Theme: Legacy of Resilience: Honoring Our Past, Inspiring Our Future

Keynote Speaker: Senator Sharif Street

Senator Sharif Street, elected to the Pennsylvania Senate in 2016, represents the Third Senatorial District of Philadelphia. An attorney by profession, Sharif began his public career as a community activist organizing a Town Watch group while in law school. He graduated cum laude from Morehouse College with a B.A. in Business Administration with a concentration in Finance and the University of Pennsylvania Carey School of Law, where he served as president of the Penn Law Democrats. He is currently a member of the American, Pennsylvania, Philadelphia and National Bar Associations, as well as a member of the Philadelphia Barristers Association, for which he served as a board member in 2002.
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Honoree
Pastor Bob Rapp

A 2013 Graduate of the Crossroads Lay Leadership Program at Moravian Theological Seminary, Bob first came to Christ Church in the summer of 2016, as a pastoral intern working toward licensed ministry in the UCC Church. He accepted the call to be the Pastor for Mission of Christ Church beginning October 7, 2018. His previous life endeavors were as a business owner and a truck driver specializing in hauling heavy equipment.  In recent years, his passion for homeless veterans led him to an outreach position with Hope for Veterans. Bob currently works as the Executive Director of Bethlehem Emergency Sheltering, Inc.

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Honoree
Wayne Whitaker

I could tell you the captivating story of how I survived a brain tumor at age of 42, made a miraculous recovery, and reevaluated my life during the process. But, what my recovery proved to me was my strength, resilience, and calling to lead by example. If there was one word that people would use to describe me throughout my life, it would be leader. When I earned my Master’s degree in Education I was told I was a natural because I loved public speaking and had a real presence. After 13 years in the classroom and coaching on the football field, the word ‘leader’ kept reverberating in my mind. I took the next step in my career, earned my Certificate in Administration, and secured a position as a high school Assistant Principal. Not only did I want to lead students, but fellow educators as well.