CRS Communications Coordinator Chris Groza had the privilege of speaking with Rev. Jamar A. Boyd II, Senior Pastor of Kenwood United Church of Christ, a CRS member congregation whose walls hold both memory and movement.

Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s legacy is felt around the world, and here in Chicago as well. Dr. King spoke about how leaders from Chicago marched with discipline and restraint even when antagonized by racist bystanders.

When I think of MLK Day, the man himself doesn’t appear to me.  Black people do—of skin that is bronze, chocolate, almond, midnight (as the Black boys and people that turn Blue in the twilight whilst Juan teaches them to swim), and hues with etcetera’s that paint every continent under the sun.

For months now, folks all over this country have been protesting the expanded use and increased militarization of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and the National Guard. These protests and complaints have been rooted in a meaningful question about our democracy and our ability to move freely and protest. So what is next, and what is our call as people of faith and goodwill in this moment?

CRS condemns the irreversible harm that Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents and police violence cause in our Beloved Community. We remember Renee Nicole Good and call for justice.

In this statement, CRS Executive Director Rev. Dr. Waltrina Middleton speaks on the urgency of now. She calls on the community to protect the sanctity of life beyond neatly phrased condolences following a tragedy on September 28 in Grand Blanc Township, Michigan, which resulted in at least four fatalities and eight injuries.

Minnesota has experienced tragic and traumatic public acts of violence these past few months. In August, school children and other worshippers were gathered at Annunciation Catholic Church in Minneapolis to start the school year when their prayers were interrupted by shooting.

In July, CRS petitioned to keep four major WIC (Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children) sites open: 416 E. 43rd Street, 1802 E. 71st Street, 2310 W. Roosevelt Road, and 1643 W. Cermak Road. Thanks to the dedication of our community, the 416 E. 43rd Street clinic will remain open until March 2026. This means the fight is not over!

The work of building a righteous budget and a righteous city belongs to all of us. As people of faith, we are called to partner in that work, to hold leaders accountable, and to embody righteousness in our public life. Join us in the struggle for economic justice.

News out of Washington is that Chicago is next on the President’s list of cities where he wants to deploy federal troops to “crack down on crime,” which actually continues to decrease. In this moment, CRS believes we must be coordinated in strategy, called in purpose, and sound in our approach. 

CRS reflects on resistance in this blog article by our Community Impact and Special Projects Consultant, Keron Blair. We call you to join us as we offer steadiness and shelter while the world shakes, trembles, and worries.

It is Love that underscores our striving. CRS points to this instrument in the pursuit of justice; the stakes of which could touch the sky. We must mobilize in solidarity in the present, with an understanding of our past, because victory comes to those prepared for the night. And the night is history.

On a quiet stretch of Greenwood Avenue in Chicago’s historic Bronzeville neighborhood stands a church that doesn’t just preach the gospel—it lives it, feeds it, bathes it, and organizes it into the bones of the city. CRS proudly spotlights Kenwood UCC.

This statement from CRS Executive Director Rev. Dr. Waltrina Middleton calls for courage, patience, and vision as widespread conflict and unrest escalate.

This Pentecost, CRS humbly shares the prophetic message of a bold and unafraid Palestinian people resisting genocide with resilient hope. Please join us in reflecting and read ‘They Were All in One Place Together’ from theologian, peace activist, and humanitarian Omar Haramy of Sabeel Ecumenical Liberation Theology Center.

Following busy weeks of mission-driven action, CRS reflects on what justice and liberation mean to us and those across the globe. We remember that we are our ancestors’ wildest dreams and that even in the present, we are the future.

CRS hosted a peace sojourn to Jerusalem in solidarity with Palestinians who are suffering under Israel’s illegal occupation and dispossession of their land. It is important for us to be in the margins and be a prophetic voice in the wilderness, as our faith-based platforms can raise awareness and be a tool to dismantle oppression in our city, nation, and world.

CRS affirms our commitment to building Beloved Community. We acknowledge the unique oppression and shared struggles of our LGBTQIA+ neighbors that have persisted throughout history, and uplift their underrepresented stories, brave protests against intolerance, and movements of love over time and in the present.

Easter blessings from CRS! Read our Executive Director Rev. Dr. Waltrina Middleton’s 2025 message here. God assures us that we do not have to be afraid of the confusion, chaos, or the crimes against humanity. Instead, embrace the covenant, charge, and command to Believe in the unfailing love, grace, and faithfulness of God.