Barbara J. Elliott
9525 Katy Freeway, Suite 303
Houston , TX 77024
ph 713 984.1343 ext. 107
fax 713 984.0409
belliott@centerforrenewal.org
www.centerforrenewal.com
Barbara J. Elliott is the president of the Center for Renewal, a resource center she founded in 1997 for faith-based organizations working to renew the inner cities of America. She is the author of Street Saints: Renewing America’s Cities (Templeton Foundation Press, 2004) based on more than three hundred interviews across the country. Since Street Saints was published, along with the companion volume Equipping the Saints, she has addressed audiences throughout the entire country, including universities, public policy think tanks, philanthropists, churches, civic organizations, radio broadcasts, and national television.
As an analyst on faith-based and community initiatives and the author of scores of articles on civic renewal, she has served as a Senior Fellow with the Hudson Institute, and Associate Fellow for the Sagamore Institute. The Dominican School of Philosophy and Theology inducted her as a fellow in May 2006. She is also a Philanthropic Advisor with the Legacy Group and lecturer for the Catherine of Siena Institute.
President George W. Bush awarded her the Eleanor Roosevelt Award for Human Rights in 2001, recognizing her work with refugees and the poor. She has collaborated with the White House Office for Faith-Based and Community Initiatives and the Compassion Capital Fund.
She was an international television correspondent, covering economic and political news for PBS in Europe. She launched a private initiative to assist refugees fleeing communist countries in 1989. From that work came 150 interviews in Eastern bloc and the former Soviet Union with Christians who resisted communism because of their faith. The result is the book Candles Behind the Wall: Heroes of the Peaceful Revolution that Shattered Communism (Eerdmans 1993).
Barbara served President Ronald Reagan in The White House Office of Public Liaison, having been the Director of Legislative Information for The Heritage Foundation on Capitol Hill. Before that, she was the director of the Center for Constructive Alternatives at Hillsdale College, and the editor of its journal, Imprimis.
Her undergraduate work was done at Ohio Wesleyan University, and graduate work in theology at the University of St. Thomas in Houston.
She received an honorary doctorate from the Dominican School of Philosophy and Theology in May 2006.
Books:
Street Saints: Renewing America ’s Cities , Templeton Foundation Press, 2004.
Equipping the Saints: A Guide to Giving to Faith-Based Organizations, Templeton Foundation Press, 2004.
Chapter in Power and Leadership, published by the Ashland Theological Seminary ( Ashland University , 2003).
Chapter in Empowering Compassion: The Strategic Role of Intermediary Organizations in Building Capacity Among and Enhancing the Impact of Community Healers (Hudson Institute, 2002).
Chapter in: A Peace Reader, edited by Luke Keefer and Morris Sider (Evangel Publishing House, 2002).
Candles Behind the Wall: Heroes of the Peaceful Revolution that Shattered Communism, Barbara von der Heydt (Elliott) ( Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1993).
Aufbruch: Die Heimliche Helden der friedlichen Revolution, ( Stuttgart: Hanssler Verlag, 1993).
Editor of Champions of Freedom, Volumes I, II, and III, (Hillsdale College Press: 1974-75-76).
Selected Articles and Papers:
“Private Sector Support Needed to Equip Faith-Based Organizations,” presented to the White House Conference for Faith-Based and Community Initiatives, Washington D.C. June 2004.
“Reweaving the Tattered Fabric of Civil Society,” Chronicle of Philanthropy, October 2003.
“The Roots of American Compassion,” Compassion and Culture, July 2003.
“The Spirituality of Compassion: Mother Teresa and Henri Nouwen,” presented to the Institutes of Catholic Culture, April 2003.
“Equipping the Street Saints,” Philanthropy magazine, September 2002.
“Transforming the Soul of the City: One by One Leadership” Compassion and Culture, Aug. 2002.
“Twentieth Century Fragmentation,” Center for the American Idea seminar, June 2002.
“Renewal of the Social Fabric: Virtue, Civil Society, and Faith” presented at the Philadelphia Society meeting April 14, 2002 .
“Igniting the Blaze of Greatness” a White Paper on the Compassion Capital Fund, for the Department of Health and Human Services, February 2002.
“The Nehemiah Strategy” presented at the national meeting of the CCDA (Christian Community Development Association) November, 2001.
“ The War Within: Renewing America ’s Soul,” The Walsingham Way, Nov. 2001.
“Christianity, Culture and Civil Society: Communicating the Vision” presented at the national conference of the Council of Leadership Foundations, June 14-17, 2001 .
“Renewing America Through Faith” presented at the Faith-Based Summit , sponsored by the House-Senate Majority, April 24-25, 2001 .
“Faith-Based Initiatives: The Power that Transforms” presented at the Heritage Foundation’s Resource Bank, April 20, 2001 .
“Standing by Our Street Saints,” The Gathering, Spring 2001.
“Christianity and Culture: from the Wasteland to Civic Renewal” presented at the Center for the American Idea, March 26, 2001 .
“The Virtues of Economy and Charity” presented at the Philadelphia Society, Nov. 8, 2000 .
“The Case for Faith-Based Social Entrepreneurs” presented at the State of the World Forum, September 2000, N.Y. , N.Y. , at the invitation of the John Templeton Foundation.
“Social Entrepreneurship from A to Z” presented at the Council of Leadership Foundations, June 2000.
“FaithWorks: From Success to Significance”: Compassion and Culture, Capital Research Center , August 2000.
“Compassionate Conservatism” presented to the Republican Eagles, October 1999.
“The Brookwood Community: Healing Through the Dignity of Work”: Philanthropy, Culture, & Society, Capital Research Center , Nov. 1999.
“Kids Hope USA : One Adult, One Child, One Hour.” Philanthropy, Culture, & Society, Capital Research Center, July 1999.
“Courage and Character” presented to the International Association of Evangelical Publishers, Frankfurt , Germany , October 1998.
“KIPP Academy : No Shortcuts to Learning,” Outstanding Social Entrepreneurs, June 1998.
“Can Pope John Paul II do for Cuba what he did for Eastern Europe ?” World, Jan. 24, 1998 .
“Healing Lives, One Person At A Time,” Religion and Liberty , May-June 1997.
“Tough Medicine for Welfare Moms,” Policy Review, May-June 1997.
“One to One Strategy: Kids Hope USA ,” World, June 1997.
“Seven Years After the Fall,” Religion and Liberty , November, 1996.
“Has the Salt Lost its Saltiness in Leipzig ?” World, October 5, 1996 .
“A Job Tree Grows in Brooklyn ,” Policy Review, Jan. 1996.
“No Democracy Without Morality,” Christian Democrat, Moscow , 1995.
“Corruption in Russia ,” white paper prepared at the invitation of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, 1995.
“Russia ’s Spiritual Wilderness,” Policy Review, 1994.
“The Role of Religion in the Collapse of Communism” presented to legislators and diplomats from Eastern and Central European Countries, 1994.
