What We Do

The New Wine, New Wineskins’ forum on Community Economic Development features Dr. David Kresta and his recently published volume titled, Jesus on Main Street: Good News Through Community Economic Development (Cascade, 2021), which emerges from his PhD research in urban studies at PSU. We are passionate about this subject and the import of it for gentrified Portland. Dr. Kresta gives a brief presentation, which is followed by responses from a highly knowledgeable and experienced group of panelists.

Featuring:

Dr. David E. Kresta (PhD, MBA), is author of Jesus on Main Street, a book for churches looking to bring healing to their local economies. He is an Adjunct Assistant Professor of Urban Studies at Portland State University where he teaches community and economic development. He is also a Fellow at the Ormond Center, Duke Divinity School, working to foster congregations that are agents of community thriving.

With Panelists:

Elder Catherine Brown, is a bi-vocational elder and member of St. Paul Missionary Baptist Church where she serves as Business Manager, gospel preacher, and teacher under the leadership of Senior Pastor Craig L. Brown. She is also an elder associated with Vancouver Avenue First Baptist Church. Additionally, Ms. Brown is the Senior Vice President of Marsh USA, Marsh McLennan Companies based in Portland Oregon. There, she is involved with delivering insurance, risk management, and advisory services to publicly traded, private, not-for-profit, and public sector companies. Ms. Brown is a mother, grandmother, and woman of the Most High God.

Dr. Greg Burch (PhD), is the director of the M.A. degree program at Multnomah in Global Development and Justice. Greg and his family lived in Venezuela and Costa Rica where they were involved in ministry with street-living children and training leaders in community development work in support of vulnerable children around the world. Greg is the author of the book Community Children: A Ministry of Hope and Restoration for the Street Dwelling Child and other articles and book chapters on transformational development work and vulnerable children. Greg is host of the Development and Justice Podcast and teaches courses in Transformational Development, Intercultural Communication and Children at Risk Studies.

Mr. Rudy Carrasco, is a program director with the M.J. Murdock Charitable Trust. He is a past organizer of Christian Community Development Association’s Market Solutions pre-conference. His articles on community and economic development have appeared in Forbes, Urban Faith, and Christianity Today.

Pastor J.W. Matt Hennessee serves as the Senior Servant of Vancouver Avenue First Baptist Church of Portland, Oregon. He has had the distinction of serving in a variety of leadership capacities locally, nationally, and globally in public administration; private business; non-profit boards and commissions. He has served on the Board of Trustees at Westmont College in Santa Barbara, CA for nine years and presently serves on the Board of Trustees at the Berkeley School of Theology in Berkeley, CA. Pastor Hennessee has a passion for teaching and working alongside others in equity, economic development, and restorative and social justice wishing to see the barriers between people destroyed.

Moderator:

Dr. Paul Louis Metzger (PhD), is Professor of Theology & Culture at Multnomah University and Seminary. He is also the Founder and Director of the university’s Center for Integration & Cultural Engagement, Editor of New Wine’s journal, Cultural Encounters: A Journal for the Theology of Culture, and author and editor of numerous volumes, including Consuming Jesus: Beyond Race and Class Divisions in a Consumer Church (Eerdmans). Dr. Metzger is a member of the Center of Theological Inquiry, Princeton, New Jersey, and served as Senior Mission Scholar in Residence, Spring 2018 at the Overseas Ministries Study Center, New Haven, Connecticut.

Watch the Recording

Our conference hopes to:

• Foster a healthy view of mental health from a Biblical standpoint;
• Reduce stigma around mental health (specifically in the church);
• Help those struggling to realize that they are not alone, and that others share in this struggle with thoughtful care;
• Promote therapy and medicine as God-given gifts;
• Provide helpful resources and networking opportunities;
• Connect empathically with others through Jesus, the Wounded Healer;
• Infuse a profound sense of hope into the conversation.

Access the Video Playlist

Special guests in the documentary and on the panel include:

Greg Goodwin, Board Chair, Wayne D. Kuni and Joan E. Kuni Foundation

Trudi Sang, New Wine, New Wineskins Disability Community Advocate

Robert Potter, M.D., Ph.D., Emeritus Senior Scholar, Center for Ethics in Healthcare OHSU

Steve Hanamura, Founder of Hanamura Consulting

Ian Jaquiss, Interim ADA Coordinator, Oregon Health & Science University

Tom Schiave, Lead Pastor, Gateway Church, Portland

Ruben Alvarado, Pastor of Local Outreach, Imago Dei Community, Portland

Mario Odighizuwa, Program Leader of “In Our Own Voice” and “Ending the Silence” Programs at NAMI Multnomah

Heather Stenberg, Executive Director, Stephen’s Place

Mona Fuerstenau, Disabilities Advocate, Speaker and Consultant

Robert Macauley M.D., F.A.A.P., F.A.A.H.P.M., Cambia Health Foundation Endowed Chair in Pediatric Palliative Care, School of Medicine, Oregon Health & Science University (not present for panel discussion).

Watch the Documentary and Panel Disccussion