BPS Engagement Toolkit

Boston Public Schools Engagement Toolkit

by Kylie Collins

Boston Public Schools is a dynamic school system with changing district policies, goals, and leadership. 

It wants parents, community members, and churches to help. But navigating the school system and understanding the role of the Church in public education can be confusing.

The Boston Education Collaborative (BEC) at the Emmanuel Gospel Center created a toolkit to inform and provide opportunities for people to get involved and support students, teachers, and administrators. 

The Boston Public Schools Engagement Toolkit resource includes data, opportunities for volunteers to engage, stories of church-school partnerships, a prayer guide, and more.  

“There are countless opportunities to engage with the Boston Public Schools (BPS) and support their efforts to educate and mentor students,” said Ruth Wong, BEC director. “However, as a large, complex system, BPS can be difficult to understand, navigate and keep up with. This toolkit helps to provide direction about where to find information about BPS and its initiatives. It also suggests ideas for how you can get involved in advocacy work, volunteer, or mobilize your faith communities to participate.”

Boston Public Schools Engagement Toolkit

The toolkit is just a starting point for information and involvement. Visit the BEC website or contact Ruth Wong at rwong [at] egc.org for more information and ways to participate. 

Kylie Collins

About the Author

Kylie Collins was a summer 2022 Applied Research and Consulting Intern at EGC. She will graduate in spring 2023 with a degree in Economic Policy Analysis from Simmons University. Originally from Columbus, Ohio, she developed a passion for supporting her community through advocacy and public education services. After graduation, she plans to work in the non-profit sector or in local government. In Boston, she has enjoyed Red Sox games, trying new foods, visiting the ocean, and making new friends.

Exploring a church-school partnership

Exploring a church-school partnership

There is a tremendous opportunity for churches to extend God’s love and care to the community beyond their own congregations by building meaningful relationships with local school communities. These relationships lead to mutually transformative experiences with students, staff, and families.

But how do you start and sustain a successful partnership with a local public school? Here is a roadmap your church can explore as it discerns its level of involvement.

Love Shows Up

Love Shows Up

How one church’s long-term relationship with a school is bearing fruit

By Pastor Ayn DuVoisin

Schools faced extraordinary challenges during the height of the pandemic. Some churches helped bridge the educational gap by tutoring students.  

One church that serves as a model for helping the local school system is Symphony Church in Allston. Its partnership with Jackson/Mann K-8 School in Allston was marked by a long-term commitment that was highly relational with effective pastoral leadership supporting the initiative. 

The Boston Education Collaborative (BEC) at the Emmanuel Gospel Center has been key to the success of church-school partnerships like this. 

“There is tremendous opportunity for churches to extend God’s love and care to the community beyond their own congregations through building meaningful relationships with school communities, which includes students, staff, and families,” said Ruth Wong, BEC director. “Through relationships, mutually transformative experiences happen, and volunteers get to experience God more deeply for themselves.”

The BEC sees a need for more churches like Symphony to embrace changing ministry strategies during the pandemic, adopting church-school partnerships as a means to engage the outsized challenges facing schools. 

Symphony Church organizing the literacy room at Jackson/Mann K-8 School. [photo credit: Symphony Church]

Pushing through

Despite the uncertainty in March 2020 when the COVID pandemic hit, Symphony Church continued serving at Jackson/Mann. The church had been sending tutors to the school for seven years and had no plans of stopping.

Jackson/Mann had several community partners during the 2019 to 2020 academic year, but school officials told Symphony they were a key partner. That motivated the church to keep showing up and serving despite the challenges when the pandemic hit. 

Around that time, Symphony adopted a new microchurch model which helped to galvanize church members to continue serving in the community despite social distancing rules. Throughout the summer and fall of 2020, Symphony Church leaders preached and challenged members to serve. One sermon series focused on BLESS: Begin with prayer, Listen with care, Eat together, Serve in love, and Share your story. This was part of an effort to cast a vision for a missional culture of sending out the microchurches to engage their neighborhoods even in the middle of a pandemic through initiatives such as prayer walks. 

That summer, 20 church volunteers spent two hours every day helping with the school’s virtual program. Symphony also gave summer-school teachers a virtual tablet to use as a whiteboard. In the fall, even more people volunteered to tutor.

Symphony Church cleaning out and organizing school closets. [photo credit: Symphony Church]

Showing up

Partnering with local schools to help students is part of Symphony’s DNA. 

In 2010, the church started meeting at the Match Charter Public School’s high school campus in Allston. The school had a system of matching volunteers as tutors to each student. Twenty tutors made a full commitment to serve for two years. 

This inspired Barry Kang, lead pastor of Symphony Church, to imagine the potential impact of supporting students with additional tutoring and classroom aides in other schools. They decided to encourage the positive momentum by hosting an appreciation dinner for the tutors. 

Pastor Kang said he was convicted by seeing how many issues in people’s lives sprang from early challenges, starting with literacy. Third grade, when education shifts from learning to read to reading to learn, is a critical turning point in a child’s life. These are precious years in supporting systemic change, Pastor Kang learned.

Coupled with his conviction that the “bedrock of society is in the development of the future generation,” Pastor Kang felt that a church-school partnership was compelling. The church’s biggest resource, its energetic worshiping community of college and postgraduate students, had little money but some available time. Through prayer, the church’s leadership saw education as a place to leverage their strengths.

Symphony Church hosted a teacher appreciation breakfast in May 2022. [photo credit: Symphony Church]

In 2014, they wondered whether Boston Public Schools could make use of additional tutoring support of one or two hours a week. At a gathering of pastors, Pastor Kang heard BEC Director Ruth Wong give a presentation on the program’s supportive role in assisting partnerships. Wong connected Symphony with Boston Partners in Education as well as the International Community Church in Brighton, which had been volunteering tutoring services at Jackson/Mann. 

“Ruth and EGC helped us get started and helped us get better,” Pastor Kang said.

Pastor Kang said Symphony’s relationship with Jackson/Mann began with its conviction that “love shows up.” He was personally committed to the partnership as well as building direct relationships with the building principal, vice-principal, and teachers. Pastor Kang reinforced the vision for outreach to Jackson/Mann from the pulpit, and the school administration saw the fruit of the relationship. 

“There is tremendous opportunity for churches to extend God’s love and care to the community beyond their own congregations through building meaningful relationships with school communities, which includes students, staff, and families. Through relationships, mutually transformative experiences happen, and volunteers get to experience God more deeply for themselves.”

— Ruth Wong, Director, Boston Education Collaborative

Leaning in

During the 2020 to 2021 school year when schools were still grappling with the impact of COVID, 50 Symphony volunteers spent 2,200 hours tutoring at Jackson/Mann. 

“That year, we were that school’s only community partner,” Pastor Kang said. “All their other partners weren’t able to pivot out of their established lanes. But we could because of the BEC’s help.” 

Boston school officials announced they would close Jackson/Mann at the end of the school year in 2022, but Symphony decided to serve to the very end as it prayerfully discerns which school to partner with next.

Symphony Church cleaning out and organizing school closets. [photo credit: Symphony Church]

Symphony is energized by the multiplication potential of some of its microchurches serving in their own communities. 

While many people wonder when things will go back to the way they were, Pastor Kang feels the pandemic forced the church in a new direction that is yielding kingdom fruit. He said one of the microchurch members, who was skeptical of the new model in the beginning, confided that “‘before the changes, my journey in Christ was like sitting in economy class, but now it feels like sitting in first class — no, actually it’s more like being in the copilot seat, and I have a much greater sense of ownership in this journey.’” 

Pastor Kang noted a shift in the church from passivism and consumerism to more active participation as an integral part of the body of Christ and the kingdom.  

Because multiplication is part of its language, Symphony hopes its relationships will create new frontiers for support in other schools. And they are partnering strategically with the BEC to explore those new connections.

Symphony’s model of community engagement has been a transforming grace for its members. The church is blessed by working with children and seeing them grow so quickly in their understanding and development. There is a gratification of seeing work they’ve been engaged in, that is clearly useful, something bigger than themselves, that glorifies God. 

During the pandemic, when there has been such continual uncertainty, this outreach of serving others has been emotionally and mentally encouraging to the church, Pastor Kang said, with all the members getting to “exercise their love muscles!”

Symphony Church’s notes of appreciation for Jackson Mann staff. [photo credit: Symphony Church]

Ayn DuVoisin

About the Author

Pastor Ayn DuVoisin has been a volunteer associate with EGC’s Boston Education Collaborative initiative since 2019. She previously served as Pastor of Children’s Ministries at North River Church in Pembroke, Massachusetts, from 2000 to 2019. Over the past decade, she has been active in building the Church & School Partnership for Boston Public Schools. She is also a former board member of Greater Things for Greater Boston. She and her husband, Jean DuVoisin, have lived in Scituate, Massachusetts, for over 40 years. She is blessed by her three adult children and well-loved Golden Retriever, Sunny.

TAKE ACTION

Can you see your church engaging in a partnership like this? Here are some resources to explore as your church prayerfully discerns a potential partnership with a school in Boston, Cambridge, Chelsea, or Brockton.

