Black History Celebration
Hosted by Denver Seminary’s Urban Initiative with Featured Speaker Reverend Connie “CJ” Jackson
Denver Seminary will pay tribute to the rich heritage of African Americans and celebrate their contributions to society by acknowledging the triumphs of the past, embracing the pivotal moment of the present, and leaning into the opportunities of the future.
Event Details
- Date: February 20, 2024
- Time: 11:00 am – 12:40 pm
- Location: Denver Seminary Chapel | 6399 South Santa Fe Drive | Littleton, CO 80120
- Email: UI@DenverSeminary.edu
Featured Speaker
The Reverend Connie Jackson, or “Rev. CJ” as she is affectionately called, is a global ministry leader and prolific communicator of the gospel. As an ordained minister and former elected official, Jackson has lectured and preached for diverse audiences throughout North America, Europe, and Africa. Her transformative oratory has granted her audiences with Fortune 500 companies, academic and religious institutions for conferences, revivals, and leadership development.
Reverend Jackson is a trailblazer among women in the political arena. Mentored by the late U.S. Congresswoman Barbara Jordan, Jackson followed Jordan’s passion for public service by dedicating herself to government service for two decades. She holds the distinction of being the first African American woman elected to a city council position in the 153-year history of Galveston County when she was elected to the City Council of Texas City, Texas in May 1992. Prior to this historic election, Jackson served as Chief of Staff for the Dean of the Texas Senate, and elections administrator for the Texas Democratic Party.
The History Makers, a national, video oral history archive dedicated to preserving African American history, based in Chicago, selected Jackson as a “Civic History Maker” and chronicled her historic election to the city council position in Texas City and her precedent setting involvement in Texas politics. After serving five terms as an elected official, Jackson left public office to devote her full attention to ministry endeavors.
Rev. CJ’s multi-disciplinary educational background includes political science, theology, and psychology. Her work experience includes civic leadership, business development, foreign affairs, and pastoral care. Jackson earned a Bachelor of Arts in Government from the University of Texas at Austin and a Master of Divinity from the Interdenominational Theological Center in Atlanta.
She is a graduate of the Harvard Divinity School Leadership Certificate Program. A distinguished writer, Jackson has been published in The Journal of the Interdenominational Theological Center, Essence Magazine Online and numerous religious publications. Rev. Jackson is presently working on a Doctor of Ministry degree from Berkeley School of Theology, Berkeley, CA.
Rev. Jackson is a native Texan who has lived and served in Southern Africa as a global development consultant providing economic development and critical healthcare to vulnerable populations and in Atlanta, Georgia as an executive director of a community development corporation providing affordable housing, quality healthcare and workforce education.
Reverend Jackson is the founding pastor of the St. John Northwest Church, a non-denominational, intergenerational, Christ-centered faith community located in Houston, Texas.