2011 The Congress on Urban Ministry...

Our Vision

On March 1-4, 2011, the 16 th biennial Congress on Urban Ministry will gather pastors, community and social service leaders, church professionals, seminary students and other urban leaders for theological education, leadership development, resource sharing, and networking as we seek to address the needs of our urban communities. The event will bring together a diverse range of urban ministry practitioners and theorists around the theme of “Peacemaking in a Culture of Violence” with the goal of inclusive dialogue, emboldened envisioning, and a plan for effective social action on individual, communal, and global levels.

Theme

Violence permeates the soul of our nation. In 1968, the Kerner Commission called violence “as American as apple pie”. Violence, the Commission claimed, was imbedded in our culture. The range and intensity of violent behavior contained within our borders is surpassed only by those nations toiling in war or massive social upheaval. Day turns to night and still the daily body counts rise – to the point where the chance of being killed by a gun is lower for a U.S. soldier in Iraq than for a student in the Chicago Public Schools. (1) Violent behavior infiltrates our homes, our workplaces, our televisions, our streets and our cities.

The church is uniquely situated to be a force of peacemaking in this culture of violence. The church, especially in many under-resourced and underserved urban areas, is frequently the impetus for social transformation since it often serves as both the spiritual and social services center of the community. The potential for Christians to harness the great social energy and resources that lie within the vast, diverse network of congregations in communities around the world is enormous. Inspired ministries around the nation have shown how a small group of committed individuals can stir a community’s conscience and arouse hope towards lasting change.

In a culture inundated and predicated upon violence, the ministry of Christians committed to social transformation must be seen from the viewpoint of peacemaking. To achieve this transformation, our presence in the world must be one that confronts instances and systems of violence with the powerful force of compassion. Compassion that seeks the holistic good of all people, that aligns itself with the boldest faithfulness of the traditions of Jesus, the early church, the prophets, and the Torah, will necessarily be one of peacemaking. Peacemaking, then, is a deeply spiritual discipline by which our connection and rootedness with the Creator radiate through all levels of our existence and out into all of creation. As a spiritual discipline, peacemaking must become a part of the Christian’s life in a way which challenges boundaries and permeates all aspects of our daily living.

The 2011 Congress on Urban Ministry will examine the role of the church in helping to alleviate the problem of violence and its impact in our diverse urban communities. Training in peacemaking at the 2011 Congress on Urban Ministry will empower pastors and others working in urban ministry to cultivate the individual spirituality of peacemaking, to grow as effective leaders in embodying peace as community, and to engage and confront incidents and systems of violence with wisdom, clarity, discernment, and positive practical outcomes.

The Congress on Urban Ministry is a rare resourcing event that provides essential education and empowerment for many pastors and church leaders who have experienced only the traditional training in the church which remains woefully silent and out of touch with urban and social justice concerns. Furthermore, for leaders who currently address the ills and wounds left by cultural violence, there is often an overwhelming sense of isolation and powerlessness. The Congress on Urban Ministry will also seek to fulfill the dire need for the connection and the collaboration that harness the power of a unified base of individuals who work together for the rights and needs of the voiceless and disinherited in our world.

(1) Ripley, Amanda. Is Baghdad Safer Than Chicago? Page accessed: 2/8/10

History

With over 30 years of experience in urban ministry, SCUPE, based in Chicago, Illinois, has the vision, experience, capacity and networks needed to offer educational learning opportunities such as the Congress on Urban Ministry to help build healthy and holistic communities and to strengthen grassroots leadership in our cities.

The event will bring together Christian leaders from many denominations to their share visions for the city and what our churches, communities and faith-based organizations can do to be more effective in serving urban communities.

Past Speakers at the Congress on Urban Ministry include:

Rev. Dr. Ray Bakke	Dr. Mary Nelson
Dr. Grace Lee Boggs	President Barack Obama
Rev. Dr. Walter Brueggemann	Dr. John M. Perkins
Rev. Dr. Tony Campolo	Father Michael Pfleger
Rev. Dr. Yvonne Delk	Tom Sine
Bishop Yvette Flunder	Rev. Dr. J. Alfred Smith, Sr.
Rev. Dr. James A. Forbes, Jr.	Rev. Jim Wallis
Rev. Dr. Wayne Gordon	Rev. Dr. Walter Wangerin, Jr.
Rep. Jesse L. Jackson, Jr.	Mayor Harold Washington
Rev. Dr. John Kinney	Dr. Cornel West
Ched Meyers	Dr. Walter Wink
Rev. Otis Moss III	Rev. Dr. Jeremiah Wright

Program

We are in the process of lining up a revitalizing program of plenary speakers, including both established and emerging leaders who are making a major impact in their communities and ministries. Stay tuned for updates.

About 50 workshops and several site visits will focus on issues that are critical to the work of grassroots community and faith leaders, and will help strengthen their leadership skills and understanding of critical issues. The workshops will also spotlight the role of the church in addressing important social, economic and political issues. Provocative workshop topics will include economic violence, Sabbath economics, criminal violence, and ecological peacemaking.

An array of worship, networking, music, arts, poetry, site-visits, direct liturgical actions will fill our time together

Partnership

SCUPE welcomes partnerships from a variety of individuals and groups as an essential part of planning and funding the Congress. Partnership helps SCUPE keep the Congress accessible to the average urban pastor, student, or community leader by keeping registration costs low. Would you (or an organization you are a part of) consider partnering with SCUPE to make the 16 th Congress on Urban Ministry accessible to a wide variety of urban leaders?

For more information please contact Mark Hannan or consult with our Partnership Packet.