Volunteer

Partner with a school

Learn More

BPS Engagement Toolkit

Mutual learning is helping Black churches thrive

Pastor Jean Louis of Free Pentecostal Church of God and Pastor Bisi Asere of Apostolic Church LAWNA meet for the first time in person after participating in online meetings for half a year. Rosa Cabán with R9 Foto for The Emmanuel Gospel Center

Mutual learning is helping Black churches thrive

Black Church leaders reflect on God’s work in Boston.

By Hanno van der Bijl, Managing Editor, Applied Research & Consulting

“I see God bringing people together, having conversations that are important that we haven’t had. We’re being more open with one another and more transparent about ways that we can partner and collaborate.”

That sentiment expressed by Gina Benjamin was echoed by others reflecting on God’s work in Boston at a recent meeting for the Boston Black Church Vitality Project. 

Benjamin, social services director of the community center at Mount of Olives Evangelical Baptist Church in Hyde Park, is part of the project’s Thriving Initiative, a cohort of 10 ethnically and denominationally diverse Black churches that are located in four predominantly Black neighborhoods in the city.   

Members of these churches participating in the cohort said God is using the pandemic and other challenges not only to unify and strengthen the Church, but also to create opportunities for compassion and evangelism. 

The cohort meets together for two hours every other month for fellowship, peer learning, skills-based workshops and group training, and discussions about opportunities for collaborative ministry. During a meeting earlier this year, two church leaders shared their strategies for serving the community and keeping their congregants safe from COVID during worship services.  

Caring for the community

At the onset of the pandemic, Fania Alvarez, who heads up The Greater Boston Nazarene Compassion Center (GBNCC), said the leadership team decided they could not stop. But they knew they would have to do things differently.

The GBNCC runs a food pantry that distributes more than 7,000 pounds of food to families in need every week. When COVID hit, people started lining up hours earlier than usual with little social distancing. 

The GBNCC decided to open up a couple of hours earlier to accommodate the crowd.

“It was really challenging, but God was in the midst of it,” Alvarez said. 

Launched by the Haitian Church of the Nazarene — Friends of the Humble almost 30 years ago, the GBNCC serves low-income families and individuals who have limited access to services and resources in the community. 

In addition to the food pantry, the ministry runs a safety-net program, assisting people with government programs such as SNAP and WIC. The GBNCC also provides English language literacy and workforce development classes.

Once the vaccines became available, the ministry served as a vaccination clinic. The shots were a godsend, but some people were hesitant, Alvarez said.

“We had to find strategies to work with them. We had to go out and convince and educate them on the vaccine,” she said. “It wasn’t an easy time, but we made it. We can say we made it.” 

Churches that want to develop a social ministry of their own need a dedicated leader who is able to manage programs and secure resources from donors and charitable organizations. 

“Pray to the Lord so you can find somebody that has the heart for it,” Alvarez said.  

In a meeting earlier this year cohort participants were asked: “What do you see God doing in the city?” Here’s what they said.

Managing churcH through pandemic

In 2017, the Rev. Kenneth Sims at New Hope Baptist Church started bringing bank machines into the church services. 

“Some of our real spiritual-deep folk thought that I lost my mind bringing a machine to receive tithes and offerings,” Rev. Sims said. “But that was the biggest aspect of our giving.” 

He also felt compelled Sunday after Sunday to tell his congregants to get a smartphone.

“It didn’t really seem spiritual at the time,” he said. “The church eventually caught on. Every Sunday — especially the seniors — would flash their smartphones and say, ‘Reverend Sims, I have a smartphone. I don’t know how to use it but I have one.’” 

Then the pandemic hit. No collection plates were passed around to receive contributions. All in-person services stopped. 

“I just thank God … because we weren’t scrambling,” Rev. Sims said. “That taught me one thing: to really listen to the voice of God even when it’s in opposition to what many people are thinking. Listen to God because he knows the future.”

Rev. Sims met with nurses in the church to chart a way forward. An executive committee made up of four teams was formed to oversee the church’s response to COVID.

“We knew we were coming back to church,” he said. “We didn’t know when, so we started planning so that we’d be prepared.” 

A security team oversees registration, traffic, and parking. A health-and-hygiene team handles pre-screening, including handwashing, mask-wearing, and seating. A social distancing and redesign team handles seat spacing and equipment. A cleaning and disinfecting team cleans the bathrooms after each use. 

Rev. Sims said members of the congregation took ownership of the various teams and made a difference. 

“It got the people involved, and it wasn’t all about me. I’ve been trying for the last few years to get away from that — to stay in my role, of course, overseeing — but not having to do it directly,” he said. “People have been empowered, and they have taken off. I don’t get in their way.” 

After a five-month hiatus, the church resumed in-person worship services in August 2020. Rev. Sims said the church continues to practice the safety measures it put in place.

“Our main concern was that our people remained safe,” he said.

The executive team spent many hours meeting, praying, discussing, and researching their options to balance out the physical and spiritual needs of the congregation.

“I did not believe that New Hope could survive spiritually being away from the church gathering from March 2020 to now,” Rev. Sims said. “I could not see that.” 

While some members have come down with the virus, Rev. Sims said it was not due to their worship services as far as they know. 

“We have not had any kind of super-spreader situations going on at New Hope since we’ve returned,” he said. “That’s been a tremendous blessing for us.” 

With even more tools at their disposal than they had at the beginning of the pandemic, Rev. Sims is confident the church can keep moving forward.

“I’m just of the impression that, yes, let’s do all that we can to be safe: let’s do everything that we can, and then we’re leaving the rest up to the Lord,” he said. “What I can’t control, what I can’t power over, I leave that to the Lord.”

TAKE ACTION

The Thriving Initiative is a three-year process rooted in learning, discerning, and doing ministry. Participating churches are examining their mission and values in light of shifting social and cultural landscapes in Boston. 

By deploying tools such as interview guides, congregant surveys, and ministry inventories that BBCVP designed to support churches in understanding the needs and perspectives of congregant and community stakeholders, the cohort leads in a learning endeavor that seeks to model the work of reflection that is essential in order for the Church to remain relevant and vital. 

Through online articles, reports on what is being learned, videos, and data visualization, the Boston Black Church Vitality Project project will share these stories of innovation, successful strategies, and effective use of leverage points that exemplify models of prophetic leadership, community care, spiritual formation, and the pursuit of justice. 

The Thriving Initiative is generously funded by the Lilly Endowment with additional support from Boston Baptist Social Union and others. For more information, visit blackchurchvitality.com.

Do you know where you’re standing?

Updated Feb. 21, 2024

Do you know where you’re standing?

Why EGC’s new “Fact Friday” series explores the church’s history and legacy in Boston one short video at a time.

by Hanno van der Bijl, Managing Editor, Applied Research & Consulting

Did you know that the African Meeting House on Beacon Hill was co-founded by Cato Gardner, a formerly enslaved man born in Africa? 

Or that Twelfth Baptist Church was the spiritual home of Wilhelmina Crosson, a pioneering Black school teacher in Boston, who also was instrumental in launching the precursor to Black History Month? 

How about this gem: Boston’s oldest church congregation is not downtown — it’s in Dorchester. On June 6, 1630, the First Parish Church in Dorchester was the first congregation to meet in what is present-day Boston. The First Church of Boston did not organize until about two months later.

These are just some insights from the Emmanuel Gospel Center’s new “Fact Friday” video series on Instagram.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Emmanuel Gospel Center (@egcboston)

The first Fact Friday explored the history of the African Meeting House on Beacon Hill.

“The city’s churches have a rich history,” said Caleb McCoy, marketing manager at EGC. “I think those legacies impact how we view the church today, so it’s important to share that information with as many as possible.”  

The Fact Friday team includes Jaronzie Harris, program manager for the Boston Black Church Vitality Project, and Rudy Mitchell, senior researcher at EGC. Since February, this dynamic duo has been creating videos exploring the church’s long history in Boston, leaving EGC’s Instagram followers hungry for more.  

“People who live in Boston may walk by church buildings but they may not know, one, what has gone on there in the past and, two, what’s going on here in the present,” Mitchell said.

Bridging that gap between the past and present is one of the project’s key motivators. 

“It’s been fun for me to share but also to learn,” Harris said. “Doing this project is engaging me in research. I have to go and find out about these things, which I enjoy doing.” 

Harris said learning about St. Cyprian’s Episcopal Church’s rich history, for example, led her to discover some surprises about the church’s ministry today as she listened to a recent sermon. 

“It was interesting to hear this minister preaching Black theology from a different tradition about a festival I didn’t know about,” Harris said. “I haven’t heard that type of militant preaching in Boston before.”

Caleb McCoy (right) films a recent Fact Friday video with Rudy Mitchell (left) and Jaronzie Harris (center).

The city’s Black churches have a rich legacy of gospel ministry and social action. 

“Almost every time you look at one of the Black churches in the 1800s, you see they were deeply involved in the abolitionist movement and advocating for the rights of enslaved peoples,” Mitchell said. “A lot of rich history inspired continued activism in more recent times.”

The team believes the Black church’s spiritual legacy continues to buoy the community as it faces its own headwinds today.  

“We are in a time that’s very racially charged right now,” McCoy said, “but it’s important to know that Black Christianity and the Black church has a legacy that’s gone before us and has a rich history in the fight for equality and justice in our own city.”

