Raleigh Washington
Dr. Washington is the founder and Pastor Emeritus of Rock Of Our Salvation Evangelical Free Church in Chicago, Illinois, (an urban church reaching across racial barriers in the inner city of Chicago).
He co-authored Breaking Down Walls: A Model of Reconciliation in an Age of Racial Strife with Glen Kehrein, the 1994 Gold Medallion winner from the Christian Booksellers Association.
Dr. Washington attained the rank of Lieutenant Colonel in the U.S. Army, earning the Bronze Star for meritorious service in Vietnam. He entered Trinity Evangelical Divinity School in 1980 (now known as Trinity International University), where he earned his Master of Divinity and received numerous awards. Raleigh was awarded Doctor of Peacemaking by Westminster College. He was the third recipient of the award; the first went to Mother Teresa and the second went to Bishop Desmond Tutu.
At Trinity, Raleigh developed the Master of Arts in Urban Ministries program, which he directed for six years. He holds honorary doctorates from Trinity International University, Westminster College, and Azusa Pacific University. Dr. Washington has been a featured speaker for Promise Keepers, Moody Founders Week and many other ministries.
In 1993, Glen Kehrein and Raleigh Washington co-authored Breaking Down Walls outlining practical steps to work toward racial reconciliation.
The Eight Principles of Reconciliation presented in the book were gleaned from their years in ministry together. This led to “Fudge Ripple” Sundays, a regularly scheduled church forum for frank communication about racial differences. Apparently, these are no longer needed. The staff and volunteers of Circle and the Rock Church represent a racial diversity that we are determined to nurture by savoring our differences while capitalizing on our commonality in Christ.
Meanwhile, Rock Church sponsored missions trips to Africa and built relationships with multiple community based organizations with CUM as the hub. These organizations included InterVarsity Christian Fellowship, and many partner churches in nearby suburbs and across the United States.
