Social Justice: What Is Home? (audio)
/The word home has a variety of meanings to the people of God. For some of our neighbors, home is familiar and congenial, safe and loving. Yet for many, this is not the case. Far too many neighbors are labeled homeless, refugee, housing insecure, and immigrant. In this pathway, we consider how to participate in efforts bridging the gap between oppression and freedom, so that home is a safe, welcoming place. To assemble a just world, lovers of Jesus must come together and establish relationships in spite of, and through, the differences that make us beautiful.
Hosted by Stephanie Hamm, Malcolm Scott, Alan Lipps, and Sara Chaney, this pathway took place in ACU’s Onstead-Packer Biblical Studies Building on Monday, September 16, 2019.
Sessions
What If Jesus Had Not Found Refuge? (Susanna Lubanga)
Refugees are not new in history. This session introduces the pathway as we discuss why it is important for Christians to serve refugees in the 21st century.
Welcoming the Stranger at the Border: The Role of the Church (Jennifer Long)
Jennifer discusses the current crisis on the border, United States policies toward people who apply for asylum, and the response of Christians to the needs of those arriving. A resident of Casa Marianella also tells the story of his/her journey and experience arriving in this country.
Homelessness in the United States: Causes and Solutions (James Petrovich)
This session overviews the social problem of homelessness in the U.S. It provides an assessment of factors contributing to homelessness and evidence-based interventions focused on ending homelessness.
Removing Educational Barriers (Darrin Cox, Heather Melchor)
Darrin and Heather work with homeless and refugees in the Abilene (Texas) Independent School District. They describe their work and explain the Mckinney-Vento Program in the school environment. Then, they discuss the community collaboration that is meeting needs of their homeless students.
Reflections on What Is Home (Kilnam Cha, Susanna Lubanga, Mark Hewitt, Terry Cagle)
This panel discusses various challenges immigrants from different parts of the world face in the U.S. This session was not recorded.
Speakers
TERRY CAGLE
Terry Cagle is the executive director of Connecting Caring Communities, a local nonprofit that works in the under-resourced neighborhoods in Abilene.
KILNAM CHA
When he was a young man with the “American Dream” in mind, Kilnam Cha immigrated to the United States in 1982. Two years later he accepted the Lord and started a long biblical training, receiving a M.Div. from ACU and a Ph.D. from Baylor. He is now living that American Dream as he teaches the Old Testament at ACU. He is a naturalized U.S. citizen, but his true citizenship belongs to neither Korea nor the USA, but to the kingdom of God.
SARA CHANEY
Sara Chaney is an ACU senior social work major from Fort Worth, Texas. She plans to pursue a career that aims to eliminate barriers to education for children, such as food insecurity or experiencing homelessness.
DARRIN COX
Darrin Cox graduated with a B.S.W. in 1989 from Abilene Christian University. In 1988 he began his career as a Juvenile probation officer at the Juvenile Probation Department of Taylor County, Texas. In 1993 he became a truant officer for Abilene Independent School District. In 2016 he became the homeless liaison and began a one-stop shop to help remove educational barriers to help homeless students maintain good attendance and achieve their goals of getting and education.
STEPHANIE HAMM
Stephanie Hamm is an associate professor of social work, and has been at ACU for 11 years. Prior to teaching, Stephanie practiced in clinical social work, mostly with women and children. As a teacher, Stephanie continues to collaborate with the surrounding community and many entities across campus to enhance equitable teaching and learning.
MARK HEWITT
Mark Hewitt is the co-founder and executive director of Love & Care Ministries in Abilene. Over the past 25 years, he has been reaching the homeless and poor in his community. He is also the founder of the homeless church The Mission. He travels around Texas preaching and teaching evangelism and outreach to churches. He has been married for 38 years to his wife Kerri and has two children and two grandchildren.
ALAN LIPPS
Alan J. Lipps has been on faculty at ACU since 2007, working primarily with the M.S.S.W. program in the School of Social Work. His teaching has been in the areas of research, thesis, practice, psychopathology, spirituality, and globalization. He frequently serves as a thesis chair and, to date, has chaired approximately 50 theses. He also contributes technical expertise with computer equipment and software, mentors student research, and provides clinical knowledge and knowledge of research methods to this effort.
JENNIFER LONG
Jennifer Long has been the executive director of Casa Marianella for 21 years. She has a B.A. from the University of California at Santa Cruz in social philosophy from a Christian perspective and an M.A. from the University of Texas at Austin in ESL. For the past 34 years Jennifer has been working with people seeking asylum in Austin. At Casa Marianella, she leads a team of young volunteers who provide shelter, ESL classes, legal services, and case management to people from 36 different countries who have come to the U.S. border seeking safety. Jennifer is currently working to find more hosting groups around the country who can help provide support and hospitality.
SUSANNA LUBANGA
Susanna Lubanga was raised in Heidelberg, Germany, and moved to Abilene to attend ACU, where she graduated with a degree in political science. As a third culture child, she quickly found her passion for serving vulnerable refugees through her work at the International Rescue Committee, where she is the director of the Abilene office. Susanna is married to Kenyan native Joell, and they have two children. Susanna is a graduate of Leadership Abilene, and she is actively involved in the children's ministry at Highland Church of Christ, coaches youth soccer, and serves on the political science department’s visiting committee and the local Women’s Health advisory board. Her life’s motto is Prov. 31:8: “Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of those who are destitute.”
HEATHER MELCHOR
Heather Melchor is the McKinney-Vento Social Worker for Abilene ISD. She provides case management for the unaccompanied and homeless students in the district. She received her bachelor’s from HSU and her master’s from ACU, both in social work. She and her husband Lee have four children (Zach, Diandra, Sam, and Chloe) and one granddaughter (Mylo).
JAMES PETROVICH
Dr. James Petrovich is associate professor and chair of the Department of Social Work at Texas Christian University. He completed a bachelor’s in social work at Mississippi College in 2000, a master’s in social work at New York University in 2003, and the social work doctoral program at the University of Texas at Arlington in 2009. As a practicing social worker, Dr. Petrovich has worked in substance abuse, mental health, and homeless assistance setting. His research focuses on homelessness, specifically the use of health services by people experiencing homelessness.
MALCOLM SCOTT
Malcolm E. Scott is M.S.S.W. program director and assistant professor in the School of Social Work at Abilene Christian University. Malcolm’s research interests focus on youth and community development, urban education and community-engaged scholarship, issues facing vulnerable populations, and higher education access and opportunity for students of color. He has worked collaboratively to address disproportional school discipline practices and is a supporter of alternatives to suspension and expulsion.