The Journal of the Baptist Peace Fellowship of North America January-March 2015 - (Page 6)

From The Board & sTaFF Board Welcomes Kadia Edwards as Young Adult Representative R everend Kadia Edwards joined the board of BPFNA ~ Bautistas por la Paz this fall as the representative elected by the organization's Young Adult group. Kadia hails from St. Catherine, Jamaica, but she also calls Connecticut home. The oldest of six children, she graduated from Howard University in Washington, DC, in 2005, with a Bachelor of Arts in Broadcast Journalism. After this, she earned a Master of Divinity degree from Duke University. While in academia, Kadia was the recipient of the Orphan Foundation of America scholarship and was named as one of the Who's Who among College and Universities. She also served on the Board for the National Foster Youth Advisory Council and is one of the founding members of the Connecticut Youth Alliances. Both organizations are dedicated to the support and advancement of young people in the foster care system. Kadia says she was called to ministry in 2002, while serving as a Chapel Assistant at Andrew Rankin Memorial Chapel at Howard University. She was ordained as an American Baptist minister in 2009. She recently served as the Youth Minister at Mt. Level Missionary Baptist Church in Durham, NC, and is currently an Associate Minister at Union Baptist Church in Durham, NC. She is a member of the inaugural class of the group Project Rising Sun, a leadership formation academy for young pastors sponsored by Funds for Theological Education. She also serves as a mentor for Wake Tech Fostering Bright Futures Program, which addresses the overwhelming need for a comprehensive support structure to assist foster youths in making the crucial transition to independent young adulthood. Kadia's life has proven to be an example to others as they strive to move from difficult or impossible home and life situations "toward the light and love of God." She has worked extensively with the Court Appointed Special Advocate program in Washington, DC, and Connecticut to spread the word, through video and speeches, that education is the key to unlocking one's potential. Her goal is to help others move away from dependency on the State toward personal independence. Kadia believes her spiritual nature allows her to grow and change-and to thrive, even in uncertain environments. "Throughout my different placements in the foster care environment, I continually kept my scholastic goals in mind," she said. "I feel that my gift is to pass this love of learning on to others in my community. "I believe that it is the ability to look beyond the immediate and to trust in a higher power that can make a difference and will allow others to achieve their life's visions. I believe that this distinctive perspective, learned through my difficult life, can be communicated to the people I serve as I move through my professional career. I hope to gracefully help them to see that 'anything is possible' if you believe, focus and work hard." n Left: Kadia Edwards (center), who joined the BPFNA board in the fall, was among the young adults who led the final communion service at thIs year's BPFNA Summer Conference in St. Catharine's, ON. 6 Baptist Peacemaker JAN-MAR 2015

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of The Journal of the Baptist Peace Fellowship of North America January-March 2015

No Longer Strangers: The BPFNA’s New Strategic Plan
A Reflection On Our Convictions & Motivation
Board Welcomes Kadia Edwards as Young Adult Representative
Baptists, Others Respond to Ebola Crisis
Gimme Shelter: My Vocation as a Peacemaker
Kidnapping of Students Leads to Outrage in Mexico
Parting Thoughts
With the Beating of Our Hearts: Bearing Witness to Other’s Pain
Dispatches from Ferguson: A Two-Part Account of a Week in St. Louis
The Gospel Is Not a Neutral Term: Excerpts from an Interview with Rev. Osagyefo Uhuru Seko
Selma, 50 Years Later: A Memoir
Imaging, Journeying & Standing before One Creation, Part 1: Who Shaped My Image of Creation?
BPFNA Receives Grant for Justice Work on the US/Mexico Border
Central African Republic Rebel Groups Train for Peace
The Global Influence of Martin Luther King, Jr.
Resources & Opportunities
Keep It Real

The Journal of the Baptist Peace Fellowship of North America January-March 2015