Online Staff Report

A panel discussion titled “Faith at the End of Your Fork: How Food Affects One’s Faith” will begin at 6:30 p.m., Wednesday, April 18, at the Rockford Public Library East Branch, 6685 E. State St. Rockford. The event is free and open to the public.

The panel discussion will include Neddy Astudillo, an eco-theologian, a graduate of McCormick Theological Seminary and a candidate for a D.Min. on Eco-justice Ministries and Eco-spirituality at Drew University; the Rev. Kenneth E. Copeland, who is working on his D.Min. at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School; and Rabbi Wing, who has been the rabbi of Temple Beth-El in Rockford since her ordination in 2002.

Neddy, a Venezuelan-American, is the pastor of a joint (ELCA/PCUSA) Latino ministry in Beloit, Wis. Neddy lives in northern Illinois with her husband Tom Spaulding and their three teen-agers, where they moved 13 years ago to help start the Angelic Organics Learning Center.

As part of her doctoral program, Neddy has taught Eco-Theology in Latin American seminaries: Guatemala, Perú and Bolivia. Neddy is a co-author of the NCCC Declaration “God’s Earth is Sacred”; and David Rhoad’s book, Earth and Word: Classic Sermons on Saving the Planet. Neddy also shares her passion for God’s creation through worship, workshops and a Spanish website: eco-justicia.org ^[1].

The Rev. Copeland continues to be a strong leader in the community. He serves as pastor of New Zion Missionary Baptist Church in Rockford, where he lives with his wife, Starla, and their three children, Jibri, Abeni and Titus Omari.

New Zion continues its legacy of community involvement. For the past five years, New Zion has had a community garden. The church is also known for its emphasis on corporate fasting. The entire membership participates in at least two Daniel Fasts per year, along with several other fasts designed to practically and supernaturally impact individuals and systems with the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Rabbi Wing attended rabbinic school at Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion, where she studied both in Israel and Cincinnati. In Rockford, Rabbi Wing has been involved in a myriad of different activities. She is the past-president of the Greater Rockford Clergy Association. She has spoken to hundreds of church and school groups, including regular visiting lectures at Rock Valley College classes. Together with Pastor Jim Roberts and Imam Shpendim Nadzaku, Rabbi Wing helped create the “Children of Abraham Trialogue” programs.

Rabbi Wing is also proud to be the first woman rabbi in Rockford’s history. Rabbi Wing is married to Rabbi Shlomo Wing, and they have two daughters, Lilly, who is in first grade, and Dana, who just turned 2.

Posted April 13, 2012