Hello World,

A year ago, former Pastor Jomo Kenyatta Johnson moved from Georgia to our nation’s capital to launch a dream he had been given by God — Church for Black Men. He had no idea that in creating Church for Black Men that he would be assaulted, lose his home and get sick. But that is what happened. Still, Johnson and Church for Black Men which is now Church for Black Men & Families are still here.

Johnson, a graduate of Westminster Theological Seminary, created Church for Black Men as he “discovered that only about 9% of Black males between the ages of 20-40 were connected with a Christian Church. Wanting to see this trend reversed he did a survey of Black men to discover the reasons they felt disconnected from both the mainline and African-American Church.” Through prayer he discerned that a “smaller informal model as found in the book of Acts would answer the problem of disconnect.” Church for Black Men & Families is hosted in Johnson’s home in Washington D.C. Prayerfully, Johnson, who works under the  leadership of non-profit ministries Luke 10 and D.C. For Jesus, hopes to launch a movement of 1000 house churches in the Black community this year. Below is my interview with Johnson.

1. Why did you decide to change the name of Church for Black Men into Church for Black Men & Families? 

If the man is broken, I have found that the family is broken so I wanted to incorporate the man and the family as well. We’ve had white people attend our church too and they are welcomed, but our mission is to focus on black men and families.

2. How were you assaulted as you founded Church for Black Men & Families?

I was staying with a friend, a fellow Christian,  in D.C. who was going to help me start the church, but I learned he had other beliefs. He ended up physically attacking me and stealing my cell phone, but he was arrested and went to jail. I had a few cuts and a broken toe. My sister suggested that I come home, but the cause of Christ is greater than being assaulted.  So I decided to stay…Since I didn’t have a job at that time and no place to stay in D.C., I ended up being homeless for a while and stayed in a homeless shelter.  I also had a mini-stroke sometime later, but I saw it as a means of testing to not give up. I give praise to Jesus for setting an example of not giving up for the work of God.

3. What does a typical Sunday service look like? 

We average about five people every Sunday, and we can max out at 15. Once we get past 15, we will create another house church. We meet at 9 a.m. for breakfast. Then we pray and read a Scripture. Everyone is then encouraged to share how they are really doing and to be transparent. It’s a spiritual check-in. And we don’t give any feedback. In regular church, when people share what they are going through, people are quick to blast them with encouragement. We want to make sure that people feel that they have been heard. I’ve experienced men being transparent and sharing their heart in tears as we were vulnerable before God. The house church round table model allows Jesus to be the head of the meeting. We don’t preach sermons, study the Bible, sing praise songs, but we seek to hear from God and hear from one another.

We also meet at nearby library every Wednesday and also on Friday at a homeless shelter.

4. You refer yourself as a former pastor. Why?

I am not a pastor of a traditional church. I don’t receive a salary, nor ask for offerings, nor do I focus on titles. I host men and families in my home and I disciple them. This is something everyone should be doing.

5. You told me that Church for Black Men & Families wants to launch 1000 churches in the black community this year. How do you plan to accomplish that goal?

We are offering free mental health services, employment assistance, and male mentorship to any person willing to allow us to host a weekly meeting in their home. Starting in March, we will reach 500 homes a week in D.C. with this offer. We also are praying that God will move on the hearts of Black Christians to free themselves from legalism by thinking they can only serve God by going to a Sunday service because some people will never go to a building for church. We are encouraging Black Christians to step out on faith and be wiling to open up their homes once a week for true intimacy, transparency, and communion with the risen Lord.

6. Considering what you went through when you first moved to D.C., how can home hosts ensure their safety?

Being saved is not safe. The Good Samaritan took a risk. We as black Christians have often failed when it comes to hospitality. The very thing that we think is our’s, our home, actually belongs to God. If we are to experience God’s grace, we have to take risks. We complain about drug dealers in our community but have you ever invited a drug dealer into your home?

