March 2008

Aaron Graham, '02, Featured in The Boston Globe


Aaron Graham, ’02, was recently featured in a Boston Globe article that focused on his work ministering to a poor community in Boston. After Graham graduated from the University of Richmond, he struck out for Boston with only $300 in his pocket and a desire to serve.

He arrived in June 2002 and left in July 2007. The days in between changed his life – and the lives of those he touched. Article.

Below are excerpts from a recent interview with him to see what he learned from his experiences in Boston, what he thought about having a reporter and photographers follow him around and how he has adjusted to his new job as the national field organizer and justice revival coordinator for Sojourners, a Christian ministry based in Washington, D.C.


10 Questions for Aaron Graham

Q: How long was the reporter with you?
A: He spent every other week at the church for about three years. He would check in by e-mail and phone about once a month. It was almost like they were doing a documentary. They were originally going to do a story on immigration but they came to Ma Siss’s and found a different story.

Q: What was that like?
A: I don’t like cameras and video cameras, so I wasn’t a fan of that. I had to set some boundaries, but it didn’t distract me or the congregation too much. In terms of the reporting, it’s interesting knowing that what you say can be printed in the paper. From a leadership perspective, knowing whatever you say can be publicized makes you think more about what you say. I realized that what I said had implications beyond the neighborhood, and I think that’s the case for a lot of leaders.

Q: What did you learn about leadership in Boston?
A: That leadership is about change. That the best leaders help their community face their own challenges by articulating their hopes and fears and mobilizing people to use the limited resources they have to address the most challenging problems at hand. The true test of leadership is not what you accomplish when you are present, but what you leave behind. Leadership is not about you, but rather about the people you are serving.

Q: How did the experiences you had there shape you?
A: People like Ma Siss taught me the power of faith, love and hope in the midst of so much distress. While I went to Boston focused on giving up my privilege, I left Boston more willing to claim my educational privilege in order to become a more effective advocate for the marginalized.

Q: You said in the article that they conferred the title of pastor on you. Did leadership come naturally to you in that role or was it a bit of a struggle?
A: I have typically been hesitant to lead. I make excuses all the time. The excuses usually revolve around feeling inadequate because of my age and race. In Boston, I avoided the title of pastor for the longest time, but finally humbled myself and realized that this was not about me but the mission at hand. I think this is the challenge of leadership, to always put the focus on the work and mission at hand rather than on personalities and perceived strengths and weaknesses. I always like to say that God equips the called rather than calls the equipped.

Q: You have recently taken a job as the National Field Organizer and Justice Revival Coordinator for Sojourners. What exactly do you do there? What are your responsibilities? 
A: As national field organizer I work to develop relationships with churches and partners across the country who are committed to working with us to take action on issues of social and economic justice. I am working with our policy and organizing department to launch a new leadership development initiative called Windchangers. The initiative gathers volunteers in groups of five or six in a given city to mobilize people of faith in their communities to take action on our national campaigns. We hold an annual conference called Pentecost that brings people of faith together from all over the country to receive training, inspiration and connection to help build a movement to overcome poverty.

The other part of my job is to help coordinate Justice Revivals in cities throughout the U.S. This is a new initiative for Sojourners. Justice Revivals are three day gatherings that focus on uniting the church in a city in calling people to follow Jesus and deepen their commitment to social justice.

Q: What part of this new job are you most excited about?
A: The Justice Revivals. It has been my lifelong passion to see the church in America wake up to the cry of the poor and oppressed. I have the privilege to plan these large gatherings of 3,000 people every night and work to make sure that the event helps spark more active collaboration between people of faith on behalf of the poor in a given city.

Q: What made you decide to leave Boston and take this job? 
A: When Jim Wallis laid out the vision for Justice Revivals and his need for someone to organize them, I knew that this is what I was created to do. It was very difficult to leave the church and neighborhood in Boston, but they have been so supportive of this calling and feel like they are a part of the movement as well.

Q: What are you most proud of concerning your work in Boston and your life thus far?
A: My beautiful wife Amy. She is equally committed to the faith and to the pursuit of justice. She keeps me on track, always challenges me to reach my full potential and constantly loves me despite my weaknesses. 

Q: Do you think you’ll return to the ministry at some point?
A: My focus now is on my work at Sojourners. I consider what I am doing now at Sojourners ministry. While I am not pastoring a church, I am working with churches and people of faith on a daily basis. This was not a step back from ministry but rather a step deeper into ministry. Nevertheless, in addition to the ministry at Sojourners I do anticipate that Amy and I will be part of starting another neighborhood church one day, hopefully here in D.C.