Over the next four weeks, For People will feature special guests from the Diocese of Atlanta: The Rev. Tricia Templeton, Justin Strickland, The Rev. Canon Salmoon Bashir, and Dr. Beth-Sarah Wright. Each guest will write that week’s For Faith weekly devotional and join For People host Melissa Rau to dive deeper into their reflections. Join us each week as they share their stories and insights.
The Rev. Patricia Templeton
The Rev. Tricia Templeton has been rector of St. Dunstan’s for 21 years. She previously served churches in Knoxville and Chattanooga. Before going to seminary she was a newspaper reporter and editor and a Peace Corps volunteer in Thailand.
Justin Strickland
Justin Strickland is a lifelong Christian who was raised in the Pentecostal tradition but found his spiritual home in The Episcopal Church. He is an active member of the Cathedral of St. Philip and a passionate advocate for LGBTQ+ inclusion in the life of the Church. Recently, Justin deepened his faith journey by participating in a pilgrimage to Ghana. His life reflects a commitment to justice, community, and faithful witness.
The Rev. Canon Salmoon Bashir
The Rev. Canon Salmoon Bashir serves as the Canon for Liturgy and Ecumenism, overseeing the Cathedral’s worship and liturgical life and guiding its ecumenical engagement. Originally from Pakistan, Salmoon brings over a decade of experience in offering compassionate and thoughtful leadership across multicultural, multi-faith contexts in the United States, Pakistan, Iraq, the United Kingdom, and the Republic of Georgia. Before ordained ministry, Salmoon worked as a Project Engineer in the oil and gas industry in the Middle East. Responding to a vocational call, he joined the Community of St. Anselm at Lambeth Palace in London, serving alongside the Archbishop of Canterbury. He later moved to the Republic of Georgia, where he served as Assistant Pastor in a vibrant, multiethnic, and multidenominational church. Salmoon’s call to the priesthood in The Episcopal Church led him to Atlanta, where he earned a Master of Divinity degree with a Certificate in Episcopal-Anglican Studies and a Chaplaincy concentration from Emory University’s Candler School of Theology. Following graduation, he served as Chief of Staff at Fearless Dialogues, an organization facilitating hard, heartfelt conversations in the United States and around the world.
Dr. Beth-Sarah Wright
Dr. Beth-Sarah Wright is an Atlanta-based author, dynamic speaker, and strategic thought partner who inspires and drives transformation in communities, institutions, and individual lives—all while centering human dignity. She currently serves as acting director of the Absalom Jones Episcopal Center for Racial Healing in the Diocese of Atlanta. As Co-Founder and Executive Director of Thrive With Dignity, LLC, Dr. Wright partners with organizations to build authentic, thriving communities. She works with a wide range of institutions—schools and universities, corporations, nonprofits, and faith communities—using her signature DIGNITY Lens©. This powerful framework, grounded in seven strategic pillars, helps organizations interrogate their practices, align with their core values, and embed human dignity into the very structures that shape daily life. More than a framework, the DIGNITY Lens© is both a leadership tool and an integrity compass—empowering communities to increase capacity, make meaningful progress, and change outcomes in sustainable ways.