​​My personal Journey into the Ministry of Reconciliation and
Cross-Cultural Ministry
Dr. Jim Westgate

1960- 1964 - College in Dayton Tenn. At William Jennings Bryan College

1. Missions conference in Taccoa Falls Georgia – Call to cross-cultural mission – 2 Cor. 5:17
2. Developed the first integrated (Black/White) Youth for Christ club in Dayton Tenn.  Our club went to Semi-finals in Bible quiz competition for YFC.
3. Ministry in Appalachia – Pastored Cranmore Cove Mission – extreme poverty

 
1965-1972 - Dallas Texas - Dallas Theological Seminary 

1. Moved into a multicultural poverty community to pastor Faith Bible Church. Which had 3 Native American tribes (Choctaw, Sioux, Apache), Mexican immigrants and Appalachian Whites.         
   
2. Taught in a Black Bible Institute in Oak Cliff 
   
3.  First thesis on Urban Ministry at Dallas - "Biblical Approach to Social and Cultural Problems in an Inner-City Ministry"
   
4. Had the privilege of teaching the first African American Students at Dallas Seminary - Eddie Lane, Ruben Conners and Tony Evans
   
5. Taught the first urban/cross cultural courses at Dallas Seminary
   

1973-1981– Chicago – Minister of Family Life and Christian Education

1. Circle Evangelical Free Church – Black/White/Asian church 
   
2. Joined 21 families  who moved into a racially changing community called Austin/Oak Park
   
3. Helped develop Circle Urban which had a  Ministry Medical clinic, Counseling clinic, Legal clinic and Job training program 
   
4. Brought together Glen Kehrein and Raleigh Washington – Black/White relationship – They wrote a book “Breaking Down the Walls" out of their experience.
   
5. Helped start Rock of Our Salvation Free Church – Black and White church – First Black/White church in the Evangelical Free Church.
   

1982-1986 Trinity Evangelical Divinity School - Deerfield, IL 

1. Developed M. Div. in Urban Ministry
2. Partnered with Raleigh Washington to address institutional racism at TEDS. Raleigh was drummed out of the Army – Lieutenant Colonel with 6 months to go before retirement. I recruited a Federal Judge to help him.  He took and won his case – Raleigh was reinstated as Lieutenant Colonel years later with full benefits. 
   
3. Raleigh was 6th African American to every graduate from TEDS. TEDS had graduation 125 Africans. No support systems for African Americans but full support for those from Africa. (Institutional Racism)
   
4. Started Master Arts in Urban Ministry (MAUM) program for Black Pastors South Side of Chicago. Worked with major Black Pastor ministerial groups  – 10% MA, 20% BA or Assoc. of Arts.  The development of the school was my doctoral dissertation at Westminster Theological Seminary, The school is still going today and has won several awards. We gave pastors equivalent credit for experience which allowed them to graduate in two years with MAUM.
   
5. Developed Urban Institute for Christian Leadership at Salem Evangelical Free Church. Training school for Hispanic and Black/Hispanic and White lay leadership
   
6. UICL was absorbed into the Seminary Consortium for Urban Pastoral Education (SCUPE) which continues today
   
   

1987 – 1989 Executive Director of Church Ministries for Evangelical Free Church, Minneapolis, MN. 

1. Developed Urban Ministry program. Began 5 churches in major cities. Developed  a strategy to raise up new Black, Hispanic and Asian Churches in a primarily Scandinavian denomination. 
2. Took a department that was $400,000 in debt and in 2 years had a 1 million dollar budget with no debt.
   
3. Supervised 18 District Superintendents and 900 churches – Instituted an evaluation process to break up the “Good Old Boy” syndrome. This resulted in a move to get rid of me because I was changing District Superintendents and this Swedish denomination too quickly.
   
4. Moved to Fresno California for personal renewal. 

1990 – Present – Fresno California

1. Director of Development for Link Care Counseling Center
2. Founded Fresno Leadership Foundation to address poverty and racism in low income communities across Fresno.
   
3. Founded City-builder’s Roundtable to bring together the Christian Non-profits to address the critical needs of our low income communities
   
4. Chaired and developed Care Fresno to address the high crime in the major apartment complexes in poverty areas of our city.
   
5. Developed and chaired Highway City Community Development Corporation as part of Northwest church to address poverty needs in Highway City
   
6. Was instrumental in bringing Promise Keepers to Fresno through Raleigh Washington who worked with Promise Keepers.
   
7. Brought back Promise Keepers a second time for Fresno/Clovis Prayer Breakfast to begin Reconciliation conferences across the city
   
8. Held Civic Renewal Conferences focused on reconciliation at the end of Fresno/Clovis prayer breakfasts for 3 years. Out of the Civic Renewal Conferences we developed over 30 reconciliation groups who used “Breaking Down the Walls” across the city.
   
9. Held a major Reconciliation Rally at Peoples Church where a Reconciliation Covenant and Proclamation was adopted 1998.
   
10. Worked with ESA/Love INC and West Fresno Ministerial to prevent Louis Farrakhan and the Nation of Islam to come to Fresno. Joined the NAACP to change corrupt leadership in Southwest Fresno.
    
11. Taught at Mennonite Biblical Seminary for 16 years in Urban and Cross-Cultural Ministry. Gave my seminary library when I retired to Fresno Institute for Urban Leadership to train young multicultural urban leadership. 
    
12. Served on the Board of Relational Culture Institute which has now become Regenerate California Innovation (RCI) which focuses on workforce issues and community development. We work closely with state, city and local organizations to develop strategies for employment and community development.  
13. Gave my personal library to African American Pastor - Rev. J R Coleman and the Word Community Church to help a Multicultural Church plant.
    
14. Gave my Seminary library (2,500 volumes) to Fresno Institute For Urban Leadership (FIFUL) . A Christian non profit committed to develop multicultural leadership for urban ministry.  
15. Interim Pastor and consultant to Butler Mennonite Church which had four congregations. (Traditional, contemporary, Spanish, Laotian)  
    

1992 – Present  - Asian Partners Inc.

1. Helped form Asian Partners Inc which is a support ministry for a seminary and three satellite training centers in Indonesia.
   
2. President and Chair of API Board for 12 years
   
3. Helped the seminary develop HIM (Holisitic Indonesian Ministry) a NGO to respond to the great Tsunami that hit Nias and Ache and also earthquakes in various parts of Indonesia
   
4. Working on a plan to develop 125 acres into an agribusiness venture to support the seminary in the future.
   
5. Continue to hold planning summits with Indonesian leadership in Singapore on a regular basis.
   

 2014 – Present - Clinical Pastoral Education of Central California 

1. Incorporated Clinical Pastoral Education of Central California which is a interfaith, multicultural chaplain training program. 
   
2. Worked with a team to secure a grant to provide chaplains for hospitals, Hospice agencies, jails and prisons.
   
3. Recruited a CPE Educator and launched CPE Classes and internships at contracts with six hospitals in the Fresno area.
   
4. Developed a partnership with Workforce Chaplaincy to provide chaplain for Agri-businesses and farm workers.
   
5. Worked with CPE Educator to begin a Chaplain Residency program and a second CPE Center in Community Regional Medical Center.
   

Currently -

1. Teach a bible class and help with pastoral needs at the Terraces at San Joaquin Gardens which is a Continuing Care Community where we live.
   
2. Chair of Asian Partners Inc. 
3. Chair of Clinical Pastoral Education of Central California