conference speakers

A.R. Bernard

René Rochester

Dr. René Rochester loves the Word of God and the God of the Word. She is the CEO of Urban SET Inc., a published author, a popular speaker, and an adjunct professor at several universities and seminaries. René is the first African American to earn a doctorate of health education from The University of Texas at Austin. She integrates faith, humor and passion for academic excellence as she shares her heart for the next generation.

Pete Scazzero

Pete Scazzero is the author of Emotionally Healthy Spirituality and The Emotionally Healthy Church, a Gold Medallion award winner. He is founder and senior pastor of New Life Fellowship Church, a multiracial congregation in Queens, New York. Pete holds a Masters in Divinity from Gordon-Conwell and a D.Min. in Marriage and Family from Eastern Baptist Theological Seminary. Frequent speakers, Pete and his wife, Geri, have four daughters, and co-founded The Center for Emotionally Healthy Spirituality.

H. Spees

H. Spees served alongside Rev. John Perkins in Mississippi as a missionary and community developer for 11 years, following the Civil Rights movement. He is currently Pastor-at-Large with First Presbyterian Church in Fresno, California, helping people find a joy-filled life through Jesus Christ. He also hosts a local television show which highlights community leaders, and he engages people to work together to tackle problems in their cities. He and his wife Terry have six children.

Alexie Torres-Fleming

Alexie Torres-Fleming is the founder and executive director of Youth Ministries for Peace and Justice in the South Bronx, a center for urban ministry which focuses on youth and community development. Her extensive background has allowed her to travel the country advocating this faith-based paradigm. Torres-Fleming has earned awards from numerous organizations including the Robin Hood Foundation, the New York Women’s Foundation and the Latino Pastoral Action Center.
She and her husband have two children.

Leah Gaskin-Fitchue

Reverend Dr. Leah Gaskin-Fitchue is the first woman president of Payne Theological Seminary in Wilberforce, Ohio. She is formerly a professor of religion at Hampton University and president of the Gaskin Fitchue Group, a consulting firm specializing in leadership development. A graduate of Rutgers University, she received her M. Div. degree from Princeton Theological Seminary and her doctorate from Harvard University. Dr. Fitchue is an author, lecturer, ordained elder, and
founding board member of CCDA.

Juanita Irizarry

Juanita Irizarry recently joined the staff of the CCDA as its Institute Director, coordinating trainings across the country to educate members in the key principles of Christian Community Development. A native of Illinois, Ms. Irizarry earned her M.P.A. degree from the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University, and also teaches “Non-profit Management” at DePaul University. She brings fifteen years of experience in the non-profit sector, emphasizing housing and community development in Chicago’s Latino community.

Philip “Rev Phil” Jackson

Phil Jackson is an Associate Pastor at Lawndale Community Church and also pastor’s The House Covenant Church in Chicago. On the front lines of urban youth ministry for two decades, Phil speaks to thousands of youth nationwide at camps, schools and churches, and trains youth leaders in urban communities. He is a double Masters candidate at North Park University and recent author of The Hip Hop Church. He and his bride, Kim, have three children.

Michael Mata

Michael Mata is the Capacity Development Director for the community transformation efforts of World Vision U.S. Domestic Programs. He served on the pastoral team at Los Angeles First Church of the Nazarene, a multi-ethnic/multi-congregation church, and enjoys educating groups about political, civic and interfaith affairs. A frequent speaker, Michael holds a Masters degree in City Planning from U.C. Berkeley, a Masters in Divinity, and an ABD from the
School of Planning, Policy and Development at USC.

Brian McLaren

Brian D. McLaren is an author, speaker, professor and networker who left the world of academia in 1986 to serve as founding pastor of Cedar Ridge Community Church, which he helped form in 1982. Brian served as pastor until 2006, and has been active in networking and mentoring church planters and pastors, assisting in the development of several new churches. He is a popular conference speaker and frequent lecturer at seminaries and denominational gatherings worldwide.

John Perkins

John M. Perkins is a sharecropper's son from Mississippi who vowed never to return after his brother was murdered there. In 1960, he did return to share the gospel, yet his outspokenness during civil rights demonstrations garnered repeated harassment and imprisonment. Despite a third grade education, he earned honorary doctorates from institutions such as Wheaton College, Gordon College, and North Park University. Founder of CCDA, Perkins teaches internationally on racial reconciliation, leadership and community development.

Noel Castellanos

Noel Castellanos is CEO of the Christian Community Development Association. He has worked in full-time ministry in urban communities since 1982, and was a long-time CCDA board member. Noel established the CCDA Institute, which equips emerging leaders in the CCD philosophy. He is a highly sought after speaker and a passionate mentor to young leaders across the USA. Noel and his wife Marianne have three children, and reside in the barrio of Chicago’s La Villita.

Soong Chan Rah

Soong-Chan Rah is the Assistant Professor of Church Growth and Evangelism at North Park Theological Seminary in Chicago. A graduate of Columbia University, he also received his M. Div and doctorate degrees from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary. Soong-Chan previously served with InterVarsity Christian Fellowship and has been a part of four different church planting efforts. He has extensive experience in cross-cultural preaching and is currently working on a book discussing the changing face of American evangelicalism.

Wayne “Coach” Gordon

Dr. Wayne L. Gordon is founding Pastor of Lawndale Community Church, founding president of the Lawndale Community Development Corporation, and Chairman/President of the CCDA. With more than 30 years in ministry, Coach’s major goal is developing a new generation of indigenous leaders in North Lawndale. Coach is an alumnus of Wheaton College and Northern Baptist Theological Seminary, and received his D. Min. degree from Eastern Baptist Theological Seminary. He and his wife Anne have three children.

Arloa Sutter

In 1992, Arloa Sutter opened a church meeting room on Chicago’s west side and served hot coffee and lunch to the homeless. Today she is founder of Breakthrough Urban Ministries, and successfully raised $6 million to renovate their center, which offers shelter and programs to homeless men. Arloa holds a Doctorate of Ministry degree from the Bakke Graduate University and an MA in Urban Mission. She is an associate pastor at River City Community Church.