My fellow pastor and I pass along the gray walls of our county jail and descend to the bottom floor. Each time I cross this threshold—after handing my badge to the attendant and stretching my arms to be patted down—my body still acts like I’m descending into hostile territory. Here, I’m more …
Beyond the Verdict: Finding Hope and Solidarity After “Still Convicted”
For years, I lived in and out of a system that monetized bondage while prioritizing finality over truth. I came to understand that the system was not searching for the truth but rather for what it could prove—or, more accurately, what I could not prove: my innocence. Without making excuses for …
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Counting the Cost of Reentry
I spent about ten years of my life incarcerated. Not all at once, but in pieces: going in, getting out, and going right back in again. That cycle is something people like to talk about in statistics, but living it is different. It’s not just bad decisions or bad luck—it’s the way the system was …
Prophets in Prisons: Locked in Solidarity 2026
By Rev. Kevin Burns and Rev. Dr. Kevin Riggs This is an excerpt from the Locked in Solidarity Preaching Guide, which is part of CCDA's Locked in Solidarity Bundle. Click here to download the bundle and get resources to help you and your community stand in solidarity with your incarcerated …
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Behold, I Am Doing Something New
“Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.” — Isaiah 43:19 ESV Resurrection Sunday reminds us that we are not a people without hope. We don’t read of atrocities or experience searing loss in our …
A Tribute to Dr. John M. Perkins
A Life That Helped Shape the Christian Community Development Movement There are not enough words to express our appreciation for Dr. John M. Perkins and the ways he helped birth, shape, encourage, fight for, and love the CCDA community. Dr. Perkins was not only a teacher of Christian …
The U Curve
What if we have been looking at most of our formation upside down? Most of the bell curves we use to describe the life cycle of an organization, church, non-profit, or business start with birth, move upward through growth and maturity, hit a peak in plateau or stability, and then begin to descend …
Williams Chapel A.M.E. Zion Church: A Legacy of Faith, Resilience, and Community
Nestled in the community of Alma, North Carolina, Williams Chapel A.M.E. Zion Church stands as a testament to African American faith, perseverance, and collective strength. Founded in 1874, during the turbulent years following Reconstruction, the church has served as a spiritual refuge and cultural …
