Texas Christian Community Development Network's Builders Breakfast is designed as a fundraiser for TxCCDN. Our hope is that Dr. Brian Fikkert will enhance our understanding of Christian Community Development, challenge prevailing modes of thought, and expand our range of understanding on relevant community issues, and all things community development.
Dr. Brian Fikkert
Dr. Brian Fikkert is the Founder and President of the Chalmers Center for Economic Development at Covenant College, where he also serves as a Professor of Economics and Community Development.
He is coauthor of the best-selling book When Helping Hurts: How to Alleviate Poverty Without Hurting the Poor...and Yourself as well as:
· Helping Without Hurting in Short-Term Missions
· Helping Without Hurting in Church Benevolence
· From Dependence to Dignity: How to Alleviate Poverty Through Church-Centered Microfinance
· Practicing the King’s Economy: Honoring Jesus in How we Work, Earn, Spend, Save, and Give
· Becoming Whole: Why the Opposite of Poverty Isn’t the American Dream
· A Field Guide to Becoming Whole: Principles for Poverty Alleviation Ministries
Dr. Fikkert earned a Ph.D. in economics from Yale University, specializing in international economics and economic development. He is the author of numerous articles in both academic and popular journals. Prior to coming to Covenant College in 1997, he was a professor at the University of Maryland—College Park and a research fellow at the Center for Institutional Reform and the Informal Sector.
He and his wife Jill have 3 adult children and live in Chattanooga, Tenn.