G. Tyler Burns is joined by Alethea Lamberson to share stories of hope and impact as young people encounter community building in their neighborhoods. They discuss Chasing Justice’s Pilgrimage Pop-Ups and how they are fostering imagination and connection with participants in their contexts.

Chasing Justice is going to be at the CCDA Conference [https://ccda.org/train-connect/ccda-national-conference/] this year! And you are invited to attend the Pilgrimage Pop-Up happening in Richmond! Visit chasingjustice.com [https://chasingjustice.com/popup/] to learn more and register.

G. Tyler Burns [https://chasingjustice.com/tyler-burns/] is a pastor, speaker, writer, and podcaster. He currently serves as the President of The Witness: A Black Christian Collective, an organization founded to educate, encourage, and empower Black Christians to be free in soul and in body. He also co-hosts the organization’s flagship podcast Pass the Mic.

Alethea Lamberson [https://chasingjustice.com/alethea-lamberson/] is the co-host of The Roll Down podcast. She has spent a decade training campus ministry staff and students in the area of diversity, equity, and inclusion. Her commitment to scripture and her thoughtful reflections on sociocultural learning have made her an amazing facilitator of the justice journey.

Learn more about CCDA and how you can get involved at ccda.org [http://ccda.org/]. Connect with CCDA on Instagram [http://www.instagram.com/iamccda], Twitter [http://www.twitter.com/iamccda], Facebook [http://www.facebook.com/iamccda], and LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/company/christian-community-development-association-ccda-/]. Follow CCDA on YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/user/iamccda].

Learning from Local Leaders with Chasing Justice

Dr. Lorenzo A. Watson is joined by Elizabeth Perkins to discuss the history of Christian Community Development and share stories of some of the people and experiences that helped shape this work. Elizabeth also reflects on how CCD has shaped her life and ministry, and how she is carrying her father’s legacy forward.

Want to learn more about Christian Community Development? Join Lorenzo and Elizabeth for a free online training on September 2nd on practicing CCD. Learn more at citycollectiveseries.com [https://www.citycollectiveseries.com/].

Elizabeth Perkins lives with a profound sense of calling shaped by her faith in Jesus Christ and a passion for justice, reconciliation, and discipleship. She often reflects on how God’s faithful hand has guided her steps, not simply for her journey, but to empower others to walk boldly in their purpose and become instruments of change in a broken world.

With over 25 years of ministry experience, Elizabeth has poured into the lives of both men and women, mentoring and guiding them in their spiritual, personal, and leadership development. She has a heart for equipping the next generation to rise with courage and conviction. As part of this work, she founded and led She-ciples, a discipleship group for teen girls focused on purity, purpose, and identity in Christ—demonstrating her commitment to nurturing young women with truth, grace, and love.

She aims to help future generations encounter and follow Jesus, becoming agents of hope, healing, and justice. Through her work at the John & Vera Mae Perkins Foundation [https://jvmpf.org/], Elizabeth remains steadfast in her pursuit of biblical justice and reconciliation, believing that through Christ, lives—and communities—can be made whole.

Learn more about CCDA and how you can get involved at ccda.org [http://ccda.org/]. Connect with CCDA on Instagram [http://www.instagram.com/iamccda], Twitter [http://www.twitter.com/iamccda], Facebook [http://www.facebook.com/iamccda], and LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/company/christian-community-development-association-ccda-/]. Follow CCDA on YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/user/iamccda].

The History and Practice of Christian Community Development

Troy Jackson is joined by Rev. Traci Blackmon to discuss election protection, what it is and why it matters. They reflect on the importance of voting access and what a healthy, faithful culture of civic participation would look like in our communities.

Each August, we focus on civic engagement as a CCDA Family. Learn more about engaging with your local government at ccda.org/civic [https://ccda.org/justice-initiatives/civic/].

Learn more about The Faithful Witness Campaign at faithfulwitness.us [http://faithfulwitness.us/].

The Rev. Traci Blackmon is the former associate general minister of justice and local church ministries for the United Church of Christ, a position she held for eight years. She earned a bachelor of science in nursing from Birmingham-Southern College and a master of divinity degree from Eden Theological Seminary.

Blackmon’s work focuses on communal resistance to systemic injustice through the redemptive power of love. Her response in Ferguson, Missouri, to the killing of Michael Brown resulted in national and international recognition.

