The 30th annual CCDA (Christian Community Development Association) conference took place this last weekend in Chicago. Several North Park faculty, staff, and students were able to take part in the conference with focuses on matters of justice and how Christians can participate in God’s work of radically transforming communities. Check out some of the pictures and take-aways from our students below:
Fanchon Kelley (MDiv Student): This was my first time attending CCDA and it was a great experience. I was able to hear from well-versed speakers that spoke to issues I am concerned about and provide practical ways to alleviate some of those issues. I met some of the speakers who further encouraged me to get involve and thrive. In all, I was captivated by the wonderful work that’s happening in different communities in Chicago and the role CCDA plays within the community.
Claudia Martinez-Patino (MACM/MNA student, pictured above): CCDA allows to get together with people that you met in other experiences, such as travel courses and HSP.
Emily Noyed (MACF/MNA student): I was only able to go to CCDA on Thursday, but even though I only got to go to two of the plenary sessions I took a lot away from what each of the speakers said. The theme was Rooted and this theme definitely echoed through each speaker. One of the main themes I heard was that God has set roots and is working in places despite what our perception of that place is. For example Charles Robinson spoke as a Native American man and was talking about the importance of us as Christians to graft ourselves into the existing roots of a given place. Because when we don’t do that we cause more harm than good which is evident by the sorted past of white relationships with the Native Americans. He ended his time by saying, “God was present in North America before 1492.” Charles Robinson was only one example of a speaker who deeply engaged the theme of rooted and challenged us all in how we ministry to the people in our communities.
Our own Rev. Dr. Soong-Chan Rah (as well as some of our other faculty) was a featured speaker at the conference. Soong-Chan’s lecture was on “The Insidious Power of the Narrative of White Supremacy.”
At North Park, we’re grateful for the opportunity to learn from these knowledgeable and faithful leaders. If you’re interested in learning more about CCDA or the work they do in communities across the country, we invite you to check out the organization’s website at https://ccda.org/.