Women’s urban ministry network launches November 5
10-22-2010
A diverse, ecumenical group of Chicago-based women will be gathering at McCormick Theological Seminary on Friday, November 5, at 8 a.m., for the inauguration of a new women’s urban ministry network organized by Dr. Deborah Kapp, Campbell Professor of Urban Ministry at McCormick. The purpose of the network is to “connect, support, and equip women in urban ministries as [they] build community, make justice, promote human health and wholeness, and innovate new ways of being church.”
Following breakfast and fellowship, participants will engage in discussion with a panel of three distinguished women engaged in urban ministries – Amy Totsch, Organizer for Public Action for Change Today and United Power for Action and Justice; The Rev. Laura Truax, Senior Pastor, LaSalle Street Church; The Rev. Dr. Janette Wilson, Assistant Pastor, Metropolitan Apostolic Community Church and Senior Advisor to The Rev. Jesse Jackson Sr. The Rev. Dr. Jeanne L. Porter (M.A.T.S., Class of 2005), Assistant Pastor, Ministry Development, at Apostolic Church of God and an adjunct faculty member at McCormick, will be moderating the program.
Kapp notes that while women are often at the heart of vital urban ministries, they are seldom the public faces of these ministries, particularly in large urban churches. And that reality, coupled with the demands on women and men alike who are caring for communities of faith, make peer support all the more important.
“Ministry can be a lonely job,” Kapp acknowledged. “There are a lot of people who are doing wonderful work, but they are out there on their own. Among other things, we want to mitigate that sense of isolation and offer the kind of support and action network that will be genuinely useful to people. We have a really talented core group of women, and I look forward to growing our membership and seeing what emerges.”
Admission to the women’s urban ministry network breakfast is $10 ($5 for students). RSVP to Carrie Fox at cfox@go.mccormick.edu or Deborah Kapp at dkapp@mccormick.edu or 773.947.6327.