The team also enjoys parsing out curiosities such as why a church on Warren Street in Roxbury is called “The Historic Charles Street AME Church.” 

In addition to digging around the past, the project has a forward-looking orientation. Boston, for example, was home to the first YMCA in the United States. What would such an innovative approach to ministry look like today?  

“The Bible often tells us to remember how God was at work in the past, and we certainly can learn from history,” Mitchell said. “Even though the form and methods may change, we can be inspired to be used by God in our own time for similar purposes.”   

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Emmanuel Gospel Center (@egcboston)

Rudy Mitchell explains why First Parish Church in Dorchester is the oldest congregation in Boston.

For decades, EGC has been channeling its research and learning into specific programming and events. The Boston Church Directory, for example, demonstrates how its use of applied research is a dynamic process, bringing people in along the way. 

But learning is ongoing, and it’s important to share that process, Harris said. 

“I’m learning these things for Fact Friday, sure, but I’m also learning these things to better support my churches, to better understand the Boston landscape,” she said.

EGC also tries to provide a larger perspective on Christianity in Boston not just across different denominations and cultural groups but also over time. At times that research has uncovered illuminating insights. 

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Emmanuel Gospel Center (@egcboston)

A recent video explored the history behind Juneteenth.

“Historically, we saw that, between 1970 and 2010, more new churches started in Boston than in any other comparable period in Boston’s history,” Mitchell said.

Many of those churches have important stories to tell, known only by a few. Through various research projects, EGC tries to get those stories out in the open.  

“We have all this historical information,” Harris said. “So how can we tell a story that is digestible for a broader audience?”

Here are some of the churches, institutions, sites, and individuals the team has covered so far:

• African Meeting House

• People’s Baptist Church

• Twelfth Baptist Church

• Columbus Avenue AME Zion Church

• YMCA

• First Parish Church in Dorchester

• Saint Cyprian’s Episcopal Church

• Second Church in Dorchester

• The Historic Charles Street A.M.E. Church

• Robert Gould Shaw and the 54th Regiment Memorial

• Boston Missionary Baptist Church

• Mount Vernon Congregational Church

• Union Church

• Emancipation Sculpture

• The Emmanuel Gospel Center’s original location

• Restoration City Church

• Park Street Church

• Ebenezer Baptist Church

• Greenwood Shalom Tutoring Zone

• Church-school partnerships

• Black History Month

• Saint Paul African Methodist Episcopal Church

• George Washington Williams

TAKE ACTION

Follow EGC on Instagram @egcboston and watch for new reels and videos on Fridays. 

What would you like to know about the history of the church in Boston? Let us know by filling out the feedback form below.

Feedback

Fact Friday

Additional Resources

Curious to learn more about the story of the church in Boston? Give these resources below a try.

Daman, Steve. “Understanding Boston’s Quiet Revival.” Emmanuel Research Review. December 2013/January 2014. Accessed January 22, 2015. 

Hartley, Benjamin L. Evangelicals at a Crossroads: Revivalism and Social Reform in Boston, 1860-1910. Lebanon, N.H.: University Press of New England, 2011.

Hayden, Robert C. Faith, Culture and Leadership: A History of the Black Church in Boston. Boston: Boston Branch NAACP, 1983.

Horton, James Oliver, and Lois E. Horton. Black Bostonians: Family Life and Community Struggle in the Antebellum North, rev. ed. New York: Holmes & Meier Publishers, 2000. See chapter 4:  “Community and the Church.”

Johnson, Marilynn S. "The Quiet Revival: New Immigrants and the Transformation of Christianity in Greater Boston." Religion and American Culture: A Journal of Interpretation  V 24, No. 2 (Summer 2014): 231-248. 

Mitchell, Rudy. The History of Revivalism in Boston. Boston: Emmanuel Gospel Center, 2007.

Mitchell, Rudy, Brian Corcoran, and Steve Daman, editors. New England’s Book of Acts. Boston: Emmanuel Gospel Center, 2007. The New England Book of Acts has studies of the recent history of ethnic and immigrant groups and their churches and a summary of the history of the African-American church in Boston.

Investing in Haitian churches and communities

Investing in Haitian churches and communities 

How Haitian leaders are working together to counter a broken legacy of relief aid to the battered country.

By Hanno van der Bijl, Managing Editor, Applied Research & Consulting

Four earthquakes. Four hurricanes. A cholera outbreak. Political and social upheaval. The COVID-19 pandemic. 

These are just some of the crises to hit Haiti since 2010. 

Billions of dollars in foreign aid remain unaccounted for, with little of it going into the hands of Haitians.

This is part of the reason the Emmanuel Gospel Center is partnering with the Fellowship of Haitian Evangelical Pastors of New England (FHEPNE) on “Pwojè Rebati” — “Project Rebuild” in Haitian Creole — to raise funds for restoration efforts in Southern Haiti. The fellowship’s partner on the ground, Ligue des pasteurs du Sud D’Haiti (LIPASH), is a group of pastors in Les Cayes, representing 3,000 churches in about 20 municipalities.  

Haitian leaders identified several important needs: rebuilding churches, providing housing for families, and distributing food. 

“We would like to impact the lives of people in the area spiritually, socially, and mentally, because at the end of the day, people will gather together, they will feel gratified to have a place of worship where they can express their spiritual gratitude to God,” said Pastor Varnel Antoine of FHEPNE. “From a Haitian cultural perspective, they are very religious, and they believe in worshiping God regardless of their situation. You cannot take that away from them.” 

People are walking or driving for miles to go to church. More than just a place to meet on Sunday mornings, the church serves as one of the primary forms of social infrastructure for Haitians. It provides a place to worship, safety and shelter, social support and community, a second family. 

“Churches are such a pillar of community in Haitian culture,” said Marjory Neret, a member of the Pwojè Rebati fundraising team. “The churches are providing far more than just the place of worship — they’re really connecting people to a lifeline. So this is actually a far more significant project than it might seem on the surface.”

In addition to rebuilding church buildings, Pastor Antoine said the team hopes to get families off the street and into two-bedroom homes to live in.

“We hope that this project, Pwojè Rebati, will be a catalyst that will motivate other organizations to help in their rebuilding efforts so that people can go back and focus on God in adoration and exaltation for who he is,” he said. “That’s what we can tackle right now.”

‘You have a big faith’

Raising money is not easy. It takes time and effort. Often the Haitian leaders who are in the best position to effectively allocate and use the funds are tied up with important and urgent demands on their time. A chasm lies between those with financial resources in countries like the United States and those experienced Haitian leaders in the middle of the action. EGC works to bridge that divide.

After an earthquake and tropical depression hit Haiti last August, FHEPNE and EGC began raising funds.

They had collected about $112,000 when EGC’s executive director, Jeff Bass, was approached by an old friend, a Boston pastor he has known for several decades. The pastor serves on the board of an organization that wanted to donate $250,000 toward Haiti relief. “That’s awesome,” Bass said. And they wanted it to be a matching gift. “That’s challenging,” Bass said with a nervous chuckle.

After some further conversation, the organization agreed to count the $112,000 that had already been raised toward the matching amount, making the challenge considerably more manageable.

Bass presented the proposal to FHEPNE. Pastor Antoine said the group had never raised that much money before.

“It’s going to be a drop in the bucket for all that has to be done,’” he told his colleagues.

Many churches in the Les Cayes area — not to mention other regions of Haiti — had been impacted. So he decided to set a goal of not just making the $250,000 matching challenge but to prayerfully push for $1 million.

Pastor Antoine’s colleagues hesitated. “‘Hmm, I don’t know, you have a big faith,’” he said they told him. But given the high construction costs, they decided to take the plunge.

FHEPNE launched the fundraiser, and EGC signed on as a fiscal sponsor as well as fundraising consultant free of charge.

EGC hired Neret, a Haitian-American leader who graduated from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary. With her extensive connections in the Haitian community, Neret brings a critically important perspective to the project.

Neret has broadened the team’s outlook and experience and helped strengthen how it describes the project in addition to reaching out to hundreds of people as part of the fundraising effort.

“A lot of people, especially those who are Haitian, are pretty receptive,” she said. “They’ve been more than willing to help — most of them right away.”

A big break came when the Imago Dei Fund in Boston donated $85,000. As of early May, the team has raised $213,000. It is now pushing to get to the full $250,000 matching amount by the end of June, and hopefully further toward Pastor Antoine’s bigger vision.

“It’s a blessing. It’s the work of the Lord,” Pastor Antoine said. “I believe that he’s got his hand on it, so we need to do our due diligence, waiting for him to use us as instruments in his hand.”

Half of the challenge is raising the funds. The other half is making sure it’s spent well in Haiti.

Half of the challenge is raising the funds. The other half is making sure it’s spent well in Haiti. 

The Pwojè Rebati team is discerning how it can have a distributed impact in several communities.

Part of the process is securing accurate quotes from architects and contractors for building temporary church structures. That has not come without its own heartache. The chauffeur of the architectural firm working on the project was taken hostage, and an architect’s son took his own life in despair over the situation in the country.

