Community Gathering & Music

Presiding Bishop Michael Curry

The Most Rev. Michael Bruce Curry is presiding bishop and primate of The Episcopal Church. At the church’s 78th General Convention in June 2015, he was elected to a nine-year term in this role and installed in November of that year; he serves as The Episcopal Church’s chief pastor, spokesperson, and president and chief executive officer. Throughout his ministry, Bishop Curry has been a prophetic leader, particularly in the areas of racial reconciliation, climate change, evangelism, immigration policy, and marriage equality. Bishop Curry was ordained a priest in 1978. He graduated with high honors from Hobart and Williams Smith Colleges and earned his Master of Divinity degree from Yale University. Bishop Curry is the author of five books and a regular guest on national and international media outlets.

Mingyur Rinpoche

Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche is a Tibetan teacher and master of the Karma Kagyu and Nyingma lineages of Tibetan Buddhism. Rinpoche’s teachings weave together his own personal experiences with modern scientific research, relating both to the practice of meditation. He has authored two best-selling books and oversees the Tergar Meditation Community, an international network of Buddhist meditation centers. He is also the founder of numerous health, hunger, hygiene, environmental, and empowerment projects in the Himalayas.

• Visit Tergar Meditation Community’s website
• Visit Tergar Meditation Community’s Asia website
• Learn more about the Tergar Monastery

Peggy Callahan

Peggy Callahan’s sense of fairness (or maybe masochism) has driven her work in film, television, and human rights. Peggy believes in the power of story to create real change on the planet. She was honored to capture the life-changing conversations between His Holiness the Dalai Lama and his “mischievous brother” Archbishop Desmond Tutu. The dialogues inspired the film Mission: Joy - Finding Happiness in Troubled Times with Peggy as Co-Director and Producer. Peggy and team created the BIG JOY global project with scientists from UCSF, Harvard, and Berkeley. It is available online for free and increases participants' joy as it expands the science of joy. Peggy‘s grown-up job is fighting modern day slavery. She co-founded two international organizations, including Voices4Freedom, that help people come to freedom. Finally. Forever.

• Check out the film Mission Joy
• Learn more about Voices4Freedom
• Get involved with the Big Joy Project

Doug Abrams

Doug Abrams is a multiple New York Times best-selling author, as well as an editor, literary agent, and film producer. He is the founder and president of Idea Architects, a creative book and media agency. He co-wrote The Book of Joy: Lasting Happiness in a Changing World with His Holiness the Dalai Lama and Archbishop Desmond Tutu, which inspired the film MISSION: JOY. Doug also co-authored The Book of Hope: A Survival Guide for Trying Times with Jane Goodall. Books and films he has developed have been credited with convincing then-President Bill Clinton to stop the genocide in Kosovo (The Bridge Betrayed), for launching the modern anti-slavery movement (Disposable People), and for helping to expand a mass incarceration reform movement (Just Mercy, a book and film starring Michael B. Jordan and Jamie Foxx). He has had the privilege of interviewing extraordinary global heroes including Jimmy Carter, the Dalai Lama, Desmond Tutu, Jane Goodall, Bono, Carlos Santana, and Richard Branson.

• Visit Doug’s website

The Goodness Tour

The Goodness Tour is a non profit organization dedicated to bringing music and art experiences to people facing adversity all over the world.    Co-founders: Luc Reynaud, Musician; Benjamin Swatez, Artist; Jeremiah Alexis, Producer/editor/writer;   A Journey of Resilience, Beauty and Joy in Ukraine and Poland credits: Directed and Produced by: TheGoodnessTour.org. Written by: Jeremiah Alexis Verdecias, Benjamin Swatez, Luc Reynaud. Video Editor, Director of Photography, and Narrator: Jeremiah Alexis Verdecias. Additional Footage by: Benjamin Swatez, Luc Reynaud, Glen Shackley. Translations by: Leda Kendig and Tatiana Petrenko. Additional Music by: Luc and The Lovingtons and Korali. Project manager: Benjamin Swatez. Field manager Poland: Luc Reynaud.  Field manager Ukraine: Benjamin Swatez.   Thank you to The Goodness Tour members on the ground: Azerine DeLuca, Jeremiah Alexis Verdecias, Safiya Reynaud @safiya421, Luc Reynaud and Benjamin Swatez. Thank you to our fiscal sponsor Chad E Cooper Foundation and our awesome Goodness Tour management team: Dana Walden, Chez Payton Leeby and Sharon K. Bucey. Thank you to Craig Williams, Tatiana Petrenko, Anna Zakletska, Bill Rigsby, Peggy Callahan, Lloyd Sutton, Joanie Kreins and Scott Kreins, The Awake Network, Cody Verdecias, Klub Ukraiński w Krakowie - Fundacja Zustricz, SPA/ Salam Lab, Polish Artists Mikolaj Rejs and Jagnagna, Maria Dovgan with the Ukrainian Education Platform AND the entire team of Plato in Lviv, the heroic town’s people of Moshchun, Ukraine, Glen Shackley and our incredible private supporters of The Goodness Tour! A HUGE SHOUT OUT TO ALL THE COURAGEOUS AND RESILIENT UKRAINIANS WE HAVE BEEN HONORED TO WORK WITH!  

THAT JOY SONG

THAT JOY SONG is the title track of the Mission:JOY movie soundtrack.  It is a multicultural collaboration between musicians and singers from 5 continents including: Composer Dominic Messenger (who created all the music for Mission:JOY), The Soweto Gospel Choir of South Africa, Traditional Tibetan Singer Tehchung, and Yungchen Lhamo also of Tibet.   The music video includes crowdsourced footage from all around the world, featuring goodness, and starring you. The Mission:JOY soundtrack is available on all major platforms including: Spotify Apple Music Amazon Music