She was appointed to the Ferguson Commission by Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon and to the President’s Advisory Council on Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships by President Barack Obama. She currently serves on the board of the Samuel DeWitt Proctor Conference and was named among 15 “Faith Leaders to Watch” in 2020 by the Center for American Progress.

Learn more about Rev. Blackmon and her work at faithoutloud.org [https://www.faithoutloud.org/].

Community organizer, pastor, leader and writer, Troy Jackson, has been with UNDIVIDED since its founding. He is a graduate of Princeton Theological Seminary and earned his PH.D in U.S. history from the University of Kentucky.

Troy’s book Becoming King: Martin Luther King, Jr. and the Making of a National Leader (The University Press of Kentucky, 2008) explores the critical role the grassroots Montgomery Movement played in the development of Dr. King. His other publications include his work as an editor on The Papers of Martin Luther King, Jr. Volume VI: Advocate of the Social Gospel (September 1948-March 1963) (University of California Press, 2007). With their children grown, Troy and his wife moved to a cabin outside of Cincinnati, OH, with their two dogs, Pip and Pico.

Learn more about Troy and UNDIVIDED at undivided.us [http://undivided.us/].

Learn more about CCDA and how you can get involved at ccda.org [http://ccda.org/]. Connect with CCDA on Instagram [http://www.instagram.com/iamccda], Twitter [http://www.twitter.com/iamccda], Facebook [http://www.facebook.com/iamccda], and LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/company/christian-community-development-association-ccda-/]. Follow CCDA on YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/user/iamccda].

Why Should We Care About Election Protection?

Lawson Wijesooriya is joined by Dr. Danny Avula, the mayor of the city of Richmond, to discuss Christian Community Development in their city. They reflect on their history with CCD, how they are listening to the community, and how Dr. Perkins' legacy has shaped their lives, families, and vocations.

Join us in Richmond this October 7-10 for the CCDA Conference! Visit ccda.org/conference [https://ccda.org/train-connect/ccda-national-conference/] to learn more.

Each August, we focus on civic engagement as a CCDA Family. Learn more about engaging with your local government at ccda.org/civic [https://ccda.org/justice-initiatives/civic/].

Dr. Danny Avula took office as the 81st Mayor of the City of Richmond on January 1, 2025.

Before his election to public office, Danny served the Richmond and Henrico Health Districts for 12 years, including 6 years as its Director. There, he championed efforts to increase access to care for the most vulnerable residents of our community, prioritized the voices of those with lived experience, lifted up the intersection of housing and health, and addressed the root causes that shape health outcomes-especially poverty and race.

Born in Hyderabad, India, he immigrated to the United States with his parents in 1979. A father of five, Danny and his wife, Mary Kay, have lived in Richmond's East End for over 20 years. Mary Kay is a teacher with Richmond Public Schools.

Click here [https://www.rva.gov/mayors-office/about-danny] to learn more about Danny.

Lawson Wijesooriya is the Chief of Staff for Richmond’s 81st Mayor, Dr. Danny Avula. Before leading his successful bid for mayor as campaign manager, Wijesooriya spent 15 years leading local non-profits—with a focus on strategy and community development—to serve some of the city’s most vulnerable residents. She graduated from the University of Virginia as a Phi Beta Kappa Jefferson Scholar and is a mother of two.

Learn more about CCDA and how you can get involved at ccda.org [http://ccda.org/]. Connect with CCDA on Instagram [http://www.instagram.com/iamccda], Twitter [http://www.twitter.com/iamccda], Facebook [http://www.facebook.com/iamccda], and LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/company/christian-community-development-association-ccda-/]. Follow CCDA on YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/user/iamccda].

Civic Engagement in Richmond

Sylvia Kamande is joined by Lisa Sharon Harper to discuss The Clearing. They reflect on this time of economic difficulty for many Black and Brown women, the toll that takes on their health and relationships, and the importance of moving forward in community. They also share about the preconference event The Clearing, happening on October 7, 2026, in Richmond, where women of color are invited to connect, learn, and grow together.

Click here to learn more about The Clearing and register for the CCDA Conference at ccda.org/conference [http://ccda.org/conference].