But we do have safety procedures that are a part of our training. We provide free six-week training and will come to your city to help you launch a home church.

7. As you were assaulted, were homeless and suffered a mini-stroke, was it all worth it to launch this home church network?

It’s all for Jesus. Every tear, every pain, and every suffering for His sake is a blessing. I nor anyone else is worthy to suffer for so great a cause. I would do it 1000 times again.

For more information, go to blackmen.church.

Any thoughts?

The post Church for Black Men Founder Jomo Johnson Assaulted, Experiences Homelessness & More But Perseveres… appeared first on After the Altar Call.

Aww, yes, I have finally gotten back to my regular schedule post cruise and now that I’ve had time to reflect, I think I can write a somewhat interesting piece on my 35th b-day vacation. (I’m sure you will tell me if it’s the most boring thing you’ve ever read.)

If you’ve read my previous post on my 35th b-day, you know how I feel about it, but what I neglected to tell you was how I had planned to celebrate it. Drum roll pleaazzz….Me and my girl, V, embarked on a seven-day cruise to the Eastern Caribbean. We started in Puerto Rico and visited Barbados, St. Lucia, Antigua, St. Maarten and St. Thomas.

I wish I could sum up the experience in a word, but I cannot – so I will tell you about my thoughts here and there along the way. (This blog thing can be sooo self indulgent, but oh well…)

Day 1

In the airport still in the A, as I slipped back on my sandals after the security check, a guy commented on my hair and shoes and muttered something that sounded like, “Really pretty.” I smiled, replied “Thank you,” and wondered if his comment was indicative of the events to come. Some days, no matter how cute you think you look before you leave the house, you ain gettin’ no play for whatever reason. I took his comment as an affirmation that the “Cute gods” had sprinkled pixie dust on me, and I was well on my way to some much need flirting…okay, pause…For those who have read my previous post on my man fast, you may be wondering why I even care…Well, y’all know this blog is supposed to be “fresh, real and relevant.” Well let me be REAL, I have successfully completed about three man fasts. (U, my girl, is my witness!) But this time around, I have fallen off the wagon…not sure what’s up with me…praying about it…get back to y’all at some point, I think, about it…

Anyway, this blog is dragging a bit so let me speed it up. So I’m looking forward to some light flirting on the cruise. Fast forward to our arrival in PR. From the moment we got off of the plane, it seemed like we were bathing in heat, and I loved it…I ADORE hot weather…And then I started looking at everyone in the airport. When I visited in PR years ago, I was struck at how beautiful everyone was…I love my white friends, but I have never been envious of their skin color. (Okay, I did hang a towel from my head when I was little girl to pretend like I had long, flowing hair like the white girls at my elementary school, but that is where the envy stopped.) Everywhere you looked, everyone was bronzed and beautiful…

Day 2

Me and V were excited because we boarded the “Adventure of the Seas.” As we are waited in line to board the ship, we were told that we could buy liquor duty free at the store in the loading area. Me and V walked in the store and took a look around. (Okay, I know some Christians don’t approve of drinking liquor. I’m not one of them. I don’t think it’s appropriate to get sloshy drunk, but I do enjoy some “spirits” every now and then, ha, ha!) I bought a bottle for a co-worker back home.  Flirting on day 1, buying liquor on day 2…hmm, I bet you’re wondering what’s coming next.

Day 3

At sea. Although it was my first full day on the cruise, it didn’t take me long to realize that eating is one of the main activities aboard a cruise ship…but I wondered how you gon look fine in your bathing suit if you’ve been eating too much…clearly, not all of the cruisers pondered this dilemma as I saw a feast of flesh daily…Remember, keeping it real, keeping it real…

Day 4

Barbados. I’ve started to adapt to the fact that I wasn’t at work and any amount of exertion i.e. leaving my bed, made me want to go back to sleep. It’s really weird, actually, how you quickly you get into vacation mode. Me, V and some of the women that we cruised with took a quick tour of the beautiful isle of Barbados. My parents will probably hate me for saying this, but I almost feel like if you’ve seen one beautiful, tropical island, you’ve seen them all, but I had high hopes for discovering its uniqueness in under four hours – the length of the excursion. We visited a rum distillery and a plantation house among other sites. Those plantation houses show up all over the world, don’t they? Y’all know what I’m talking ’bout.