Pastor Antoine said the team will be accountable to small and large donors alike. The Haitian pastors in Boston and Southern Haiti are working together to create mechanisms of accountability and for wiring the money safely, which will not all go out at once.

The first phase of the project includes a church building, housing, and food distribution in one community.

“We will start with one project, one region, and see the outcome of that first project,” Pastor Antoine said. “From that point on, we will decide on the next step.”

0.6%

While billions of dollars in relief aid has been promised to help communities like Les Cayes in Haiti, success has been elusive.

The damage inflicted by the 2010 earthquake was assessed at $7.9 billion. The government of Haiti requested $11.5 billion in aid for a 10-year plan that would have helped the country not only recover but also redevelop. International donors pledged a total of $10.76 billion toward that end.

From 2010 to 2012, several countries gave $6.43 billion in humanitarian and recovery aid for Haiti. Non-governmental organizations raised an additional $3.06 billion from private donors.

Of the $6.43 billion, less than 10% went to the government of Haiti and less than 0.6% of it went to Haitian organizations and businesses in the form of grants, according to data collected by Dr. Paul Farmer’s U.N. office.

Dr. Farmer, who passed away this year, had served as a special adviser on community-based health and aid delivery to the Secretary-General of the United Nations from 2009 to 2019. His U.N. office tried to track down how much aid money was pledged, committed and disbursed to Haiti. Billions of dollars remain unaccounted for.

Without greater transparency, Dr. Farmer’s office was left to theorize that not enough aid was requested and pledged and that, of what was given, the majority of aid did not remain in Haiti. Instead, it went to contractors and non-governmental organizations based in other countries.

Haiti is not the only nation to receive such a small share of incoming aid in a time of crisis. Between 2007 and 2011, 5% of humanitarian aid went toward the public sectors of recipient countries, and of the $4.27 billion that was raised through U.N. humanitarian flash appeals in 2012, only 0.6% went directly to local organizations in various countries. Liberia suffered a similar fate in 2012 when it was struggling with Ebola.

Giving only a tiny fraction of official development assistance, or ODA, directly to a country’s political and business leaders undermines its ability to recover from disasters and thrive.

“An estimated 75% of all ODA to the poorest countries never reaches the recipient country,” Dr. Farmer’s U.N. office’s report stated. “In addition, UN flash appeals almost always do not allow for the recipient government to receive funding. Bypassing of the public sector has a significant impact on development outcomes as there is a correlation between investment in the public sector and a decrease in poverty and disease.”

Countries such as Rwanda, which receive more than half of their ODA through their own national systems, make some of the best development progress in overall wellbeing.

The world’s first independent Black republic

This is not the first time Haiti’s future has been compromised by more powerful institutions and countries. 

Originally known as Saint-Domingue, Haiti was France’s most lucrative colony in the late 18th century. The flag of liberty that was raised in the American colonies in 1776 and France in 1789 was also planted in Haiti when the enslaved people revolted against their colonial slave masters in 1791. 

At first, President Thomas Jefferson saw Black Haitians’ struggle for self-determination in line with his own idealism and the revolutionary fervor of the day.

“St. Domingo has expelled all its whites, has given freedom to all its blacks, has established a regular government of the blacks and colored people, and seems now to have taken its ultimate form, and that to which all of the West India islands must come,” he wrote to his daughter Martha in 1793. 

A depiction of the Battle of Ravine-à-Couleuvres in 1802.

Haiti was the world’s first independent Black republic. The first nation to permanently ban slavery. However, a successful country led by free, former enslaved Africans was too much of a threat to slave owners in the United States. Jefferson tried to isolate the island nation and blunt its economic prospects. The U.S. wouldn’t recognize Haiti as a country until 1862.

But as scholar Annette Gordon-Reed wrote, the U.S. owes Haiti a “debt we can’t repay.” Were it not for Haiti’s successful repulse of Napoléon’s invasion, the French emperor may not have sold the Louisiana territory to the United States for $15 million, or about $18 per square mile. 

In 1814, when French King Louis XVIII tried to force Haiti to surrender, Alexandre Pétion, the ruler in southern Haiti, offered to pay France $15 million in exchange for the country’s independence, using the Louisiana Purchase as a benchmark. The king refused.

In what scholar Marlene Daut calls the “greatest heist in history,” French King Charles X sent a flotilla of warships with more than 500 cannons to force Haiti to pay 150 million francs — about 10 times the amount the U.S. had paid for the Louisiana territory. In 1825, Haitian President Jean-Pierre Boyer committed the country to pay the reparations in five equal installments, taking out loans from French banks. The agreement was revised in 1838 after Haiti defaulted on the enormous debt. 

The money went to more than 7,900 former slave owners and their decendants in France, but by the time Haiti fully paid off the debt in 1947, none of the originally enslaved people or slave owners were alive. The total amount was more than twice the value of France’s claims, negatively impacting Haiti’s national education, health care and public infrastructure for centuries. In 2020, French economist Thomas Piketty said France should repay Haiti at least $28 billion in restitution.   

For its recent project, “The Ransom,” The New York Times spent months studying old documents and consulting with more than a dozen leading economists and financial historians to calculate how much Haiti paid in reparations as well as the larger economic impact on the country over the centuries. 

It found that Haiti paid about $560 million in today’s dollars. Had that money remained in the country, it would have added at least $21 billion to the Haitian economy. But experts told the Times the impact of the reparations and the initial loan go far beyond that. Taking into consideration that the country might have grown at a similar rate as its neighbors, Haiti lost about $115 billion.  

“Put another way, if Haiti had not been forced to pay its former slaves masters, one team of international scholars recently estimated, the country per capita income in 2018 could have been almost six times as large — about the same as in its next-door neighbor, the Dominican Republic,” according to the Times. 

“Overall, Haiti is just being punished for being the first republic of slaves to overthrow slave masters.”

— Marjory Neret 

In addition to not recognizing Haitian independence for decades and trying at times to annex its territory, the United States has repeatedly exploited the country. 

From 1915 to 1934, the U.S. installed its own regime, rewrote the constitution, and took control of the country’s finances. During a demonstration in Les Cayes in 1929, U.S. Marines fired on 1,500 people, killing 12 and wounding 23. About 15,000 Haitians were killed during the 19-year occupation. U.S. soldiers pulled out in 1934, but the U.S. maintained control of Haiti’s finances until 1947, diverting about 40% of Haiti’s national income to service debt repayments to France and the U.S.

Since then the U.S. continues to back authoritarian Haitian leaders who appear to be allied with its interests. To reverse this trend, Haitian scholars and others advocate for the U.S. to support a group of Haitian civil organizations called the Commission to Search for a Haitian Solution to the Crisis.  

“Overall, Haiti is just being punished for being the first republic of slaves to overthrow slave masters,” Neret told EGC. “They’ve made sure to put lots of political things in place to make them pay for that and to be an example to all of the other places.” 

Getting behind leaders God is using

Bass, EGC’s executive director, recalls attending a conference in New York City that included a panel discussion on addressing the problems facing Haiti. 

“There wasn’t a Haitian on it,” he said. “I walked out — this can’t work.” 

Given the broken legacy of foreign relief aid and exploitation of Haiti, the church must adopt a new model if it wants to help.

EGC has a track record of partnering with the Haitian Christian community since the 1980s. After the earthquake in 2010, a local foundation provided EGC with about $100,000 in relief aid for Haiti. EGC then worked with the Rev. Dr. Soliny Védrine, senior pastor at Boston Missionary Baptist Church and a former EGC staff member, to partner with a dozen Haitian pastors in Greater Boston to distribute the $100,000 as they saw best. 

“They created these feedback mechanisms where people reported how they spent the money,” Bass said. “It was very effective.”

This approach stands in contrast to problematic models of aid and development and outside input that unwittingly reinforce the same corruption, paternalism and racism that have caused many of Haiti’s biggest problems. Most aid and development organizations assume they can import solutions from the outside without long-standing relationships with the humanitarian and development ecosystem in place. The people most impacted are often shut out of the decision-making process. 

The reality is that, when disaster strikes, there are already local leaders, organizations and systems in place working to address the needs. Excluding these leaders from the table is counterproductive and colonialistic. 

“How can you plan a decent reconstruction if you don’t take into consideration the existing building blocks of local setups?” wrote Marie-Rose Romain Murphy, co-founder of the Haiti Community Foundation, in a CDA Collaborative Learning Projects article. “How can you develop effective and sustainable programs if citizens of the country are not included in those plans’ design?”

These dynamics motivate EGC to prioritize local leaders who have the vantage point and perspective needed to assess and innovate. Not placing relief aid directly in their hands and giving them decision-making power perpetuates Haiti’s struggles. 

“EGC’s philosophy, and becoming more so,” Bass said, “is to get behind local, on-the-ground leaders as much as possible.”

TAKE ACTION

Give

You are invited into this effort. We are asking you to prayerfully consider assisting us with this challenge. This is a great opportunity for the church to step up and support our brothers and sisters in Haiti and locally in Greater Boston.

You can make a tax-deductible gift for Pwojè Rebati by clicking here and typing “Haiti Relief” in the “For” box. Thanks to the generous donor who has offered a $250,000 matching gift challenge, your gift will be matched 1:1 until the full amount has been met. EGC is passing through 100% of the donations to support the work in Southern Haiti.

