Speakers

Jonathan Brooks

Jonathan Brooks is a lifelong resident of Chicago, IL and currently serves as Co-Pastor of Canaan Community Church in the West Englewood neighborhood and Assistant Pastor at Lawndale Community Church in the North Lawndale neighborhood. As an educator on many different levels and a firm believer in investing in your local community, Jonathan has a deep desire to impress this virtue on the students and young people in his congregation, classroom and community.

Pastah J, as he is affectionately called, is a sought after speaker, writer, artist and community activist. He has contributed to numerous blogs, articles and books and recently released the book Church Forsaken: Practicing Presence in Neglected Neighborhoods.

Jonathan has a Bachelor of Architecture from Tuskegee University, Master of Arts in Teaching from National Louis University and Master of Divinity from Northern Seminary with an emphasis in Christian Community Development. He is married to Micheál Newman-Brooks and has two beautiful children.

You can learn more at pastahj.com