Rev. Dr. Joan Brown Campbell – inspired and interested in all Northeast Ohio has to offer
The Rev. Dr. Joan Brown Campbell likes to be busy, and she intends to
stay that way when she moves to South Franklin Circle in the fall of 2009.
She
admits she’s not ready to move to a “retirement community” – at
least, not in the traditional sense. That’s why South Franklin Circle
appeals to her.
“South Franklin Circle is not a place you need to be ‘old enough’ for,” says
Joan. “I’m drawn to the idea of living with other intellectually
curious people, those who enjoy lifelong learning. We are inspired by each other’s
energy.”
A Youngstown native, Joan attended the University of Michigan, where
she earned a Bachelor’s Degree in speech followed by a Master’s
in elementary education. She and her husband settled in Cleveland in 1953,
where she taught for a year until they started a family. Today, she has three
grown children and eight grandchildren. Her oldest child, Jane, was Cleveland’s
first woman mayor. Her youngest son, Jim, is head of family practice at Metro
Hospital in Cleveland. Her son, Paul, is an associate with The International
Baccalaureate.
While raising her children, she got involved locally in the Civil Rights
Movement, inspired by Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King’s visit to Cleveland
in the early 1960s to help elect Carl Stokes as the city’s first African-American
mayor. The experience changed her life.
“Dr. King gave his life to something he believed in,” explains Joan. “He
turned his faith into action. He really wanted to change the world.”
Armed
with this inspiration, Joan put her own faith into action. She was ordained,
at age 50, received two ordinations, American Baptist and Christian Church
Disciples of Christ. Eventually, she became general secretary of the National
Council of Churches USA, which includes 37 denominations representing 55
million people. There are 300 National Councils in various countries all
over world.
In this position she worked on a number of social justice issues throughout
the world. Her colleagues include Archbishop Desmond Tutu, general secretary
of the Council of Churches for South Africa. Tutu has referred to Joan as
a “woman of courage and compassion,” and pointed out that she
was the only woman in the clergy procession of over 200 for his enthronement
as Archbishop of South Africa.
Presently Joan serves as the Director of the Department of Religion at the Chautauqua Institution, a 131-year old center for art, education, religion and recreation. In this role, she serves as spiritual leader and chaplain for the Institution.
Most
recently, she was instrumental in sparking collaboration between the Village
of Chagrin Falls, Chautauqua, South Franklin Circle and the newly formed
Chagrin Foundation for Arts and Culture which brought the “Chautauqua
in Chagrin” program to Northeast Ohio. The sold-out series delivered
intellectually stimulating content to new audiences and helped position the
Chagrin Valley as a wonderful place to live.
With roots firmly planted in Northeast Ohio, Joan is looking forward
to life at South Franklin Circle. “Combining the unique anchors of
the Chagrin Valley and University Circle, South Franklin Circle will offer
every opportunity to enjoy the cultural richness of our region.”