Racial Justice Minister joins staff in Cleveland, OH

Justice and Witness Ministry is pleased to welcome and announce to our staff team, The Rev. Dr. Velda R. Love as Minister for Racial Justice. Rev. Dr. Love began her ministry with us February 1, 2017. Located in the Cleveland, OH office, Velda brings with her a wealth of knowledge to the United Church of Christ. She has decades of experience in critical race theory, leadership development, community outreach, workshop facilitation, preaching, teaching, and writing.

Prior to joining national staff, Dr. Love was an adjunct professor at North Park Theological Seminary in Chicago, IL. Some of the course subjects she taught were Race and Reconciliation: Chicago Cultural Immersion, Sankofa: Journey to Racial Righteousness and Reconciliation, Civil Rights Then and Now: Race, Gender and Social Activism, and The Public Witness of the Church. A couple of recent articles she has written are “Beyoncé and the Theology of Lemonade”, and “Sankofa and the Ministry of Reconciliation”.  

Additionally, Velda served as Director of Justice and Intercultural Learning in the Office of Diversity’s Collaboratory of Urban and Intercultural Learning at North Park University until May 2016. The work included collaborating and consulting with various academic schools and divisions as well as with individual faculty and staff to develop curricular and co-curricular opportunities designed to support and encourage greater integration of students’ in-class and out-of-class experiences with an emphasis on social justice related issues.  The office promoted a deeper awareness, understanding and study of racial equity, social transformation through active engagement in the City of Chicago.

Please join us in extending an extravagant welcome to Rev. Velda as she begins her ministry with us. She can be reached by phone, 216-7363719, or email, Lovev@ucc.org . Also, if you happen to be visiting the Cleveland headquarters stop by her office, introduce yourself, and share a story and/or beverage.