Rev. Craig B. Mousin
CRS announces Rev. Craig B. Mousin, Associate Pastor for Immigrant Justice at Wellington United Church of Christ, as a speaker for our virtual 2023 Annual Membership Assembly (AMA) on November 9 at 6:30 PM CT. Read his bio below.
Rev. Craig B. Mousin served as the University Ombuds at DePaul University from 2001 until he retired in June, 2023. He received his B.S. cum laude from Johns Hopkins University, his J.D. with honors from the University of Illinois, and his M. Div. from Chicago Theological Seminary. He joined Depaul’s College of Law faculty in 1990 and served as the Executive Director of the Center for Church/State Studies until 2003, and co-director from 2004 to 2007. He co-founded the Center’s Interfaith Family Mediation Program. He also co-founded DePaul College of Law’s Asylum and Immigration Legal Clinic and its Technical Assistance program. He is a founding member of the DePaul Migration Collaborative. In addition to serving as an Adjunct Professor at the College of Law, he has taught in DePaul’s Grace School for Applied Diplomacy, Refugee and Forced Migration Studies Program, the School for New Learning, the Religious Studies Department and Peace, Justice and Conflict Studies program in DePaul’s College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. He has also taught Immigration Law and Policy at the University of Illinois College of Law and has also taught a course on the Bible and immigration law as an adjunct faculty at Chicago Theological Seminary.
Rev. Craig B. Mousin began practicing labor law at Seyfarth, Shaw, Fairweather & Geraldson in 1978. In 1984, he founded and directed the Midwest Immigrant Rights Center, a provider of legal assistance to refugees which has since become the National Immigrant Justice Center. He also directed legal services for Travelers & Immigrants Aid between 1986 and 1990.
Rev. Craig B. Mousin was ordained by the United Church of Christ (UCC) in 1989. He has served as Associate Pastor of Immigrant Justice at Wellington UCC and was one of the founding pastors of the DePaul Ecumenical Gathering (1996 to 2001). He now serves on Wellington’s Immigrant Justice Task Force. He is a Life Trustee of the Chicago Theological Seminary. He is a member of the Leadership Council of the National Immigrant Justice Center, a member of the Leadership Council of the Marjorie Kovler Center for Survivors of Torture, a member of the Board of the Eco-Justice Collaborative and a former president and board member of the Immigration Project of Downstate Illinois. He has been a member of the American Bar Association Dispute Resolution Section Ombuds Committee. He previously served on the Illinois Equal Justice Project of the Chicago and Illinois State Bar Associations. In 1986, he was a recipient of the Chicago Bar Foundation’s Maurice Weigle Award. In 2009, DePaul University presented him with the Spirit of DePaul award. In 2013, the Immigration Project of Downstate Illinois recognized him with the Gleaner of Justice Award. The University of Illinois College of Law honored him with its 2019 Distinguished Alumni Award. In 2023, his wife, Chris Inserra and he received the Robert H. Kirschner Award for Global Activism from the Kovler Center for Survivors of Torture. DePaul University honored him with its Via Sapientiae Award in 2023.
Read this article Rev. Mousin wrote about Mayor Harold Washington and his first Executive Order in supporting immigrants and refugees coming to Chicago ahead of our AMA.
We are eager to reflect on our work together with member congregations, coalition partners and community members in building Beloved Community. This will be a powerful celebration of welcome and advocacy! This year’s AMA will encompass prayer, updates on our Platform for Renewal and calls to action. Learn more and register to join us!