Dear John,
Our 29th annual Samuel Dewitt Proctor Institute for Child Advocacy is right around the corner! Register now to be part of a diverse, vibrant group of child advocates. We'll strategize and organize as we renew and sustain ourselves for the hard work of creating a world in which all children and young people have the opportunity to thrive. This July 17-20, we will convene in person for Proctor at Haley Farm, CDF’s spiritual home and movement building grounds.
This year’s theme, “Freedom Faith at 50,” honors CDF’s 50th anniversary and celebrates the memory and ministry of one of the establishing leaders of CDF’s Black Church Initiative, the late Rev. Dr. Prathia Hall. A fearless leader, theologian, activist, organizer, and child defender, Dr. Hall envisioned a community where adults embrace and prioritize America’s children and youth. CDF’s Proctor Institute does just that. On the Farm at Proctor, young people are active participants in the pursuit of justice. Faith leaders are equipped to address children’s concerns in their communities. Dr. Hall underscored this need in her sermon at the 1998 CDF Institute for Child Advocacy Ministry, when she mused, “Perhaps the most difficult way for adults to receive children is to listen to them.”
You will be inspired by incredible speakers and preachers including Rev. Courtney Pace, Ph.D., author of Freedom Faith: The Womanist Vision of Prathia Hall; Dr. Patrick Reyes of the Forum for Theological Exploration; Dr. Lorena Parrish of Wesley Theological Seminary; Rhonda Magee, JD, author of The Inner Work of Racial Justice: Healing Ourselves and Transforming Our Communities Through Mindfulness; and many more!
We will be led in this healing time together by our co-pastors-in-residence: the Rev. Dr. Otis Moss Jr., pastor emeritus of Olivet Institutional Baptist Church and the Rev. Dr. Otis Moss III, senior pastor at Trinity United Church of Christ; and our co-chaplains-in-residence: the Rev. Dr. Emma Jordan Simpson, president of Auburn Seminary and Min. Candace Simpson, lead writer for Fish Sandwich Heaven. The Rev. Dr. Alice Hunt, executive director of the American Academy of Religion will serve as Dean of the Haley Chapel. For a full list of leaders, plenaries, and sessions, visit our website.
The struggle for a tomorrow worthy of our children can only be achieved through persistence and partnership across all sectors of society. Register now to be part of the movement. Don’t miss this incredible opportunity to learn from and collaborate with young people, and faith and community leaders to bring about a better world for our children and youth.