Lisa Sharon Harper is the founder and president of Freedom Road, a groundbreaking consulting and communications group. Lisa is a theologian whose writing, speaking, activism, and training have sparked and fed the fires of re-formation in the church from Ferguson and Charlottesville to South Africa, Brazil, Australia, and Ireland. Having earned an MFA in playwriting from the University of Southern California and an MA in Human Rights from Columbia University, Lisa’s play An’ Push da Wind Down won the 1996 Kennedy Center/American College Theater Festival Michael Kanin Award for Best Student Play and Best Production. Lisa’s book, Fortune: How Race Broke My Family And The World--And How To Repair It All was named 2022 “Book of the Year” by Word and Way. The Very Good Gospel was named 2016 “Book of the Year” by Englewood Review of Books. Lisa is host of the Freedom Road Podcast, cohost of The FOUR Podcast, and author of her Substack column, “The Truth Is…”  The Huffington Post identified Lisa as one of 50 Women Religious Leaders to Celebrate on International Women’s Day. Lisa is currently earning her PhD in womanist ethics at the Vrije Universiteit in Amsterdam and serving as Affiliate Faculty at St. Stephen’s University in Canada. Learn more at lisasharonharper.com [https://lisasharonharper.com/].

Sylvia Kamande serves as Director of Family Ministry at Because Justice Matters, in San Francisco’s Tenderloin neighbourhood. Originally from Kenya, she has spent more than 15 years in full-time ministry serving alongside diverse communities across Africa, Latin America, and the United States. She is a co-church planter with El Camino Covenant Church and co-leads the Women of Color Network [https://ccda.org/woc/] within the Christian Community Development Association (CCDA). Sylvia is passionate about equipping leaders, cultivating belonging, and creating healing-centered spaces where children, families, and communities can experience restoration and abundant life in Jesus.

Learn more about CCDA and how you can get involved at ccda.org [http://ccda.org/]. Connect with CCDA on Instagram [http://www.instagram.com/iamccda], Twitter [http://www.twitter.com/iamccda], Facebook [http://www.facebook.com/iamccda], and LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/company/christian-community-development-association-ccda-/]. Follow CCDA on YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/user/iamccda].

What is The Clearing?

Daniel Yang is joined by Liliana Reza to discuss their work at World Relief, share stories of migration, and reflect on walking alongside immigrants, refugees, and displaced people.

Learn more about World Relief and their work around the globe at worldrelief.org [http://worldrelief.org/]. And check out the Faithful Witness Campaign at faithfulwitness.us [https://faithfulwitness.us/] for ways that you can get involved in your community.

Daniel Yang serves as the National Director of Churches of Welcome for World Relief. Prior to that, he was the director of the Church Multiplication Institute at the Wheaton College Billy Graham Center. Daniel has been a pastor, church planter, engineer, and technology consultant. He has planted churches in Detroit, Dallas, Toronto, and Chicago, either as the lead planter or through recruiting, training, assessing, and mentoring church planters. Daniel is a sought-after conference speaker, missional strategist, consultant, and co-author of Inalienable: How Marginalized Kingdom Voices Can Help Save the American Church [https://ivpress.com/inalienable] (InterVarsity, May 2022) and Becoming a Future-Ready Church: 8 Shifts to Encourage and Empower the Next Generation of Leaders [https://faithgateway.com/products/becoming-a-future-ready-church-8-shifts-to-encourage-and-empower-the-next-generation-of-leaders?variant=42244190371976] (Zondervan, October 2024).

Liliana Reza is the Director of Border Engagement at World Relief, where she advocates alongside refugees, immigrants, and displaced communities. An ordained elder in the Church of the Nazarene, she holds an M.A. in Intercultural Studies from Nazarene Theological Seminary. Based in the San Diego-Tijuana region, Liliana is passionate about building bridges through faith, justice and community — often found exploring the borderlands or training for her next marathon.

Learn more about CCDA and how you can get involved at ccda.org [http://ccda.org/]. Connect with CCDA on Instagram [http://www.instagram.com/iamccda], Twitter [http://www.twitter.com/iamccda], Facebook [http://www.facebook.com/iamccda], and LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/company/christian-community-development-association-ccda-/]. Follow CCDA on YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/user/iamccda].

Stories of Migration with World Relief

Meghan Jackson is joined by Charles Cheek, Eddie Howard, and Meghann Cotter to share about the CCD work that is being done in Hampton Roads, Charlottesville, and Fredericksburg. They also share about their Go & Sees they’re hosting in October and how they’re beholding God with and in their communities.

Don’t miss the CCDA Conference [https://ccda.org/train-connect/ccda-national-conference/] in Richmond, Virginia, this October. Get into town early and experience one of the full-day Go & Sees [https://ccda.org/train-connect/ccda-national-conference/go-see/] happening on October 7th!

