Why I’m Renaming the Podcast: SoulWork Sanctuary

I remember the day that I met Rev. Dr. Katie Cannon.

She was seated at the front of the chapel at Princeton Theological Seminary, chatting quietly with someone. Then she looked up at the group of us who had just entered the space.

One by one, we went to pay our respects to a trailblazer — a woman who carved out a pathway for those of us who dared to call ourselves womanists.

As I waited my turn, I thought back to the first time I heard her name.

I was an undergraduate student at the University of Georgia, completing my second degree in psychology. Dr. Layla Phillips — now Dr. Layla Maparyan — introduced us to Cannon’s work as she taught us about all the women who answered Alice Walker’s call to take seriously the voice and presence of Black women.

At that time, I wrestled with Walker’s definition in the context of psychology. It never occurred to me that one day I would wrestle with that same definition as a theologian.

But then Katie Cannon looked me in the eye and asked a question that changed me forever:
“What is the work your soul must have?”

In that moment, I knew I had come full circle. It was time to get to work in a way I had not done before. To take all that God had given me — the power of words, a love of contemplative spirituality — and give it back in service to Black women, and by extension, to all women, and by extension, to the world.

It is in this vein that I have chosen to rename this podcast: SoulWork Sanctuary.

While I will continue to offer care for your soul, the shift in name means something important: I expect you to join me in the work.

I’ll still show up as your companion on the journey, but it’s your journey. My task is simply to offer bits and pieces along the ancient pathway — to help you do the work your soul must have.

It’s in this spirit that I have chosen to rename my podcast. What began as Sister Soul Care will now continue as SoulWork Sanctuary. The name carries Katie Cannon’s question at its heart — “What is the work your soul must have?”— and honors the sanctuary moments I hope each episode offers.

Nothing about the heart of the podcast is changing. You’ll still find reflections, scripture, and practices for tending your soul. But with this new name, the invitation is clearer: to step inside the sanctuary and join me in the work your soul must have.

If you’ve been listening to Sister Soul Care, you don’t need to do a thing — your feed will automatically update with the new name and cover art. You can also search for SoulWork Sanctuary on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts. I’d love for you to step inside the sanctuary and join me for this new season.