Learn More

To learn more, check out the following organizations and resources. The list is not intended to be exhaustive.

• Organizations

  • Fellowship of Haitian Evangelical Pastors of New England 

    • The fellowship provides Haitian evangelical pastors in New England a “platform whereby its members will be provided ministry support, fellowship, spiritual development, cultural awareness, social services and needed resources, for the advancement and the well-being of each individual.”

  • Haiti Community Foundation 

    • The foundation seeks to “foster thriving Haitian communities with justice and opportunities for all, and to nurture and support Haitian leadership focused on national self-determination and collaborative development.”

• Resources

  • “What if?” Questions with answers for a paradigm shift in the Aid System

    • In this CDA Collaborative Learning Projects article, Marie-Rose Romain Murphy, co-founder of the Haiti Community Foundation, casts a vision for how the aid sector can reflect on past mistakes and change course to empower local leaders so that “Aid … would (finally!) be about ending Aid.”      

  • You call it philanthropy, we call it ‘Devlopman Tèt Ansanm’

    • In this article published by Alliance Magazine in London, Marie-Rose Romain Murphy lays out four critical changes the philanthropy world must adopt moving forward. 

  • The Haiti Community Foundation: the impossible made possible

    • In this address given at a gathering organized by the South Africa-based Global Fund for Community Foundations, Marie-Rose Romain Murphy tells the story of the Haiti Community Foundation and its impact on Haiti in the aftermath of the 2010 earthquake.   

  • Haiti Marks 10 Years after Earthquake: One Decade after the Severe Disaster, Sisters Discuss Haiti’s Progress, Stagnation 

    • This article by Chris Herlinger in the National Catholic Reporter includes insights and assessments that go beyond just the facts that much aid did not reach people in need and make a lasting difference.

  • Owning Our Future: Haitian Perspectives in Film

    • These 10 short films were produced by Haitians in partnership with Haitian community media and development organizations, Community Supported Film, and international non-governmental organizations. 

  • When Helping Hurts: How to Alleviate Poverty without Hurting the Poor…and Yourself 

    • Although this book by Steve Corbett and Brian Fikkert is not about Haiti, it does help people with uninformed, good intentions think through their approach to helping to avoid pitfalls, ineffectiveness, counter-productivity, and paternalism.

Research was contributed by Rudy Mitchell.

Origin Story: How RCCI's first cohort took shape

Photography by R9 Foto for The Emmanuel Gospel Center

Origin Story: How RCCI's first cohort took shape

Five years ago, the Race & Christian Community Initiative launched its first cohort, a small group of white Christians in Greater Boston wrestling with issues related to race.

It was an unexpected adventure, but one that was characterized by humility, transformation, faith, and grace.

In March 2017, at a time when the national conversation demanded that white America address the racism endemic to this country, RCCI’s program director, Megan Lietz, called white Christians to take action. She invited those who responded on a journey to explore issues related to race in community. That was the beginning of RCCI cohorts and support and accountability groups.

While that was the beginning, the best part was the process. And it’s that journey that we hope to share with you today. Not only what we did — but how we did it — and the values, postures, and practices we held along the way.

As a group committed to learning in community, we wanted to share our story collaboratively. As a result, members of RCCI’s first cohort held a five-year reunion to reconnect and reflect on their shared journey. It was out of this time of remembering that a collective story emerged that we desire to share with you today. It is a story not only of how RCCI’s hallmark program began but of how we learned to walk in faith and allowed God to form us through community.

Testimonies of impact from inaugural cohort participants

Shelton and Scott

“My experience has significantly shaped the lens through which I see the world, myself, others, and God. I am so much more aware of how whiteness has shaped my reality, worldview, reading of scripture, and theology as well as the systems I live in and reinforce.” — Shelton

“Being part of the cohort helped me to gain familiarity and comfort with the language of race and racism, applied to the world I was experiencing, but also applied to my own life and actions.” — Scott

Dana

“[An exercise from the] support and accountability journey continued to shape my thinking as I entered into a new season of ministry. It has sharpened my focus and deepened my understanding of the need to prioritize relationships over strategies and shared life experiences over programs.”

Kate and Jeremy

“I read the news differently, I listen differently, I look at and interact with people in crowds differently. I think about how I use my resources in a new way. … I have a changed mindset, and it affects everything.” — Jeremy

Linda

“So much of my internal racism was pushed down over the years and remained deep inside of me. But, as I learned to identify its existence, I also learned to ask forgiveness in prayer and seek a way to reconcile these sins with those whom I harmed.”

One leader’s call to prevent sexual exploitation in the church

One leader’s call to prevent sexual exploitation in the church by practicing accountability, transparency

By Gregg Detwiler, Founding Director and Consultant for Intercultural Ministers

Editor’s Note: When male Christian leaders abuse their power and sexually exploit women, the trauma has a devastating impact on the victims, rippling out through the broader community. Underneath these moral failures lies a culture of silence and secrecy. Gregg Detwiler, founding director and consultant for Intercultural Ministers at the Emmanuel Gospel Center, argues that the absence of safe, transparent spaces where leaders can process their struggles is a systemic issue. Sharing from his own life and ministry, Gregg encourages Christian leaders to walk with others in accountability and transparency as they seek to minister to others.

Many in the Christian community have been rocked by the recent revelation of the secret life of sexual sin and abuse by the renowned Christian apologist Ravi Zacharias. This tragic failure follows in the wake of other well-known leaders such as Bill Hybels. Both of these cases involved abuse of power, and in Zacharias’ case, sexual exploitation and assault on multiple women whom he violated and now face horrific trauma. We lament the pain, loss and devastation of these survivors and pray for their healing and restitution.

But the culture of silence and secrecy that incubates such predatory sexual exploitation is not limited to just megachurch pastors and leaders of large international ministries but also shows up in local congregations. There are ample examples of lesser-known local leaders who have joined the ranks of those whose lives of secret sin and abuse have been exposed. To add to this, there are leaders who have secretly struggled with depression, with some who have sadly succumbed to suicide. While the pressures associated with COVID may have exacerbated these problems, this spiritual malady has extended well beyond the current moment.

You can read the full article at Gregg’s blog at GreggDetwiler.com.

Gregg Detwiler

Prior to joining EGC in 2001, Gregg Detwiler served as a church-planting pastor of a multicultural church in Boston, and as missions pastor of a suburban congregation. Today Gregg works with leaders from many cultures, offering research, training, consulting, networking and collaborative outreach. Originally from Kansas, Gregg graduated from Evangel University and the Assemblies of God Seminary in Missouri. In 2001, he earned a D.Min. in Urban Ministry from Gordon-Conwell. Gregg and his wife, Rita, live in Greater Boston and have three children.

Would you be willing...?

Would you be willing...?

by Jeff Bass, Executive Director

Editor’s Note: In this opinion piece, Emmanuel Gospel Center’s executive director, Jeff Bass, shares how his life took an unexpected turn from the suburbs to the city. His story is one of the many ways God calls different people — from those down the street to others around the globe — to embrace the call to join him in his “divine mission for redemption.”

There I was. Alone in a room with the Rev. Dr. Michael Haynes. He looked me straight in the eye and said, “Would you be willing to go to the city?”

But I wasn’t really alone. I was among thousands of other college students that Dr. Haynes, the senior minister of Boston’s historic Twelfth Baptist Church and former pastor of Martin Luther King Jr., was addressing at Urbana ’79, just south of Chicago. That question has led to other “Would you be willing” questions over the decades, each one shaping God’s call on my life.

Urbana is InterVarsity Christian Fellowship’s famous missions conference, but I really had no interest in being a missionary. My college roommate and I had asked the English theologian John Stott a question when he spoke at Princeton a few months back, and Dr. Stott invited us to discuss it more over breakfast if we would come to Urbana in December. In retrospect, I think he was keener on getting us to Urbana than he was truly interested in our question. Be that as it may, after Christmas with my family in the suburbs of Cleveland, I drove to Urbana to have breakfast with Dr. Stott and attend the conference.

Jeff Bass as a young college student around 1979. Emmanuel Gospel Center.

It turned out that Urbana ’79 was an amazing experience. Forty-plus years later, I remember Luis Palau’s dynamic speaking, the energetic worship, the challenging small-group conversations, and a very well-orchestrated communion service with 17,000 participants. I don’t remember Billy Graham speaking, though I see he was on the agenda. I do remember that Dr. Stott’s devotions on Romans each morning were the best Bible teaching I’ve ever heard, and I remember that it was cool to have breakfast with one of the greatest theologians and Christian leaders of our time — though I don’t remember gaining much ground on our question.

What I remember most was Dr. Haynes’ passionate speech about the importance of God’s work in the city. I remember him saying at the end of his talk, “Some of you will be called to the city.” Thanks to the wonders of the internet, I just discovered that what he really ended with was:

“God this day may be directly calling you to personally covenant with him in a partnership to fulfill the most exciting yet demanding and critical mission of the Church of Jesus Christ in this new age and in the decade of the 1980s — right in center city, urban America, USA.