Learn more about CCDA and how you can get involved at ccda.org [http://ccda.org/]. Connect with CCDA on Instagram [http://www.instagram.com/iamccda], Twitter [http://www.twitter.com/iamccda], Facebook [http://www.facebook.com/iamccda], and LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/company/christian-community-development-association-ccda-/]. Follow CCDA on YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/user/iamccda].

CCD at Work in Virginia

Welcome to the CCDA Podcast. CCDA is a network of Christians committed to seeing people and communities experience God's shalom.

On this podcast, we don’t have formal interviews or “expert takes;” instead, we have honest, grounded conversations to help you feel less alone in the work and imagine faithful next steps in your own community.

You will hear conversations with practitioners, leaders, scholars, and neighbors who are living out Christian Community Development in real, contextual ways. Our guests draw from lived experience, sharing how faith and CCD are shaping how they are showing up in their context.

We hope you are encouraged and inspired by these conversations. Subscribe today.

CCDA Podcast Trailer

Stephanie Ann Vander Lugt is joined by Amy Kuhl to discuss ecological discipleship and creation care. They share how they are caring for the environment with their communities, how creation care integrates with Christian Community Development, and practical ways for people to engage in caring for their environments.

Learn more about the Ecological Discipleship Network at ccda.org/ecological [http://ccda.org/ecological] and don’t miss the CCDA Conference [https://ccda.org/train-connect/ccda-national-conference/] in Richmond, Virginia, to connect with other like-minded people.

Stephanie Ann is deeply committed to the intersection of justice, faith, healing, ecology, and personal and communal transformation. With a background in community development and violence prevention—including a decade of working with incarcerated women—she brings compassion and expertise to her work as a licensed clinician specializing in trauma recovery and holistic well-being. Stephanie is the cofounder and executive director of Kinship Plot, a community organization that envisions vibrant communities where people experience resonant relationships through stable housing, shared land stewardship, and creative, hospitable life together. She is also an ordained minister in the Presbytery of the Central Carolinas.

Amy moved to Seattle in October 2022 to manage World Relief’s Resiliency Programs, following her passion to support refugees and displaced people as they rebuild their lives and communities after crisis. She graduated from the University of Michigan with an M.A. in Liberal Studies focusing on gender and globalization, environmental studies, documentary film, and creative advocacy. Prior to her current role, Amy worked overseas in humanitarian aid for nearly a decade supporting displaced people across the world as they moved forward after war and disaster. Over her career she has lived, worked, and studied in 12 countries across five continents. A native of Michigan, Amy loves playing piano and soccer and enjoys being outside any chance she gets—especially if it involves windsurfing, skiing, paddleboarding, rock-climbing or gardening!

Learn more about CCDA and how you can get involved at ccda.org [http://ccda.org/]. Connect with CCDA on Instagram [http://www.instagram.com/iamccda], Twitter [http://www.twitter.com/iamccda], Facebook [http://www.facebook.com/iamccda], and LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/company/christian-community-development-association-ccda-/]. Follow CCDA on YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/user/iamccda].

Why Should We Care for Creation?

In this special episode, we are taking time to remember the life and legacy of Dr. John M. Perkins, one of the founders of the Christian Community Development movement.

Throughout this episode, you’ll hear from other founding leaders and friends who walked closely with him. These friends include Dr. Mary Nelson, Dr. Barbara Williams-Skinner, Dr. Dolphus Weary, Dr. Wayne Gordon, and Dr. Kathy Dudley. They reflect on his life, his friendship, and how his legacy continues today.

Dr. Perkins showed us what it looks like to follow Christ in community. And as we listen, we are invited to consider what it means for us now, how we carry that witness forward together.

Learn more about CCDA and how you can get involved at ccda.org [http://ccda.org/]. Connect with CCDA on Instagram [http://www.instagram.com/iamccda], Twitter [http://www.twitter.com/iamccda], Facebook [http://www.facebook.com/iamccda], and LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/company/christian-community-development-association-ccda-/]. Follow CCDA on YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/user/iamccda].

A Life Well Lived: Founders Remember Dr. John M.Perkins

CCDA Comms (@ccdacomms) · Zencastr

CCDA Comms (@ccdacomms)

Christian Community Development Association (CCDA) is a network of Christians committed to seeing people and communities experience God’s shalom. This podcast features teaching from our annual conference, interviews, and training courses.