The Power of Proximity for Social Impact

Join host and Minister of New Church Strategies Rev. Dr. Jose Martinez in answering the question: “How does a place of worship move beyond activism into true community organizing?” We’ll explore the difference between organizing and activism, and why proximity has the power to transform both congregations and their neighborhoods.

Our conversation guest for this webinar will be Rev. Dr. Dietra Wise Baker, the Assistant Professor of Community Leadership, Director of Walker Leadership Institute at Eden Theological Seminary in St. Louis. She is a certified anti-racism trainer for the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in the United States and Canada, and a trainer of faith-based community organizing in the Gamaliel network. She teaches Church Planting, Youth Ministry, Preaching, Faith Community Organizing, Anti-Racism/Anti-Caste, Vocational Resilience and Formation. Dr. Baker is a respected trainer and community leader who often consults and collaborates around her sustained work in community organizing, youth justice, detention/prison/jail, and faith justice movements. She has a Bachelor of Science degree from Howard University in Washington, D.C.; a Master of Divinity degree from Eden Theological Seminary in St. Louis, MO; and her Doctorate of Ministry in Preaching degree from Aquinas Institute of Theology St. Louis, MO. Dr. Baker is mother to son Cornell A. (Deuce) Baker II.

This webinar will be a continuation of our previous discussion on Micro-Activism.