Brothers and sisters in Jesus Christ, our Lord is waiting for you to walk and work the city streets of this world with him in a divine mission for redemption. Would you be willing to go to the city?”

I can’t explain it, but it really did feel for a minute like Dr. Haynes was talking just to me — like I was alone with him in that big hall, and the Holy Spirit was asking me: Would you be willing to go to the city? And somehow, I knew at that moment I was being called to the city.

“I can’t explain it, but it really did feel for a minute like Dr. Haynes was talking just to me — like I was alone with him in that big hall, and the Holy Spirit was asking me: Would you be willing to go to the city?”

— Jeff Bass

Of course, I had no idea what that meant. It would not have been any stranger to me if Dr. Haynes had said, “Would you be willing to go to the farm?” I really had no connection with the city, and no real interest in the city either. I grew up in the burbs and was happy there. I picked Princeton over MIT in part because of its bucolic campus. I was studying environmental engineering and thought I would be headed to the woods someday.

But God had other plans. Not only was he calling me to the city, he was calling me to Dr. Haynes’ city. In the summer of 1981, I graduated from college, got married, moved to Watertown just outside of Boston, and started a new job as a hazardous waste management consultant at Arthur D. Little in Cambridge. And so began a journey to develop what so many others have had all along, a sincere love and appreciation for urban communities and urban people in general, and a passion for Boston in particular.

My wife, Ellen, and I did our best to get to know urban Boston. We joined an urban church — Ruggles Baptist on the border of Boston and Brookline. (It seemed pretty urban to us at the time.) We found a little ministry in the Yellow Pages (yes, this was pre-Google) called Christians for Urban Justice and started volunteering with them.

Through Ruggles, we met other people who cared about the city, and eventually, ten of us moved together to Boston’s Mission Hill neighborhood, building homes on land no one wanted. And through Christians for Urban Justice, Ellen and I met folks at the Emmanuel Gospel Center, including Doug and Judy Hall. I took their inner-city ministry course in 1988 and got my first introduction to systems thinking in Christian ministry. Around that time Doug, EGC’s executive director, asked me to join the organization’s board. From there, Rev. Bruce Wall, EGC’s board chair and a spiritual son of Dr. Haynes, encouraged me to join the staff in 1990, and I replaced Doug as executive director in 1999.

My life took a turn in December of 1979. An opportunity to have breakfast with a Christian leader I admired turned into an apparently clear word from the Holy Spirit, which led to a whole series of “Would you be willings”: Would you be willing to come to the city? … to move to Mission Hill? … to raise your family here and send your kids to Boston Public Schools? … to learn from the richness of people often labeled as “poor”? … to become friends with, work with, and work under people who are very different from you?

These “Would you be willings” challenged my faith, caused me to take risks and to grow, and led me to make choices in my life to follow through on what the Lord was calling me to.

More lately, the “Would you be willings” have been: Would you be willing to lament? … to find the courage to speak up even when it’s challenging or costly? … to repent of your arrogance and grow in humility? … to see things from other perspectives? … to give up power to empower others? … to learn to serve in new ways?

The journey has been — and continues to be — challenging, fulfilling, and often unexpected.

I want to continue to be willing…

TAKE ACTION

Since Dr. Haynes spoke to the young crowd at Urbana in the late 1970s, urban ministry has become even more crucial to the mission of the Church of Jesus Christ as more and more people migrate to the world’s cities. A lot has changed since then, and I wonder what challenges Dr. Haynes would have for us today.

I am clear that the Holy Spirit often challenges us with “Would you be willing...?” to invite us to cooperate with what God is doing around us. What “Would you be willings” is the Lord asking of you?

• Would you be willing to embrace the new opportunities God has created for the church through the COVID pandemic?

• Would you be willing to fight racism and injustice in your settings, even if it is personally costly to you?

• Would you be willing to listen to “the other side”?

• Would you be willing to follow instead of lead if leading has been your norm?

• Would you be willing to take the risk to follow God in a new way in this challenging season?

Jeff Bass

Jeff Bass joined the staff of EGC in 1991, and was named executive director in 1999. A graduate of Princeton University (civil engineering major), Jeff first worked as a consultant for Arthur D. Little, Inc., but left in 1987 to become the business manager of a local church, where he learned first-hand about the inner workings of an urban congregation. In 2014, Jeff was granted an honorary Doctor of Divinity degree from Gordon College. Jeff is an avid tennis and paddle tennis player. He and his wife, Ellen, have two adult children and two amazing grandchildren.

Nurturing Black Church vitality

Nurturing Black Church vitality

Black churches in Boston embark on long-term learning initiative   

by Hanno van der Bijl, Managing Editor, Applied Research & Consulting

The Boston Black Church Vitality Project (BBCVP) at the Emmanuel Gospel Center is kicking off its Thriving Initiative with a cohort of ethnically and denominationally diverse Black churches that are located in four predominantly Black neighborhoods in the city. 

These past few years, churches have faced a compounded crisis without the most essential part of their legacy — the ability to gather, fellowship, pray and worship together. Many Black churches are still grappling with the challenges extended by prolonged closure. 

The convening of a cohort committed to learning, growth, and collaboration during times when Christian community has become increasingly siloed due to the isolating effects of the pandemic is a testament to the resilience and dedication of Black pastors in the city.

The initiative is a three-year process rooted in learning, discerning, and doing ministry. Participating churches will examine their mission and values in light of shifting social and cultural landscapes in Boston. 

“We’re not here to save anybody. We’re not here to fix anybody. We’re not here to tell anybody what to do, how to do it, and when to do it. That’s not the goal,” said Dr. Emmett G. Price III, CEO of the Black Christian Experience Resource Center and Dean of Africana Studies at Berklee College of Music. “The goal is to bring folks together, who are already doing the work in powerful and meaningful ways, so that you can share best practices with each other.”

“The goal is to bring folks together, who are already doing the work in powerful and meaningful ways, so that you can share best practices with each other.”

— Dr. Emmett G. Price III

By deploying tools such as interview guides, congregant surveys, and ministry inventories that BBCVP designed to support churches in understanding the needs and perspectives of congregant and community stakeholders, the cohort will lead in a learning endeavor that seeks to model the work of reflection that is essential in order for the Church to remain relevant and vital. 

“Nobody really wants to talk about what happens on the ground in Boston, because Boston doesn’t fit into the phenotype of the quote-unquote Black Church in the nation — you know that better than anybody else,” Dr. Price said, addressing cohort participants. “So, here’s our opportunity to come together and talk about what vitality and thriving looks like, and not to wait for other people to come tell us about ourselves.” 

Through online articles, reports on what is being learned, videos, and data visualization, the BBCVP project will share these stories of innovation, successful strategies, and effective use of leverage points that exemplify models of prophetic leadership, community care, spiritual formation, and the pursuit of justice. 

“For us to prepare as the Black Church — broadly defined, narrowly defined — we need data. We can’t just keep doing things on a wing and a prayer,” said Rev. David Wright, executive director of BMA Tenpoint. “We want to gather hard data so that we can assess what’s happening and then begin to prayerfully make plans so that we can prepare for the future.”

“We want to gather hard data so that we can assess what’s happening and then begin to prayerfully make plans so that we can prepare for the future.”

— Rev. David Wright

The cohort is made up of a diverse group of church leaders that includes Black Americans, Haitians, Nigerians, and St. Lucians. And the diverse list of churches represents historic neighborhoods in the city, including Dorchester, Hyde Park, Mattapan, and Roxbury.

“We understand that the Black Church is not monolithic,” said Jaronzie Harris, program manager at the BBCVP. “So, I’m excited to hear what kinds of conversations are coming out of that exchange, what we have to learn from each other, what we have to share with each other.”

“I’m excited to hear what kinds of conversations are coming out of that exchange, what we have to learn from each other, what we have to share with each other.”

— Jaronzie Harris

During the first cohort meeting, pastors and church leaders shared their excitement about the project as well as the places they’re already witnessing vitality.

Mount of Olives Evangelical Baptist Church is addressing food insecurity and digital literacy as well as providing community education on COVID-19 and distribution of personal protective equipment, said Rev. Dr. Joel Piton, senior pastor of the Hyde Park church.

Twelfth Baptist Church in Roxbury is also focused on communal care with peace walks, a preschool and after-school program, as well as a food pantry and vaccination center. In addition, the church provided financial resources for families negatively impacted by the lengthy U.S. federal government shutdown in late 2018 and early 2019.

“What’s deep in my heart is the proactivity of the gospel,” said Rev. Willie Bodrick II, senior pastor at Twelfth Baptist Church. “I think it is the framework in which Jesus presents to us how we should manifest our words and the words of ministry into the actions of people’s lives.” 

“What’s deep in my heart is the proactivity of the gospel. I think it is the framework in which Jesus presents to us how we should manifest our words and the words of ministry into the actions of people’s lives.”

— Rev. Willie Bodrick II

TAKE ACTION

The Thriving Initiative is generously funded by the Lilly Endowment. For more information, visit blackchurchvitality.com.

Something New!

Saranya Sathananthan and Caleb McCoy introduce local ministry leaders at the Something New! event in Dorchester on Saturday, Dec. 4, 2021. Emmanuel Gospel Center

On Dec. 4, the Emmanuel Gospel Center hosted the “Something New!” event at Codman Square in Dorchester.

