Blackall is excited to host David and Kaswera “Kassie” Kasali of the Congo Initiative for a series of gatherings and church-wide events on the weekend of April 22-24. Please mark your calendar for a panel discussion with Dr. David Kasali, “Can a Divided Society Be Renewed?”, on Friday, April 22 at 7 p.m. in the Sanctuary. This event is free and open to the public and will be livestreamed from Blacknall’s YouTube channel.

The Kasalis’ visit intentionally coincides with the church’s Block Party on Sunday, April 24. David Kasali will preach that Sunday morning and we expect that his message of hope and resilience will help us, as a congregation, to enter into this next season of our life together with joy and faithful endurance as we manage the ongoing uncertainty around COVID and the other significant challenges that confront our community and our world.

The Kasalis are the founders and members of a leadership community that directs the Congo Initiative (CI)--one of Blacknall’s Deep Common Journey Partners. Dr. David Kasali also currently serves as the president of the Christian Bilingual University of Congo (UCBC), the flagship program of the Congo Initiative. UCBC aims to develop and equip future leaders of the Democratic Republic of Congo who can meet the vast challenges that afflict the nation, especially it’s eastern region, including violent civil unrest, poverty, political corruption, and a recent Ebola virus outbreak. Since its establishment in 2007, the UCBC has witnessed “alumni who identify, own, and respond to Congo’s challenges with skill, dedication, excellence, creativity, and Christian hope. In short, through UCBC the future leaders of Congo are being transformed to transform.”