MEET ANNA GOLLADAY
What does it look like when people of faith embrace the idea that not only are we all created intimately and fully in the image of God, but that we also each are entitled to the bounty that God has for us?
What does it mean for a faith community or church facility to work toward a footprint that encourages energy and channels funding in the direction of entrepreneurs?
What would our church facilities look like if we were buzzing with activity Monday through Friday versus only on our high holy days?
How can the church embrace, support and fund artisans who are trying desperately to live out their creativity and monetize it in a way that supports their family and fills their own spirit?
How can the church be a catalyst for change in the landscape of social capital, impact investing and co-working space allocation?
These are the questions that keep Anna awake at night. Anna Golladay is an Associate Pastor at St. Marks Church in Chattanooga, TN, a United Methodist house of worship in the heart of the urban landscape of her city. She acts as the creative side kick to Kevin Jones & Rosa Lee Harden (founders of SOCAP & Neighborhood Economics) and Tim Soerens (partner in the Parish Collective & founder of Neighborhood Economics).
“I believe that our churches simply aren’t doing enough. We reach out to the last, least and lost from our pulpits (high ground) and in our communities (low ground), but too often that reach doesn’t touch the middle ground. Our middle ground is the folks in our communities that live barely above the poverty line and yet are educated like you and I. They are thinkers and dreamers – capable of owning businesses and creating art. They are young and they are old; they are minorities, they are smart, and they are passionate. What they often are not, however, is a group of folks who have easy access to capital, space or mentors.”
Via Neighborhood Economics, Anna believes that a movement is stirring all around the world that intersects money and meaning towards an economy that supports the kind of world we all believe should exist. From the inner city neighborhoods of Baltimore to rural agriculture towns of California, local innovators are discovering that it’s not only jobs that are important, but growing local ownership, access to capital, and especially local wealth creation.
When the church is at it’s best, it is creatively finding ways to bridge the gap between spirituality and sufficiency. When the church stops talking about money as an asset for internal growth and starts talking about money as an asset that can change the lives of the families within blocks of its reach, the church becomes the breathing organism that God intended.
This is the life and call of Anna Golladay. To learn more about her ministry of praxis, please visit the websites below, and pray for Anna, her work, her call, and her ministry, as well as for the lives she touches directly and indirectly.
www.ourfaithmarks.com
http://newschannel9.com/news/local/st-marks-church-to-auction-enter-show-doors
http://stmarkschattanooga.com/imaginari.html