At age 79, Linda Dudley has already traveled plenty of miles on her faith journey.
The now-retired Aurora woman founded Parkview Christian Academy, a Yorkville school that’s grown by leaps and bounds since its inception in 1997. She’s also taught hundreds of Bible classes over the decades and even dipped her toe into immigration assistance.
Yet something still felt incomplete, as if she’d not yet figured out where God wanted her to be, until Dudley heard about a national organization called Administer Justice that was established 25 years ago to help provide affordable civil legal aid to those in need.
On Saturday, she led a nine-person volunteer team that opened one of this Elgin-based nonprofit’s quickly expanding Gospel Justice Centers at First Presbyterian Church in Aurora, where Dudley has been an active member since moving to the city more than 60 years ago.
“This just feels right,” said the longtime educator, saying the Hebrew translation of “justice” is “fairness,” a concept referred to more than 1,000 times in the Bible.
“In a world of confusion and fear, we Christians are called to be Christ followers. This ministry is here to provide help, prayer, resources and encouragement for those who are not experiencing that form of justice, fairness,” she said.
“Isn’t that just what Jesus Christ teaches us, apart from politics, finances and judgement?”
It seems more churches are asking that same question. According to Administer Justice Vice President of Engagement Emily O’Donnell, over 100 of these clinics are operating in churches across the nation, with another 40 in the process of starting within the next few months.
The Fox Valley is seeing more than its share of that expansion, with a couple dozen in the region, including Elgin, the Tri-cities, Naperville and particularly in Aurora with six sites.
There’s a couple reasons the centers have grown so significantly in the past year, said O’Donnell. For one, there’s been more effort by Administer Justice to promote this initiative after the pandemic stalled the momentum. Plus, “more churches are starting to pay attention” to this issue and “embracing the idea that pushing for justice is not something to fear but rather to embrace,” she told me.
“You can’t read the Bible and not see it,” O’Donnell said, noting that it’s not just nondenominational churches getting involved but mainline congregations, including Protestants and Catholics.
“We might have different theological and political positions,” she said, “but we can all agree this is what Jesus calls the church to do.”
Administer Justice was founded by Bruce Strom, a graduate of Judson University in Elgin and the University of Illinois, who became a successful attorney, even arguing cases before the U.S. Supreme Court before answering the call of a higher power.
What started as a personal mission to use his legal training to serve the most vulnerable turned into a spiritual mission where Strom, now also a pastor, author and speaker, is blending his faith with justice work.
Each Gospel Justice Center – which is open one day a month for a few hours – revolves around volunteer lawyers and church members offering brief legal advice, guidance and prayer in a community setting. Attorneys – they are not expected to go beyond a one-time consultation – are essential, but other roles are needed, such as client and community advocates, interpreters and those who do intake and follow-up.
The Rev. Trevor McMaken, whose City of Light Church is opening Aurora’s sixth Gospel Justice Center with a ribbon-cutting at 9 a.m. Feb. 7 at Hill Elementary School, often has people coming to him with legal questions, he said, uncertain who to trust or how to go about maneuvering in a legal system that “can get complicated really quickly.”
According to Administer Justice, low-income Americans do not get any or enough legal help for 92% of their civil legal problems. This simple but accessible model allows ordinary Christians to help their neighbors navigate those hurdles while also showing them the hope of the gospel, organizers said.
In addition to First Presbyterian and City of Light, other Aurora churches with centers include Redeemer, Oasis, Village Bible and Westminster, which opened its center a few months ago.
Louis Jacobs, who co-leads the clinic at Westminster, is encouraged by what he’s witnessed so far, with more clients coming through the doors as word spreads.
Most cases, noted O’Donnell, revolve around family law and landlord problems, but those frequently involve immigration issues, a cause that is leading more churches to “reach out to ask” how they can help.
Appointments are encouraged by calling 855-818-4554, which is also the number on the Administer Justice website for those interested in starting a clinic. McMaken said he’d also like to hear from organizations or businesses willing to put out cards or flyers to spread the word about these expanding legal aid clinics.
“It’s about all these centers working together,” he said, “to let people know we are here and we can help.”
dcrosby@tribpub.com
