Race: beginning (again) – Illinois Mennonite Conference

THIS EVENT IS BEING POSTPONED DUE TO LOW REGISTRATION! WE’LL REGROUP AND GATHER AROUND THIS TOPIC IN 2018!

Backstory

Illinois Mennonite Conference planned to host an event on church communication on Oct. 27 – 28 at Menno Haven Camp and Retreat Center. On August 22, I (Michael) received an email from our resource person, stating he took a new job and was moving out of the area, thus he was unable to lead our event. We explored other potential resource people to no avail.

Meanwhile, issues of race and violence were also on the front page, due to recent white nationalist protests in Charlottesville, VA. Not too long after that, news that President Trump intended to repeal DACA also hit the news.

We had Menno Haven reserved for the weekend and no presenter to follow through with our original plan. While considering options, we began to explore the possibility to creating a space for persons within IMC to come together around issues of racial justice and reconciliation.

Challenges

Short Notice: We’re putting this together on short notice. Who can participate? Can we plan a quality gathering?
We’re Pretty White: IMC gatherings, historically, are attended predominantly by white persons. What are appropriate goals given this reality? What can we not do due to this reality?
Focus: What would be helpful for those who are present, given we don’t know who will be present?

The Key Question

As CEM, I focused on one question “Should we do this at all, given the challenges?” In my experience, one can always find reasons NOT to gather together to engage difficult things. Most people can rationalize not engaging hard things. Therefore, I like to ask a different question. “How are we better off by not doing it?”

In the end, we decided it was better to start a public discussion within IMC, with an eye towards ongoing engagement around these issues, even while recognizing the challenges of the circumstance.

So, we are moving forward with an event on racial justice and reconciliation.

How we’ll spend our time

1.) We’ll begin with an overview and strategies for coming to terms with race and racism within ourselves.

2.) We’ll spend time learning about White Supremacy – what it is, what it isn’t, and how to work at it.

3.) We’ll spend time learning about immigration, current challenges, and Latino identity and theology.

Who Should Come?

Anyone who is interested in engaging questions of racial justice and reconciliation from an Anabaptist perspective, with an interest in personal and/or church applications.

This is a safe space for people! Come as you are. Come ready to listen to others experiences.

Event Facilitators (listed alphabetically)

KRISTA DUTT – Krista is the Chicago program coordinator and a Church Relations Associate for Mennonite Central Committee. She is currently focusing much of her time thinking about the conversations about race that are happening in immigration court and how race impacts gun violence. Krista and her family live in West Humboldt Park in Chicago, attend River City Community Church, and participating in The Healing Corner.

RIC HUDGENS – Ric is the Co-Pastor of North Suburban Mennonite Church in Libertyville; and an adjunct lecturer at North Park Theological Seminary. He served for five years as Pastor-in-Residence at Second Baptist Evanston, a historic135-year-oldd African-American congregation; and eight years on the pastoral team at Reba Place Church. For twelve years he was a departmental director for the American Theological Library Association. Ric has a BA and MA in Missions and also studied at Loyola University and the University of Chicago Divinity School. He writes frequently for Geez Magazine and the Englewood Review of Books and is regular blog contributor to radicaldiscipleship.net (a ministry of Bartimaeus Cooperative Ministries and Word and World). Ric lives in Evanston and is part of a household connected with Reba Place.

MARTIN NAVARRO – Martin and his wife Viri live in Elkhart IN. Where they both attend Prairie Street Mennonite Church. Martin enjoys spending time with family, and also vegetable gardening. Martin and his wife are Chicago natives. He grew up in the Comunidad Cristiana Vida Abundante. He has his MDiv from Anabaptist Mennonite Biblical Seminary. He has a passion for the studying the intersection of Mennonite identity and Latino theology. Currently, he is a stewardship consultant and financial service representative for Everence, serving exclusively Hispanic Anabaptist churches. Martin is also the Associate Conference Minister for Hispanic Ministries for Illinois Mennonite Conference.

TIM PEEBLES -By vocation, Tim is a teacher and theologian, with a focus on missional church and practicing peace. He currently expresses this vocation in the occupations of theological educator, martial arts instructor, and transitional pastor (most recently at Chicago Community Mennonite Church). He grew up in Springfield Illinois, went to college at Illinois Wesleyan University (in Bloomington), attended seminary at Andover-Newton Theological School (Boston), and did graduate work in theology at the University of Chicago. He and his wife have lived in Chicago for 24 years, for the last 18 years in the Rogers Park neighborhood. In addition to reading (and talking) theology, his hobbies include movies, tap dancing, whiskey, and fresh-water tropical fish, mostly in that order.

Please call or email Michael Danner with questions. If you’d like to participate but resources are tight, give Michael a call, we want you to participate!

Click here for an event flyer