There was music. There was food. There were friends sharing their hearts.

The gathering celebrated Caleb McCoy’s new “Render Unto Caesar” album with a concert led by McCoy and his band, The Oak, along with surprise guest appearances. Inspired by Jesus’ words in the Gospels, McCoy explores how we can contribute to a society with social, economic, and political ills.

Community leaders encouraged the crowd with practical ways to do just that with opportunities to come alongside ministries that engage the city.

We continue to champion these voices and further their advocacy efforts. Here is more information on the speakers and how you can get involved.

Nakia Reyes

Nakia Reyes has been teaching pre-primary school for more than 15 years. Montessori education caught her interest in 2014 and she is now the Founder and Lead Teacher at Neighborhood Montessori in Dorchester.

Mary Grant

Mary Grant works on the missions staff at Young Life Dorchester and hopes to continue leading youth into success and loving them into the Kingdom of Christ.

Carla Booker

Carla Booker and the Traction House community are partnering with Black and brown families in their efforts to enter the homeownership journey.

Pastor Valerie Copeland

Valerie Copeland is a lifelong Bostonian, lead Pastor of the Neighborhood Church in Dorchester, and lover of all things Jesus.

Dr. Emmett G. Price III

Dr. Emmett G. Price III is CEO of the Black Christian Experience Resource Center and Dean of Africana Studies at Berklee College of Music.

Sheila Wise Rowe

Sheila Wise Rowe is a counselor and author. Her latest book, “Young, Gifted, and Black,” will be published by InterVarsity Press in February 2022.

Maka Osman

Maka Osman is clinical director at Refugee and Immigrant Assistance Center (RIAC).

Saranya Sathananthan

Saranya Sathananthan is community and culture advocate at the Emmanuel Gospel Center.

Capturing the stories of Black senior saints in Boston

Capturing the stories of Black senior saints in Greater Boston

Boston Black Church Vitality Project’s oral history project

by Hanno van der Bijl, Managing Editor

The Black Church has a rich and living history in Greater Boston — a legacy that an oral history project is capturing one interview at a time.

It’s an initiative by the Boston Black Church Vitality Project in partnership with stakeholder churches that is exploring the intersection of being Black and Christian and the Church’s role in nurturing those identities.

Dubbed “Solos from the Choir,” participants record interviews with senior congregants, clergy, and community members. The project has already clocked in several interviews that have been posted online.

“These stories are centered around the Black church experience and to be honest with you, I would like to see more young people in church, so I’m hoping that these stories will encourage people to go to church because it’s such a place of community,” said Ritajayne Rivera, a member of Greater Framingham Community Church.

“I’m hoping that these stories will encourage people to go to church because it’s such a place of community.”

— Ritajayne Rivera

In addition to documenting the history of the Black Church and the Black Christian experience in Greater Boston, the endeavor seeks to inspire reflection, preserve tradition and give insight into assets and resources within churches.

The Black Church has historically been a place for Black people not only to worship but also to mobilize and organize for social change. It has served as a hub for social services, education, employment, voter registration, child care, and more.

By interviewing senior church members and recording their stories, the project is not only learning Black history but also preserving it.

TAKE ACTION

Is there an elder in your church or family who has a story to tell about the Black Church and the Black Christian experience in Greater Boston? This toolkit is available to guide you in the process of interviewing them about their experiences.

Showing hospitality to Afghan arrivals

Showing hospitality to Afghan arrivals

Intercultural Ministries launches resettlement cohort

by Hanno van der Bijl, Managing Editor

As Boston welcomes scores of Afghan evacuees, Intercultural Ministries (IM) at the Emmanuel Gospel Center is gathering a group of people from local churches to pray, reflect, learn and support the new arrivals.

These 20 host families are opening their homes because they realize they have something to offer in a very dark moment. Some of them have had rewarding experiences in cross-cultural relationships in the past. All are eager to help settle displaced Afghan arrivals in a new home.

Host homes provide a place of rest for families and individuals still reeling from the chaotic evacuation ordeal in Afghanistan.

A couple of the families that have been placed in host homes are already moving into their own apartments, shortening the anticipated housing transition from several months to a matter of weeks.

“We are seeing that — as of the moment — people are able to move into a more permanent situation more quickly,” said Sarah Blumenshine, director of IM. “Initially, we had said two to three months. That’s not been the case at all.”

“We are offering hospitality to people who have already offered it to us.”

— Sarah Blumenshine, director of Intercultural Ministries

But Blumenshine said that may change if the housing leads dry up. In addition to temporary host homes, landlords who are willing to affordably rent to families longer-term are greatly needed.

Providing housing rental coverage for Afghan families moving into their own apartments is critical to give them a little breathing room as they acclimate as much as possible to their new surroundings. It also provides the time necessary for their paperwork to be processed.

“People who particularly have more trouble are those who don’t even have any paperwork started,” Blumenshine said. “It’s going to be a while until they are eligible to work.”

Despite having their world turned upside down, families have found some joy in a few familiar comforts like kicking around a soccer ball in a park.

The group of host families IM is working with is committed to showing hospitality to the new Afghan guests because God calls us to love our neighbors. It is equally committed to addressing mental models that are at best misguided and at worst harmful.

Refugees are often defined by their apparent need for rescue. When characterized with this broad brush, their new hosts are in danger of missing the resourcefulness, individuality, and tenacity that brought them to this moment.

“We also miss the leadership and support this group of Afghans offered to Americans in their home country,” Blumenshine said. “We are offering hospitality to people who have already offered it to us.”

Wikimedia Commons

TAKE ACTION

In addition to housing, IM is coordinating efforts to donate items, volunteer, and give financial support. Here’s how you and your church can help.

Host a family

If you have a home near bus or subway transportation to Boston, you can provide a soft landing for a family for two to three months.

Intercultural Ministries staff will provide orientation, weekly check-ins, and monthly gatherings for prayer, reflection, learning, and support to a group of about 20 host households from local churches. For more information about the hosting cohort, contact Sarah Blumenshine at sblumenshine@egc.org.

Donate essential items

Drop off goods such as school supplies, backpacks, and clothing at a location in Lynn, Lexington, or Hingham. Sign up for current needs and view drop-off details here.

Volunteer

Help new arrivals by giving rides, showing them how to use Boston public transit, or getting their new apartment move-in ready. Learn more and register your interest here.

Give financially

EGC and The Refugee and Immigrant Assistance Center have created several funds to help resettle incoming Afghan arrivals. Donate at riacboston.org by selecting “Afghan Refugees” in the drop-down menu on the donate page.

Give through EGC by clicking on the give button below and entering “Afghan relief” in the text box. 100% of donations will support Afghans arriving in Boston.

You can also support EGC’s efforts to ramp up this initiative with training and support structures by donating below to IM.

Ministering to the Whole Family

Ministering to the whole family

How Christian out-of-school time programs play a critical role in the lives of kids and their parents during the pandemic

by Hanno van der Bijl, Managing Editor, and Pastor Ayn DuVoisin, BEC Associate

From obstacles with virtual learning to parents losing jobs, the coronavirus pandemic has made life difficult for many children in Boston.

Urban students were struggling even before COVID-19. According to “Boston Public Schools at a Glance 2019-2020,” 39% of third-graders scored Exceeding or Meeting Expectations in English Language Arts on the 2019 Next Generation Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System exams. About 75% of Boston Public School (BPS) students who began high school in September 2014 graduated in four years, according to the BPS 2018 Graduation Rate Report. 

Despite the challenges, Christian leaders at ministries offering after-school and summer programs say they are witnessing God’s goodness and grace toward the children and their families. But the pandemic also forced these organizations to scramble to meet the demands of the new situation with all its uncertainties.  

“We are still in the middle of a pandemic, and its negative impact on urban students and families persists into this new school year,” said Ruth Wong, director of the Boston Education Collaborative (BEC) at the Emmanuel Gospel Center (EGC). “While learning remotely was hard for most students, the adjustment to in-person learning has been hard for students socially and emotionally. We have heard so much about the complicated and stressful situation with delayed school reopening plans that created much anxiety for school leaders, teachers, and parents. Parents have had to juggle jobs and transportation issues. Some parents are still unable to work.” 

“We are still in the middle of a pandemic, and its negative impact on urban students and families persists into this new school year.”

— Ruth Wong, Director, Boston Education Collaborative

Last year, Brockton Christian Mentoring Initiatives (BCMI) converted their facilities and resources to set up learning labs and shifted from mentoring programs to supervising remote classes. Greenwood Shalom Tutoring Zone and Summer Enrichment remained committed to a holistic approach to serving and working with families in Dorchester. American Chinese Christian Education and Social Services (ACCESS) adapted its approach to partnering with other organizations to better serve low-income Chinese families in Chinatown.

They all leaned into God in prayer more than ever for direction and provision.

“Answers to prayer continued to reveal God’s faithfulness, especially in matters of protection over the health of the teaching staff and students at ACCESS,” said Pasang Drolma, executive director at ACCESS.

