Cultural Development: I’m Coming Home
We met Rev. Dr. Brenda Salter McNeil at CCDA 2024
Last week, Kendall and I had the opportunity to attend the Christian Community Development Association (CCDA) conference, an event we look forward to every year.
This conference reconnects us with who we are and allows us to experience the beauty and community of cities and places across the country.
The CCDA conference has been fundamental to our development, and this year was particularly special because we visited Dr. Randy and Edith Woodley’s farm in Oregon, Eloheh. Dr. Woodley, a renowned theologian teaching Indigenous Theology, has profoundly shaped much of our work. Kaleo Phoenix Church, where I co-pastored for four and a half years, has drawn from his teachings, which became foundational for our pilot unconventional theological learning cohort, Kaleo School.
Given how influential his work has been to our church community, visiting the farm with our friends Chris and Kate Townley was deeply meaningful.
Edith shared how, after moving from Kentucky to the West, she felt an overwhelming sense of home the moment she crossed the Mississippi River.
Edith Woodley looking out on the Eloheh Farm.
I resonate deeply with that sentiment. There’s something about the South, something in its soil, that calls me home – urging me to pay attention to the layers of stories held within the very microbes of the land.
As our friend and mentor, Linda Morris, once said, “The blood cries out in the soil.” I believe the soil holds much to teach us—if only we take the time to listen.
The more we learn about the South and build connections with meaningful practitioners, churches, and organizations, the more it feels like our cultural identity is rooted in the soil—a rich history woven from both the horrors and the beauty of the Black experience in America. It reveals who we are, who we’ve been, and how that shapes who we are becoming.
After hearing the name of our nonprofit, our friend Bryson Davis remarked that “BLK South” serves as an anthem, declaring that the South is sacred. It embodies a conscious effort to honor and contribute to the rich Black history rooted in this region.
As our new friends Monique and Jeremy from Cornerstone in West End St. Louis taught us during a CCDA workshop:
“Building pro-Black organizations means going beyond challenging existing structures to designing new ones that place the values and needs of Black people at the center.”
This powerful language affirms the very reason we exist, why we chose the name BLK South, and why cultural development and identity are foundational in designing new structures with Black people at the center.
My Mississippi Deltan ancestors, who took part in the Great Migration, seem to call me back, urging me to listen closely to the retelling of their stories—whispers that can only be heard by those who are truly attentive.
In many ways, each of us is presented with the profound opportunity to reverse migrate—not just geographically, but spiritually and culturally—by reconnecting with the land and reclaiming the stories of our ancestors. This journey of re-Indigenizing ourselves is a sacred act of returning to the roots that have shaped our identity and our communities.
Reflection Questions:
What is the unique story of the land I inhabit, and how does it shape my understanding of cultural identity and history?
What role do I play in uncovering and bringing to light the hidden stories embedded in the soil beneath my feet?
Photos from our trip to Portland, OR (CCDA 2024)
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