, you know, theologically, as we—as we say, fully human and fully God, fully human and fully God.

And I think that that's what these stories are—are about. Hey, surprises for you. Everything is not what you think. The possibilities are not closed. They're open. Anything can happen.

And what happens here? What does Jesus do? One, he feeds the crowds. He—he knows their needs. What's interesting to me, Katie, is that he knows the couple of thousand people who are sitting there, that they are hungry, and not a single one of them who has come to hear him—no one has said the people are hungry.

Rev. Dr. Katie Givens Kime
Yeah.

Rev. Dr. Joanna Adams
He knew they were hungry. Yeah. And it's one of the disciples who says, "What are we going to do? Don't we have to feed them? We don't have enough."

But he knew their need. And I love that thought. I could expand that thought in any situation. God knows our need even before we're aware of it.

Rev. Dr. Katie Givens Kime
Yeah.

Rev. Dr. Joanna Adams
And then, then, then... This is sort of funny, isn't it? And then there's, you know, so much food left over. You know, the baskets are overflowing with the leftovers. It's sort of—ha ha ha.

Rev. Dr. Katie Givens Kime
Yeah.

Rev. Dr. Joanna Adams
You know, you know, the five fish have turned into...

Rev. Dr. Katie Givens Kime
Into SO many.

Rev. Dr. Joanna Adams
The abundance. And it's the—you know, of course, many people talk about this, but the fact that, you know, there is no limit on the grace of God.

Rev. Dr. Katie Givens Kime
That's right. There's no limit. And—and that's every day.

Rev. Dr. Joanna Adams
And that's every day. I can tend to be a worrier about something going on with my children or—or whatever. And, you know, when I get into that sort of hand-wringing mode, my husband says to me, "Joanna, everything doesn't turn out badly." [Laughs]

And I just—and doesn't have to turn out badly. And—and, you know, the assurance is, even if things do turn out badly, you have the assurance again. These parables, these stories illustrate that you are not alone.

And whatever you need at any given time—who's beside you? Not to protect you. God doesn't stop bad things from happening to you, but God gives you everything you need to get through it.

Rev. Dr. Katie Givens Kime
Yeah.

Rev. Dr. Joanna Adams
Even if it's the death of the person that you love the most in the world. People—people survive terrible things. And how did they do it? I sometimes ask.

I remember asking this in a sermon not long ago. I asked the congregation, "Have you been through some really rough times in your life? I mean, really daunting things?" Lots of nods. Yep.

And I say, "You're sitting here right now, aren't you? Didn't you make it through? Didn't you make it through? And who was with you every step of the way? And what does Jesus say?" His first words to the disciples as he walks on water toward them? "Be not afraid. I'm here."

And the dark. I mean, we're not going to escape the dark.

Rev. Dr. Katie Givens Kime
It's best, of course, when—when—when I and my suffering can make meaning of it as God at work. But gosh, does it keep not just being true when I look back. So many of us look back at our—the moments when we were felt most alone, felt least hope, felt the most pain. Dang, if God wasn't helping us.

Rev. Dr. Joanna Adams
That's right. We'd never get through it.

Rev. Dr. Katie Givens Kime
Yeah.

Rev. Dr. Joanna Adams
Yeah. I remember reading an article, an interview with a hospital chaplain, and the interviewer asked her, "What do you pray for when people you've prayed for are actually coming to the end of their lives?"

And—and the chaplain answered, "Well, when they first come into the hospital, we pray together for a restoration of health and strength to get through what was needing to be gotten through."

And then—then she went through various stages of how she changes what she and the patients and their families pray for. Not, you know, unrealistic expectations, but unforeseen possibilities.

And there at the end, the prayer is, "Thank you for the gift of life, and grant me peace and rest at the end."

And I will never forget, Katie, when I was first ordained, there was a wonderful family in the church. There were two little boys, and their mother was pregnant and was going to give birth to another baby. And while she was pregnant, she was diagnosed with breast cancer. And so the—you know, the baby came, and now there were three little boys.

Rev. Dr. Katie Givens Kime
Oh.

Rev. Dr. Joanna Adams
And I've—this is as close as I've come to slugging anybody in a hospital room. But one of—one of her friends walked into the hospital room when I was there, and she said, "I've come to pray that you will be healed of the cancer and get up and go reclaim your life!"