The BEC works closely with these ministries as part of its mission to support underserved urban students. Along with several other programs, it brought them together last year as a learning community to share updates and how they were adjusting to the demands of the pandemic. The BEC also helped ACCESS and Greenwood Shalom raise a combined total of more than $15,000 by assisting them in submitting proposals for coronavirus relief funds. 

When BCMI shifted to supervising remote classes during the pandemic, they saw how challenged students were in a school environment as opposed to mentoring relationships. As discipline was one of the most challenging aspects, they sat one-on-one with about two dozen students in grades one through eight to help them with their schoolwork. 

Lynda Snelling, director at BCMI, said it was really important for the students to see each other, so the organization used some available funds to build on these relationships with fun activities over weekends.

Parents appreciated the academic help and supervision. With improved connections with a nearby school through parent resource personnel, BCMI was able to secure lunches for the program.

“Along the way,” Snelling said, “God made the way.” 

“Along the way, God made the way.”

— Lynda Snelling, Director, Brockton Christian Mentoring Initiatives

Seeing God’s hand at work was also evident for Jeanette Merren, program director at Greenwood Shalom in Dorchester, which is part of Victory Generation, a program of BMA TenPoint, an alliance of churches as well as faith and community-based organizations in Boston.   

Greenwood Shalom provides a safe and nurturing environment where they attend to children’s educational, physical, social, emotional, and spiritual needs. Teachers encourage children by helping them with their homework as well as taking tests and discovering new skills.

Through perseverance and encouragement, the 18 students, ages 5 to 13, who attended the program daily, learned efficiency as well as improved organization and time management skills.

At summer camp, Rochelle Jones, director of education at Victory Generation, supervised a new devotional time that children led by reading a devotional and commenting on what it meant for them. Apart from simply encouraging children to attend church, Jones said the team is engaging in spiritual conversations through positive, Christ-centered relationships. And the children are responding with great questions and open hearts, Jones said.   

Greenwood Shalom also partners with parents to better equip them and support them in their own educational and personal goals.

One of the major obstacles to working with parents during the early days of the pandemic was the lack of in-person meetings with families, cutting off the information usually gleaned from conversations before and after pick up.

But developing close relationships with families has given Greenwood Shalom a front-row seat to the transformation unfolding in their lives. Merren said she takes special joy in seeing God at work when a parent secures a new job.

In addition to academic enrichment, the program helps families find resources for food, finances, language learning, housing forms, and food stamps. The team also assists families, who may not be culturally familiar with the school system, in navigating communication issues such as understanding report cards, responding to emails, and advocating for special needs.

That kind of transformation was also on display for the team at ACCESS in Chinatown, which saw systemic change and more supportive relationships with families.

Like others, the organization grappled with lots of policy and schedule changes, but good communication with BPS and parents enabled ACCESS to help children and their families.

For some families, the assistance is critical. When asked what the ACCESS program meant to them, one parent shared, “It makes the difference of me being able to work or not!”

For those parents who lost jobs, ACCESS was able to make accommodations in their fee structure.

That was due in part to the love and generosity of several organizations that enabled ACCESS to maintain its outreach in the community. 

Some of those groups include the SuccessLink Youth and Young Adults Jobs program in the City of Boston Youth Engagement and Employment department, Chinatown Community Land Trust, Northeastern University’s Service-Learning program in its Office of City and Community Engagement, Boston Public Health Commission, and Tai Tung Village. 

Long-term partnerships with churches include the Christian Bible Church of Greater Boston and the Boston Chinese Evangelical Church.

These partnerships were a source of joy when challenges loomed large, enabling ACCESS to cover unanticipated expenses and avoid staff layoffs while providing creative programming in science, technology, engineering, and math in a healthy and safe learning environment.

It was the first year on the job for Annie Tran, who came on board ACCESS as program director after working in biotech. In that field, she was able to control variables in science experiments. But not at ACCESS. This new job was a radical change at a challenging time with many variables.

Tran said she learned “to be more vulnerable with my weaknesses and begin lifting them up to God.”

Despite wondering what God had planned, Tran said, “Not only is God great and powerful, but he is also strategic!”

“Not only is God great and powerful, but he is also strategic!”

— Annie Tran, Program Director, ACCESS

TAKE ACTION

This fall, schools and programs are experiencing first-hand the social-emotional impact of the pandemic on children and young people. 

School staff members have shared about challenges with helping students to relearn the norms of being a student, of how to work out conflict with other students, or how to express themselves when emotional. Staff at one school shared about the challenges they are facing with their ninth-graders who were last in school as seventh graders. 

Academic mentors and support for teachers are high needs. At the same time, families are still faced with resource needs such as food, diapers, clothing, and financial assistance.

Here’s how you can help the BEC’s partner organizations:

Volunteer

Volunteer in person. Contact Ruth Wong at rwong@egc.org for more information.  

Donate

Consider donating items for learning and activities. Follow these links for more information:

• ACCESS

  • Wishlist: activity sets, arts and crafts supplies, board games for children, chapter books as well as children’s books, puzzles

• BCMI

  • Wishlist: arts and craft supplies, games, gift cards to Target and Walmart for Christmas gifts

• Greenwood Shalom

  • Wishlist: Treetop mystery books series for grades K-7, 15 to 20 headphones, 20 Bluetooth speakers, one TV screen, 20 exercise mats in bags, 20 STEAM Activity sets

Here’s how you can help the BEC:

Partner 

The BEC is looking for church partners and Christians across the Greater Boston area to partner with and love on these Christian out-of-school time programs as well as school communities in the new school year. Contact Ruth Wong at rwong@egc.org if you are interested in learning more about how your church can partner with a local school.

Mentor

The BEC is seeking to recruit 250 volunteers to serve as academic mentors. Both schools and out-of-school time programs need in-person volunteers to assist teachers and staff to work with students in Boston, Cambridge, Chelsea, and Brockton. There are some remote volunteer opportunities, too. To find out more, contact Ruth Wong at rwong@egc.org.

Donate cloth masks and clothing

BPS staff have requested the faith community to donate cloth masks, and Catie’s Closet is holding clothing drives. Contact Ayn Duvoisin at becassociate2@egc.org for more information on both initiatives. 

Refer job candidates for BPS schools

Know of someone who would be a good fit for BPS? There are about 400 open positions in the schools. Please see the district’s list of job openings to refer candidates to the school.

Support families

Immigrant parents and families experiencing homelessness need help to navigate Zoom, online learning platforms, and resources. There is a special need for volunteers who speak Spanish. Volunteers can help provide support through phone or Zoom calls. We can train you to learn how to access various online platforms like Google Classroom. Contact Ruth Wong at rwong@egc.org to learn more.

Families are also in need of basic items such as food, clothing, diapers, cleaning supplies, personal hygiene products, etc. Go to www.egc.org/covidresponse to donate to our COVID-response fund to help families.

Other opportunities to support parents during these challenging times could also be explored. Contact Ruth at rwong@egc.org if you’re interested in working with families.

Hanno van der Bijl

Ayn DuVoisin

About the Authors

Hanno van der Bijl returned to EGC as managing editor after working as a teacher and reporter in Alabama for almost a decade. Before that, he worked with EGC’s research team and graduated with an M.Div. from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary in 2010. A native of South Africa, he is thrilled to be back in Boston where he became a U.S. citizen in 2007 at the Hynes Convention Center. Hanno and his wife, Lauren, have three young, beautiful children who are already smarter than their parents.

Pastor Ayn DuVoisin has been a volunteer associate with EGC’s Boston Education Collaborative initiative since 2019. She previously served as Pastor of Children’s Ministries at North River Church in Pembroke, Massachusetts, from 2000 to 2019. Over the past decade, she has been active in building the Church & School Partnership for Boston Public Schools. She is also a former board member of Greater Things for Greater Boston. She and her husband, Jean DuVoisin, have lived in Scituate, Massachusetts, for over 40 years. She is blessed by her three adult children and well-loved Golden Retriever, Sunny.

What does Boston's population growth mean for ministry in the city?

What does Boston's population growth mean for ministry in the city?

by Hanno van der Bijl, Managing Editor

More and more newcomers are flocking to Boston even as the number of churches appears to be leveling off.

The city's population is now growing at a much faster clip than in past years. From 1980 to 1990, the city added about 11,000 people. The increase grew to about 15,000 from 1990 to 2000. It doubled over the next decade to about 30,000 and then tripled from about 80,000 to 90,000 from 2010 to 2020.

The coronavirus pandemic threw a wrench in collecting data for the latest census. But taking into account recent growth trends, the Emmanuel Gospel Center estimates there are now about 700,000 Bostonians.

For much of Boston's past, the number of churches ran parallel to the city's population growth. That shifted in the 20th century during two periods of immigration from the 1870s to the 1920s and then again after 1980. During that time, the number of churches doubled from about 250 in the early part of the century to about 500 in 2000.

In recent years, that rate has slowed, creating new opportunities for Christian ministry.

“There are areas of the city that are seeing significant new developments and population growth, so, there’s opportunity for churches to do more outreach and for new churches to be planted.”

— Rudy Mitchell, senior researcher at EGC

TAKE ACTION

What do you think are some implications of population growth for Christian ministry in Boston?

Share your thoughts with us.

What do you think are some implications of population growth for Christian ministry in Boston?