Over 500 people turned out for the ISAAC Banquet at the WMU Bernhard Center Saturday, to hear Dr. Rubén Martinez speak and to honor Lifetime Achievement Awardee Rev. Robert Rasmussen and awardees Northside Ministerial Alliance, Hispanic American Council, and Youth Violence Prevention leader Venessa Collins-Smith.

“We are here to leave a better social order than we found,” said Dr. Martinez, MSU professor of sociology and a nationally known scholar. “Government’s purpose is to promote the common good.” “Do we want to live under an authoritarian regime that attacks the free media, promotes fear and hate, threatens the justice system, and promotes militarization to protect its own wealth?”  “As members of a democracy it is up to us to ensure the course of humanity tilts toward a higher civilization.”

Future Leaders for Peace members ask the crowd to encourage 8th to 12th graders they know to join them in learning skills to become change agents.

State Rep. Jon Hoadley, center, with state proclamation recipients Rev. Robert Rasmussen (Lifetime Achievement Award); Rev. Dr. Addis Moore president of Northside Ministerial Alliance (ISAAC Ally of the Year Award); Ms. Venessa Collins-Smith, co-chair of ISAAC Youth Violence Prevention Task Force (ISAAC Leader of the Year Award); and Mr, Adrian Vazquez, executive director of Hispanic American Council (ISAAC Founders’ Award.)

Dr. Rubén Martinez, keynote speaker, left, with Adrian Vazquez, Hispanic American Council executive director.

ISAAC President Elder Doug King welcomes the crowd at the banquet Saturday with clergy and leaders of the 25 ISAAC member congregations and organizations standing with him: (L to R) Wendy Fields, NAACP; Rev. Seth Weeldryeyer, First Presbyterian Church; Rev. Rachel Lonberg, People’s Church; George Hebben, Kalamazoo Friends Meeting.

Dr. Charlae Davis presents WMU Catering banquet manager Megan McCoy with a Community Builder Award for sponsoring the ISAAC banquet.

Ms. Grace Lubwama, YWCA executive director and leader of Cradle Kalamazoo, receives an ISAAC Community Builder Award from Wesley Foundation director Rev. Lisa Batten for sponsorship and partnership with ISAAC.

Rev. Robert Rasmussen receives the Lifetime Achievement Award from ISAAC executive director Dr. Charlae Davis, for responding to the verse “Let the poor and needy praise thy name” (Psalm 74:21) in many ways, such as the soup kitchen he began at North Presbyterian Church that grew into Loaves and Fishes.

Dr. Charlae Davis presents Ms. Venessa Collins-Smith with ISAAC Leader of the Year Award for creating “Future Leaders for Peace” as part of ISAAC’s work on Youth Violence Prevention.

Rev. Dr. Addis Moore, pastor of Mt. Zion Baptist Church and president of the Northside Ministerial Alliance receives the ISAAC Ally of the Year award from ISAAC executive director Dr. Charlae Davis, for the NMA’s role in founding ISAAC in 2001 and partnering in many way ever since.

Imam Hafiz N. Akbar, leader of the Kalamazoo Islamic Center, gives a blessing from the Quran in Arabic and English.

ISAAC leaders called the crowd to action in four ways.

1. Spread the word about the ABC’s of Safe Sleep for Babies: Alone (sharing the room, but not the bed), on the baby’s Back, in a Crib without pillows, toys or blankets, and join Cradle Kalamazoo in other ways to reduce the very high infant mortality rate for black babies in Kalamazoo.
2. Encourage human resource leaders from your workplace to register with ISAAC, 341-4213, for the June 3 Critical Cultural Competency Workshop on recruiting and retaining people of color.
3. Invite 8th-12th graders you know to join Future Leaders for Peace and become agents for change, starting June 17, 1 pm, at St. Luke’s Episcopal Church, where the ISAAC office is.
4. Build the Beloved Community by joining ISAAC in ways to get to know each other better across all the divisions among us.

“We are the World” was sung by Rev. Christopher Moore, Assistant to the Pastor at Mt. Zion Baptist Church. “Colors of the Wind” was sung in Spanish by Nathaly Ninoska Olavarria Valencia Anderson from Hispanic American Council.  “Awesome” and “I need you to survive” were sung by ISAAC Singers from Christian Church – Disciples, First Presbyterian Church,  Grace Covenant Ministries, People’s Church, Tabernacle Church of God in Christ, and Westminster Presbyterian Church, led by Minister Dorla Bonner of Galilee Baptist Church.

Blessings of the food were given in the Jewish tradition by Paul Solomon from Congregation of Moses and in Unitarian-Universalist tradition by Rev. Rachel Lonberg from Peoples Church. The closing prayer in the Muslim tradition was given by Imam Hafiz N. Akbar from the Kalamazoo Islamic Center.

Sheriff Rick Fuller and Captain Stacey Randolph recognized all the elected officials, clergy and other community leaders at the banquet. The Rev. Seth Weeldreyer from First Presbyterian introduced the singers, and Ms. Lori Mercedes-Santiago introduced the keynote speaker.   The Rev. Dr. Randall Warren from St. Luke’s Episcopal Church encouraged everyone to “be a GEM” and Give Every Month to the work of ISAAC.

State Rep. Jon Hoadley presented proclamations signed by the Governor, State Senator Margaret O’Brien and all the State Representatives from our area to Rev. Robert Rasmussen, the Northside Ministerial Alliance, the Hispanic American Council, and Ms. Venessa Collins-Smith.  Rev. Lisa Batten from Wesley Foundation and Dr. Charlae Davis, ISAAC Executive Director gave the ISAAC awards to those awardees and to the Fetzer Institute, the Kalamazoo Community Foundation, the YWCA and WMU Catering.  Elder Doug King, pastor of Grace Covenant Ministries and president of ISAAC, served as MC. He was joined on stage by the clergy of the 23 ISAAC member congregations and two member organizations (NAACP and Hispanic American Council.)

ISAAC is an interfaith organizing network of congregations and strategic partners working together to create an equitable community in Kalamazoo Community. Call 269-341-4213 for more information.