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Date
March 11 at 7:00 PM - 9:00 PM EDT
Location
Chesterton House’s Theological Society presents:
Beyond the Paycheck: Why Humans Work
March 11th, 2026
Willard Straight Hall 414
Dinner will be provided.
This past Fall, the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions released a report that AI and robotics could replace around 93 million jobs in American within the next decade. In proposing this possible outcome, the Committee agreed with the predictions of several noteworthy CEOs. Some leaders of Tech companies even forecast that, one day, working will be optional for humans.
Some consider this prospect a glorious possibility: finally, many will be unburdened from their daily drudgery in factories, behind counters, driving automobiles, and in the office. Humans will be free to spend their time the way they’d like, without having to sacrifice so much of their life to unfulfilling labor.
Others express worry: how will people provide for themselves and their families, pay their mortgage, and avoid getting sucked into the Wall-E nightmare of spending all day long in front of a screen streaming endless entertainment?
What is missing in much of the conversation is reflection on whether a world in which humans do not have to work is a world in which humans were ever meant to live. What kind of story about humans is presupposed in the notion that work might one day be optional? Why do we work? Because we must to earn money? Or does its purpose lie elsewhere––in the fact that we cannot help but be working creatures because we come from a working God who delights in making good things and instructs us to tend the creation around us?
Join us as we welcome Jeff Metzner, the Vice President of Marketing, Media, and Communications on the P&G Walmart Global Customer Team. A leading businessman and committed Christian, Jeff will guide us in a conversation around the theology of work by engaging Dorothy Sayers’ classic essay entitled, “Why Work?” Whether you’re concerned about the future state of labor in our world or simply asking basic questions about your work-saturated life, you won’t want to miss out on the opportunity to participate in this conversation with a leading Christian businessman whose insights have been hard-won through significant experiences…
Jeffrey Metzner; Vice President, Digital Commerce, Marketing and Media, P&G Walmart Team
Jeffrey Metzner is responsible for Digital Commerce, Marketing and Media on P&G’s Walmart US business. Prior to this role, Jeff held numerous roles across the company, most recently as the OTC Health Care Walmart team leader. Other assignments have included leading the North America Vicks brand and expanding Always Infinity into Europe and China. In his time at P&G, Jeff has held assignments in OTC Health Care, Oral Care, Beauty, Feminine Care, Pharmaceuticals and Pet Care.
Prior to P&G, Jeff built homes as a project manager for a large homebuilder in the Northeastern US. Jeff is passionate about values-based leadership and investing in those around him to build their own personal and business leadership skills. Jeff has taught Communication Effectiveness both inside and outside P&G and enjoys guest lecturing on effective brand building as well as personal purpose and values. Jeff has guest lectured at University of Arkansas since 2019 and guest lectured at Cornell University from 2019 to 2024. Jeff is on the University of Arkansas Retail Advisory Board.
Jeff is a native of Ohio and enjoys spending time with his family outdoors. Jeff and his wife Katy have six children and live in Northwest Arkansas.
