Archive
Showing Up! Female Faith Leadership in the COVID-19 Pandemic
This post was originally published on the Berkley Forum, as part of a series on Gender, Religion and COVID-19. As a female pastor and community faith leader, I found myself called to …
Black Female Leadership within LAPD: Untold Stories!
High-ranking African-American female leadership in the Los Angeles Police Department share untold stories of issues around racial equity, internal culture and politics of the LAPD, and being a Black woman in law …
Conversation 2: The Realities of Good Intentions
In our work at CRCC, we often interact with faith leaders who have wonderful plans for publicly engaged ministries and outreach programs. Indeed, our definition of a thriving congregation includes the twin …
Rev. Cecil L. “Chip” Murray: A Life of Faith and Service
Rev. Dr. Cecil L. “Chip” Murray served for 27 years as pastor of the historic First African Methodist Episcopal Church (FAME) in Los Angeles and guided Angelenos through the trauma of and …
Election Dissection: Understanding Faith and Politics in the 2020 Presidential Election
The November 2020 US Presidential election marked the end of the Trump presidency. The election also revealed new shifts in the way that Americans vote and self-identify in electoral politics. What does …
It’s Black History Month, But Do Black Families Feel Like Celebrating?
This interview was originally published in USC News. As a program manager for the USC’s Cecil Murray Center for Community Engagement, the Rev. Najuma Smith-Pollard combines her experience as a pastor and …
Critical Conversations: Public Transportation in a Pandemic
The USC Cecil Murray Center for Community Engagement presents Phillip A. Washington, CEO of Metro, in conversation with the Murray Center’s Najuma Smith-Pollard and Frank Jackson, Jr. Find out how Washington has …
Politics, Divisions, Elections and Thriving Congregations
We often hear that politics and religion should never be broached in polite conversation. We beg to differ, and instead believe that both politics and religion tell us much about our personal …
Fatal Intersections of Black Women and the Law: The Case of Breonna Taylor
This article was originally published by the Canopy Forum on the Interactions of Law & Religion. I live in Los Angeles, California, near what seems to me to be one of the …
How Congregations Can Heal and Grow in the Face of Trauma
Dr. Thema Bryant-Davis (Pepperdine University) speaks about how pastors, congregational leaders and members can think about facing trauma. She talks about how people can heal and grow in response to traumatic life …
How Congregations Can Build and Nurture Relationships in Digital Spaces
Amanda Quraishi (Institute for Digital Civic Culture) provides insights on developing new and nurturing established relationships in a digital context when most are physically distanced. This was recorded as part of the …
Adaptive Approaches to Congregational Leadership
Quentin P. Kinnison (Fresno Pacific University) speaks on reimagining congregational leadership from a problem-solving approach to an adaptive approach that partners with congregants as together they face challenges and pursue new opportunities. …
From Competition to Collaboration – Creating Thriving Congregations
Eric Marsh (Long Beach Church Collective) has been successful in developing multiple collaborative initiatives among churches, other religious organizations, and the public sector in Long Beach, California. He provides some thoughts on …
A Spark To Set a Fire of Innovation: Reimagining Church
The following is excerpted from Richard Flory’s remarks at the first round in CRCC’s series “Conversations on Thriving Communities.” The goal of Reimagining Church Initiative is to bring together a group of …
How Technology is Changing the Method and Message of Churches in the Pandemic Era
“I long to see you so that I may impart to you some spiritual gift to make you strong—that is, that you and I may be mutually encouraged by each other’s faith,” …
How Congregations Can Care for Their Financial Health During the Pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted not only our physical health, but also our financial health. Stay-at-home orders, which have reduced the number of people infected by the illness, have affected organizations of …
Religion’s Role in Social Change – Council on Foreign Relations
How can the religious community in America influence social change? Najuma Smith-Pollard, program manager of the USC Cecil Murray Center for Community Engagement, joined Ruth Messinger, former president and current global ambassador …
Can America Change?
Amid protests against police brutality, a pandemic and a strained economy, Najuma Smith-Pollard, program manager for the USC Cecil Murray Center for Community Engagement, joined several religious leaders to reflect on a …
Justice We Shall Pursue: Building the Beloved Community
CRCC’s Najuma-Smith Pollard joined two other faith leaders, Reverend Mark Whitlock (Reid Temple A.M.E. Church) and Rabbi Bradley Shavit Artson (Vice President of American Jewish University in Los Angeles), to discuss the …
Financial Assistance During COVID-19 Pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant economic impact on many individuals and families. The USC Cecil Murray Center is offering “Financial Empowerment Through A Crisis” webinars through faith communities throughout Los …