Pastor Jonathon Brooks Named as Commencement Speaker
Trinity Christian College is pleased to announce Pastor Jonathan Brooks as the commencement speaker for the ceremony celebrating the Fall 2023 and Spring 2024 graduates. Brooks currently serves as the lead pastor at Lawndale Christian Community Church and was the former pastor of Canaan Community Church in Chicago for 15 years. He also serves as an adjunct Professor for Northern Seminary in their Christian Community Development Program and Trinity’s Semester in Chicago Program. He previously served as the Chicago City Director for Mission Year, a yearlong service program focusing on the intersections of faith and justice.
Pastor Brooks has been an educator in inner-city Chicago for over a decade and firmly believes in investing in your local community. He deeply desires to impress this virtue on all who will listen, whether in congregation, classroom, or community.
Brooks holds a Bachelor of Architecture from Tuskegee University, a Master of Arts in Teaching from National Louis University, and a Master of Divinity from Northern Seminary in Christian Community Development. He is dedicated to using his academic knowledge, practical tools, and ministry training to make a real difference in neglected neighborhoods across Chicago. His work is not just theoretical – it is about turning his convictions into tangible solutions that will shape the future of our city. With his wife and two children, he resides in North Lawndale, a testament to his commitment to the community he serves.
Pastah J, as he is affectionately called, is a sought-after speaker, writer, and artist. He has written numerous blogs and contributed to various books through speaking, training, and consulting. He is the author of the book “Church Forsaken: Practicing Presence in Neglected Neighborhoods,” published by InterVarsity Press. In his book, Brooks challenges local churches to rediscover that loving our neighbors means loving our neighborhoods. Unpacking the themes of Jeremiah 29, he shows how Christians can be fully present in local communities, building homes and planting gardens for the common good.
This year’s commencement will honor the graduates of Fall 2023 and Spring 2024 at one ceremony held off-campus at Ozinga Field, 14011 Kenton Ave. Crestwood, IL 60445, on Friday, May 3rd, at 7 p.m.
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