In the News
The church has a role to play in economic empowerment
Posted Wednesday, January 12, 2005 - 10:24 pm
By Curtis L. Johnson
I must confess, I don't remember his name. He was in his late 30s or early 40s and was visiting someone in the old Woodland Homes apartment complex here in Greenville. It was a Saturday afternoon some 11 years ago. Two of my minister friends and I were doing our Christian duty. We were out "evangelizing" in the community according to the manner that we believed was evangelism.
We knocked on doors to determine if the person on the other end was prepared for eternity. When we encountered this gentleman, we were prepared to walk him through the "sinner's prayer" to lead him to Christ.
His response to our effort was a statement that I have never forgotten. It challenged me to redefine what ministry is. He said, "I believe what you're saying, but I have no food, no job, no place to live and no money. What can Jesus do for me right now?" I only had about $5 in my pocket, and to my knowledge none of our three churches had a system in place that could address what this man needed.
I left from that experience with my whole perspective of ministry placed under new conviction. I felt as if God was saying to me, "Stop 'evangelizing' like this, go back and restructure the church so you can minister to this man's needs."
In James 2:15 and 16, the Scripture says, "If a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food, and one of you says to them, 'Depart in peace, be warmed and filled,' but you do not give them the things which are needed for the body, what does it profit?"
It is at that point that I began to understand that the Gospel of the kingdom of Jesus Christ is more than a message that saves souls and prepares them for Heaven when they die; it is also a message that changes lives and equips them for earth while they live. It is a message of hope, restoration and resurrection. Therefore, the church that proclaims this message must become serious about economic empowerment.
There are large segments of our community that live daily with the struggles and stigmas of economic disenfranchisement. Some experience this due to the hopelessness that accompanies poverty. Others wrestle to survive daily due to the lack of meaningful employment opportunities. This constant battle damages ambition and desire, as well as negatively affects home and family life.
What I have realized since my experience with this man is that although many churches are attempting to address the needs of people like him (i.e. the homeless, those who are re-entering society from prison or those who cannot find meaningful employment), there is only so much that one church can do alone.
It is for this reason the Upstate South Carolina Business Group (USCBG) was formed. USCBG is a consortium of Upstate churches that are partnering with the business and the banking community - joining forces to economically empower our congregations and the community. USCBG offers programs for employment, home-ownership, debt cancellation, credit restoration, wealth accumulation and economic reciprocity for churches and businesses. The group includes pastors and churches who are crossing race and denominational barriers, and are serious about providing hope and making an impact in the community.
One of the initiatives of USCBG is the Job Partners program that links businesses with prospective employees. Job Partners is sponsoring its first annual Job Fair on Saturday at the University Center at the old McAlister Square mall. Nearly 100 Upstate businesses will be present. The Job Fair will cater to those who are unemployed, underemployed or desiring a career change. We invite persons of all education levels and employment backgrounds. It includes representatives from a wide range of industries. We encourage interested persons to be prepared, bring resumes and dress to impress. There will be job-training opportunities available on site.
An old adage says, "give a man a fish and he'll eat for a day; but, teach him to fish, and he'll eat for life." But the USCBG approach takes another step: empower the man to buy the pond, and he can alter the destiny of a multitude of fishermen.
On this weekend, let's celebrate the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. by manifesting his dream of a community not divided by color or economic status. For disenfranchised men and women all over our community, we want to help make their God-given dreams become their reality.