Rev. Jeremiah Wright and Religious Leaders Urge New Methods for Training Urban Activists

Chicago, IL., Monday, September 15, 2014 — The recent killings of young African American men and women in places like Ferguson, MO and Chicago continue to underscore the complexities of issues related to race and violence in urban environments. In response to an increasingly urgent need to better prepare African American leaders to address these challenges of urban life in the United States, The Center for African American Theological Studies (CAATS) will convene several key religious leaders, including Rev. Jeremiah A. Wright, in a public forum at the DuSable Museum of African American History Friday, September 19 at 7 p.m. CAATS is a program of the Seminary Consortium for Urban Pastoral Education (SCUPE), a Chicago-based consortium of seminaries.

“The hard truth for those of us who train ministers and activists for justice work is that we often fail to prepare them for the complexities of America’s rapidly changing urban terrain,” said Rev. Zachary Mills, the director of the CAATS program. “When I see protests in places like Ferguson, MO and Chicago, I immediately think about whether there will there be organized leadership in those communities to mobilize them beyond the highly charged mood of the moment in order to advance significant, long term policy changes. Here is where CAATS can make a unique contribution to leaders in cities like Ferguson and Chicago.”

The Rev. Jeremiah Wright, pastor emeritus of Trinity United Church of Christ in Chicago, will be one of the featured lecturers and panelists during Friday’s public forum at DuSable Museum. Rev. Wright believes the mission of CAATS is critical for preparing leaders for service in urban communities. In a statement included on the CAATS web site (http://scupe.org/caats/), Wright says, “Building on the black church’s tradition of self-determination, the Center for African American Theological Studies seeks to provide the academic and cultural tools that ministers need to become informed pastors and leaders capable of revitalizing
their churches and communities.”

Rev. Wright will be joined by other respected religious leaders, scholars, and presidents of schools of theology including: Rev. Dr. Yvonne Delk, Rev. Dr. Larry Murphy Rev. Dr. John Kinney.

“The fact that these highly sought after preachers and leaders would rearrange their busy schedules to be part of this event highlights the urgent need right now to cultivate within community leaders new skills to confront the realities created by changing urban landscapes,” Rev. Mills said, expressing the hope that the prominent lineup of speakers will draw members of the community to attend the public forum at DuSable.

Friday’s event is part of a two-day conference to commemorate the 10th anniversary of CAATS. On Saturday, September 20 the 10th anniversary celebration continues with SCUPE’s annual Jeremiah Wright Lecture at 12:30 p.m. at Trinity United Church of Christ. This year’s lecture features renowned preacher Rev. Martha Simmons, editor and publisher of The African American Pulpit, and the creator of the online resource, The African American Lectionary.

Rev. Wright will preach at the weekly chapel service at Chicago Theological Seminary at noon on Wednesday and Rev. Mills will preach at a chapel service at Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary in Evanston, IL that evening at 6 p.m. to help promote the public forum Friday night. In addition, there is a live tweet event scheduled for Wednesday, September 17 from 7 – 8 p.m. to help promote the anniversary celebration. The hashtag for the live tweet is #blackleadersnow. For more information about CAATS visit www.scupe.org/CAATS.

About CAATS: CAATS is a program of the Seminary Consortium for Urban Pastoral Education (SCUPE), which has been providing religious and community leaders with effective tools for ministry in cities for over three decades. CAATS was founded in 2004 to provide African American leaders in Chicago with a program of graduate education in ministry that privileged African American social, religious, and cultural experiences while exposing leaders to the core disciplines they would encounter in traditional seminaries or divinity schools. Focusing on models of contextual learning, CAATS immerses students in different communities throughout Chicago as they fulfill their degree programs. CAATS offers both accredited masters-level and non-accredited certificate classes in partnership with local theological institutions.