Ken Humphrey
Ken was raised (‘rared’) on the verdant hills on the outskirts of East Belfast. Youthful experiences led him to think that he would like to become a teacher, to engage for the betterment of young people. Having trained in education, however, Ken concluded that the education system was bad for most children, and set about training for youth and community work. Following a string of vocational and travel experiences, Ken settled into a statuary Youth Worker role in housing estates on the fringes of East Belfast. Ken began to feel increasingly compelled by the expressed passion of God for social justice and reconciliation. The question was, “How to work this out in practice?”
Tentatively, Ken applied for (and, to his intense shock, got) the job of Community Development Worker for the newly formed Mornington Community Project, in 1989. The project is based in the Lower Ormeau area of Belfast, which has been hard-pressed by sectarianism and socio-economic disadvantage. That tentative first step turned into twenty years of commitment to that context. Ken helped to develop a multi-faceted, faith-based community development project, ‘working for social justice and reconciliation in the name of God’. Ken and his family still live in the area, having moved there in 1996, and stay in touch with the many challenges that face the community.
Ken wished to apply his experience to the wider faith network, and moved to CCWA just over a year ago. Ken’s role as Regional Training and Development Officer is about envisioning and supporting faith groups towards community engagement. Ken firmly believes that churches should not be self-comforting huddles of the included, but rather messengers of holistic hope to those outside and, particularly, to those living in the margins of society and in disadvantaged communities.