How does LAM work?

First, participating congregations, through their pastors, establish intentional relationships between themselves. The purpose of establishing these relationships is to build the internal capacity to move past issues that traditionally prohibit churches from working together. LAM recognizes that a perquisite for receiving the collective power of the Holy Spirit is its ability to come together on one accord.

Secondly, clergy and lay leaders are trained in the fundamentals of community organizing and public ministry. LAM places a heavy emphasis on the development of publicly skilled leaders who understand the nature of building public power through structured actions. LAM’s annual 3- day Pastor Conference focuses on the nexus between the personal and public salvation (Advocacy and Service); learning how to Leverage our Power as the collective responsibility of the Church and Social Justice as a legitimate biblical Ministry for the church!


LAM intentionally educates pastors on:

• Power and its relationship to public ministry
• Intentional relationships as a basis for power
• Political and power analysis
• Community problems and issues
• The Civil Rights Movement as a model for building church-based organizations
• Challenges African American pastors face in leading congregations today.
• Evangelism strategies as a method of surfacing issues to address in the public arena
• Structured, public, face-to-face actions with key business and political leaders on an
   issue-by-issue basis

The purpose of these actions is to explore and develop joint solutions to the root causes of problems in our communities. Member congregations clearly understand that only what we do for Christ will stand. Thus the organization requires that all of its actions must be built on biblical principles (Matthew 16:18; 1 Timothy 6:19).

Reflection and evaluation sessions are the central components used to insure that our actions are consistent with the perfect will of Christ. Clergy and lay leaders learn to master the art of reflection. Through these sessions member congregations learn the importance of observation, participation, and study. Members learn the keys to successful public ministry - reflection - action - reflection.


What is LAM doing?

We link families to programs that can help pull them out of poverty – Ex-Offender Action Network

We get families into health care – SSG/Community Assessment Service Center

We promote early childhood education and development programs – South Central Child Care Network

We teach adults about parenting to prevent child abuse and neglect – Project Fatherhood

We teach pastors how to grow their churches – Faith in Communities Capacity Building Project

We link families to needed mental health care – SSG/Integrated Care System

We work on policies that improve low-income and minority children’s access to quality education – One Church, One School: African American Learner’s Initiative

We offer programs that prevent youth from entering the juvenile justice system or incarceration – Youth Educating and Advocating for Health (YEAH) Project

We talk about protecting children, women and families from community violence – Healthy African American Marriage and Family Counseling Project

Mass Education – KJLH Real Talk Radio Show with Kevin Nash

Systems Change – LA City and State CDCR funded Re-Entry Options Employment Program

High school degrees for prisoners – GED Initiative


What does Jesus say about our responsibilities?

As Christians we have both a social and moral responsibility to uphold the prophetic vision of biblical justice. When Jesus announced his ministry in Nazareth, he quoted Isaiah and said to his community: “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because God has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. God has sent me to proclaim freedom to the captives...to set at liberty those who are oppressed…” (Luke 4:18) Jesus’ prophetic ministry has not changed, and neither has ours as followers in his steps. We are still charged with the spiritual and moral task to “make the crooked places straight, and the rough ways smooth.”

As the prophet Isaiah declares: “Woe to those who make unjust laws, to those who issue oppressive decrees, to deprive the poor of their rights and withhold justice from the oppressed of my people, making widows their prey and robbing the fatherless.”