Day 5

St. Lucia. Again, beautiful, tropical isle. We visited a botanical garden where we were introduced to cocoa trees through which we get chocolate…my traveling companions didn’t quite understand my fascination…let’s just say I have a love/hate relationship with this substance…anyway, I thought about smuggling a few seeds in my bra to grow some trees in my backyard, but the thought of being embarrassed at the airport allowed to gracefully back away from the trees…

Day 6

Antigua. Someway or another, me and V were sooo tired from exerting ourselves dancing at Club Jester, the ship club, and other activities that we managed to sleep in til just about noon. After eating brunch, we decided to venture off of the ship. In no less than half an hour, the heat drained us and we decided that we wanted to abruptly stop our perusal of the shops nearby the port. But then we happened upon a spa where we were able to get somewhat reasonably priced massages…I discovered a red swelling on my leg later that night and wondered if one of those island masseuses had put a hex on me…my father once told me that in Jamaica a man put a hex on him and he coughed up blood…we island people believe in voodoo…

Day 7

St. Maarten.  Can y’all believe that me and V had still not been on the beach yet. So we put on our bathing suits, took a water taxi from the port and deposited ourselves in the middle of the white sand…V waded in the water, and I guarded our belongings under a beach umbrella. A woman bearing several trinkets that she claimed she made herself tried to entice me to buy one of of them. I said, “No.” Another woman bearing several trinkets that looked suspiciously familiar to the first woman’s trinkets tried to entice me to buy her trinkets. I said, “No.” When a third person approached me and went into a similar spiel, I almost screamed, “No and spread the news to all of your beach peddling friends.” But I didn’t. That would have been rude and likely insensitive…besides in Bush’s economy, I may be reduced to selling “handmade” trinkets…

Day 8

St. Thomas. When I spotted an Obama headquarters in a shopping center, I screamed! Wow, it’s really great, isn’t it?! The most blue water I’ve ever seen. We traveled past Sapphire Bay which was, in in a word, breathtaking… I started to feel sad though because it was the last stop before we sailed back to PR.

Day 9

Back in the A – tired, serene and broke…

Any thoughts?

The post Cruising Musings appeared first on After the Altar Call.

Yes, I’m back from my Eastern Caribbean Cruise with Royal Caribbean! (Awesome cruise line if you’re in the market!) Right now, I’m walking serenity although I sometimes lose my balance because I still feel like I’m swaying on the cruise ship! (Yes, no matter what anyone says, you can feel the ground move under your feet!) Not even John McCain and his reference to Barack Obama as “That One” can ruffle me…It sounds dangerously close to “You People,” but I digress.

At any rate, I do have LOTS I want to share with y’all so yes I will be breaking the international rule of traveling – what happens in or on…, stays on in or on… But to my friends that traveled with me, don’t worry that I will reveal your secrets. Self disclosure is strictly my forte.

However, this week I must devote to catching up on my job. With the Bush Doctrine (I’m not politico Sarah Palin, but even I know that. What is it you say? I want to be vulgar but I won’t. I guess the sanitized version is Texas Hold ’em and we seem to be losing. Rant, Rant, Rant!),  the economy is no joke and a girl has got to keep her job!

So expect “Cruising Musings” in Sunday, October 12 in which I will be dishing about me and my first cruise! In the interim, here’s a pic of me and the “Adventure Of The Seas.”

Any thoughts?

The post Cruising Musings Coming Soon! appeared first on After the Altar Call.