Dr. James Huff will present research findings from his work with Latin American faith leaders. As an applied anthropologist, Dr. Huff has worked with various NGOs and community-based organizations to evaluate the effectiveness of their programs to alleviate poverty and strengthen human well-being and community resiliency across Latin America. 

Speaker: James (Jamie) G. Huff Jr. earned his Ph.D. in cultural anthropology at American University (Washington, D.C.) in 2004, and worked as associate professor of anthropology at Vanguard University (2002-2014) prior to his faculty appointment to the Human Needs and Global Resources Program at Wheaton College, where he presently serves as associate director and associate professor of anthropology. His research focuses on rural community development and religion in Latin America, and especially on the role that faith-based NGOs have played in promoting projects of economic and social change in the region. His written work broadly considers the changing religious landscapes of Latin America since the 1980s, with a particular focus on the social and economic changes generated by the growth of Pentecostal-charismatic forms of Christianity in Central America. 

Lunch provided for the first 30 attendees, courtesy of Thriving Rural Communities.