Panel Facilitator

Dr. Helene Slessarev-Jamir

Professor of Urban Ministries, Claremont School of Theology

Dr. Slessarev-Jamir is the Mildred M. Hutchinson Professor of Urban Ministries at Claremont School of Theology. She was the founder and director of Urban Studies, as well as Assoc. Professor of Politics and International Relations at Wheaton College before she joined Claremont School of Theology in 2006. She is currently a member of the Board of Directors of Sojourners and serves on the UMC's National Committee for Hispanic/Latino Ministry and its National Immigration Task Force.

Dr. Slessarev-Jamir's recent work includes reports on national promising practices in community-based ministry among Asian and Hispanic immigrant religious communities published by the Annie-E. Casey Foundation. She has also written articles on congregational based community organizing and the role of public theology in an age of empire. Her current research focuses on the character of religiously inspired justice work in response to globalization and American empire. She is currently working on a book on contemporary progressive prophetic activism in the United States that will include chapters on congregational community organizing, activism in support of worker justice, immigrant rights, peace-making, and ending global poverty.

In addition to her academic excellence, she has an extensive background doing community-based consulting work and worked as a union and community organizer in Washington DC and Chicago prior to going to graduate school.