PELLA — The Staley Distinguished Scholar Lecture Series, sponsored by Central College campus ministries, welcomes Leroy Barber, president of Mission Year, to campus Monday-Tuesday, Feb. 7-8. His message about community transformation and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s concept of the “beloved community” will be in Graham Conference Center Banquet Room Monday, Feb. 7, at 7 p.m. A dinner with Barber will be from 5-6 p.m. in Graham Conference Center, Room 1, for Reformed Church in America pastors, youth pastors and church staff. Dinner attendees who RSVP to Kristin Tremper, RCA coordinator at Central College, by Monday, Feb. 7, will receive a free copy of Barber’s book New Neighbor: An Invitation to Join Beloved Community, compliments of Central College. Contact Tremper at 641-628-7600 or tremperk@central.edu.
Barber will be the guest speaker at Central’s chapel worship service Tuesday, Feb. 8, at 11 a.m.
Barber has dedicated more than 20 years to combating poverty and homelessness, restoring local neighbors and healing racism through what King called “the beloved community.” He has been involved in many projects, including founding the Restoration Ministries in Philadelphia, Pa., in 1990 to serve homeless families and children on the streets. He also participated in FCS Urban Ministries, serving as the founding director of Atlanta Youth Academies that provides quality Christian education to low-income families.
Mission Year is a year-long program that places young Christians in urban neighborhoods to volunteer, worship and spread love. Participants are partnered with a local church. In the last three years, Central alumni Justin Tiarks ’06, Zach Benson ’08 and Colyn Burbank ’10 have joined Mission Year and spent time in Atlanta, Ga., and Chicago, Ill., ministering to the urban poor. Laura Pritchard, a Mission Year volunteer, will speak to classes Tuesday, Feb. 8, to promote the program.
The Staley Distinguished Scholar Lecture Series, sponsored by Central College campus ministries, is a project of the Thomas F. Staley Foundation of New York. The foundation seeks to bring to college and university campuses distinguished scholars who can clearly communicate with students. The 2010-11 Staley Lecture Series is in its 39th year at Central College.