And she prayed it with great—a great, fervent spirit. And—and that was just the absolute wrong prayer to pray.

And I—and I, and I remember thinking about this wonderful, beautiful woman who had a beautiful voice and sang in the choir and all of that, how she must have thought while her goofy friend is praying for something that will not happen.

Rev. Dr. Katie Givens Kime
Joanna, in situations where we find ourselves at the end of life, or in some of the last chapters, or accompanying those in the last chapters, what role do miracles play? How best do we hold those, do you think?

Rev. Dr. Joanna Adams
Well, I think that miracles always surprise us. So, you know, we're not the authors of the miracles. They're—the miracles are gifts that—my gosh, I'm going to go crazy if I have to lie in this MRI machine. You know, I think you have to be realistic about—about possibilities.

And sometimes, you know, I have a friend who's 83 years old, and she, when she was 33, she had very significant cancer. And I remember our, you know, lots of prayers and prayer circles and all of that. And she survived that cancer.

And then she had, said, two more cancer diagnoses. And I had lunch with her last week, and she's 83 years old. And nobody, nobody expected her to make it through all of that, including her. But it was an unexpected possibility.

Being authentic, that—and not so many people who are in—follow our vocation. There—there's themselves, and then there's their persona, that a lot of people who fill pulpits, you know, they present the persona, and I just allow myself to be vulnerable.

And, you know, here—here I am, the good, the bad, and the ugly, because that's—we're all good and bad and ugly.

Rev. Dr. Katie Givens Kime
And that's the truth. Yep. On vulnerability, what are some—what are some ways you remember to hold vulnerability in your own Christian practice, in your own life, as a strength?

Rev. Dr. Joanna Adams
Well, I think the—perhaps the main characteristic of Jesus, the revelation of God's love, is—is that the whole meaning is unconditional love. And you talk about vulnerability. There's Christ on the cross.

And I—I just present myself not as I want people to—to receive me, but I present myself as I am, and I'm not in—I'm not in charge of how people react.

And, you know, I was very vulnerable when I was first ordained. People would come to church and they would leave, and they didn't want to hear a woman preach. And I can't tell you how—how many arrows and bruises I have over the—the meanness of some of—so many Christians.

But I decided that I wasn't going to bow up. You know, I'm back in the late '70s, early '80s, that I—that what I was going to do was to be myself and to not come back at them and not be led by anger.

And so much of the time, the person who had been so critical and mean came to understand that I understood that person, and they sort of put it down. And, you know, some of the meanest became some of my dearest friends.

Rev. Dr. Katie Givens Kime
Oh, that is hopeful, is what that is. And—and, I mean, doesn't—doesn't that feel like a miracle? Isn't that a miracle, I should say? I mean, that just feels...

Rev. Dr. Joanna Adams
Miraculous. This—this might be too long of a story, but I—I was called to a church, and there was a woman in the church who I had known. She and her husband had been members of the—the congregation, and when the congregation voted to call me, she stood up and spoke against me.

And I was called anyway. There were enough positive votes. But I—I called her the next week and said, "Marge, would you mind if I came by, and would you pour me a cup of coffee?"

I got in the car and drove to her house, and I said, "I'm really here to tell you that it really was hurtful to me because I—I know you, and you know me. And I just—I just wonder what that's about."

And she—she started to get teary, and she said, "Well, my husband died, and my sons live in two other cities. I have no brothers. I have no nephews." She said, "The only man in my life that I could hug after church, the only man in my life that I could touch and that I could listen to, was my pastor. And I always thought of pastors as men."

Well, then I started crying. And just years passed, and Marge died, and her family went to a lot of trouble to find me. I was living in a different city because she wanted me and me alone to do her memorial service.

And that's what comes from being vulnerable. You break down those dividing walls. You break them down.

Rev. Dr. Katie Givens Kime
Joanna, just thank you for the miracle who is you, and all God does through you. And until next time, when we—when we will get some more Joanna authenticity and some more Joanna truth and some more Joanna stories, we thank you for being here, and we thank you so much for all you have given to Day1 over the decades.

Rev. Dr. Joanna Adams
You're so welcome. A blessing to me, it has always been.