A Community Focused Mission

Pastor Ben Anderson’s personal and professional philosophy is best summed up by a quote plastered on the Solid Rock Christian Center meeting room. “Some of you will rebuild the ancient ruins of your cities,” it reads. “Then you will be known as a rebuilder of walls and a restorer of homes.”   The omittance of the quote’s origin — the biblical book of Isaiah — was deliberate, Anderson said. He wanted all the church’s visitors, regardless of religious affiliation, to relate to the words.  “I didn’t want people to be intimidated by the scripture,” Anderson said. “I wanted them to be able to accept the thought and accept the concept.” Of course, Solid Rock Christian Center is much more than a church — it is the nexus for the rebirth of Southeast Colorado Springs, a neighborhood at once steeped in culture and historically bogged down by crime and poverty. Anderson serves as executive director of the Solid Rock Community Development Corporation, a nonprofit he founded to collaborate with all sectors of the community to help facilitate economic opportunities to the Southeast. “[The SRCDC] is a vehicle, a tool, and it’s an organization that can be effective in working with other different entities in promoting healthy environments, healthy communities,” Anderson said. “We can do that with a [community development corporation] rather than a church structure.” A Baltimore native, Anderson came to Colorado Springs 30 years ago by way of the U.S. Army, from which he retired as a sergeant first class. He has a master’s degree in business management from Webster University, as well as a master’s in divinity from Denver Seminary. -Written By Erinn Callahan for The Southeast Express