In January, we began a series of discussions on “The African American Experience: How We Got Here” in order to better understand our current situation in the Upstate and beyond, and to discuss how our church can help bridge some of the gaps that still exist. Below are eight action items that we have taken as a church over the last few months.
- Our finance department transferred $250,000 of our reserve savings to the only African American owned bank in South Carolina, recently renamed Optus Bank.
- Ongoing initiating of personal relationships of our members aimed at understanding, reconciling, and partnering in the gospel (e.g. a pastoral and leadership reconciliation group in the Powdersville and Easley area continue to sponsor events like “Raising Children of Color” through our foster care ministry).
- Contributed $40,000 to help with remodeling efforts at two churches, one African American and one multicultural.
- Pledged monthly support ($1,250) to two church plant/revitalization efforts in Greenville.
- Working with Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) to recruit students for leadership and ministry training.
- Sharing one of our summer interns with Mountain View Baptist Church.
- Sending (7) Camp Staff to Allendale, SC for the summer to run a six-week day camp for local youth
- Consulting with several African American churches on facility upgrades, best use of land, and affordable housing opportunities.
To visit our page on "How We Got Here", including the full discussion on video, and the downloadable notes, resources, and presentation, click below.