A testimony to Jesus and His people
The fact that God keeps us in ministry in southwest Detroit speaks to the grace of Jesus in His Church. All our outreach to hundreds each year, all the facilities that have been transformed and maintained, and all our needs continue to be met by God's people from many places and many churches.
Our community remains in stagnant poverty. In 22 years of service we have seen the rising and lowering of the economic tide, but one constant remains – Detroit is poor (see below). As the pastor of the church I never know how we will find the financial continue to do the work God has called us to. But for 22 years God raised people to lend a hand or send a check. Please understand this speaks clearly of God’s grace working in His people. As we stand behind His Word, and hold that Word out for this community, He sustains us through His church. This shouts that the Church of believers still possesses the grace, mercy, and love well enough to carry out His will and work. So we thank God – for all such work.
Justice Matters
Dr Brown wrote a book intended to help raise the need of Christian interaction with places of great need. This book is a quick read based upon Biblical principles that flow through the Old and New Testament. Primarily asking modern Christians to think about how we interact - or fail to interact - with the weak, wounded, and without. Also how this interaction says a great deal about who we are in relation to God and His work and more importantly His kingdom.
Justice Matters may be purchased for $5.00 by snail mail checks made out to Military Ave. Church. Or by email revranb@aol.com, we will send the books and trust you will send the check.
Detroit is America's Poorest City
•nearly half of Detroit children 17 and younger lived in impoverished homes in 2004.
•According to US Census Bureau figures released August 30, 2005 Detroit is now the poorest city in America, with fully one-third of its residents living below the official federal poverty level, a derisory $19,157 in household income for a family of four. Nearly one half of the city’s children, 47.8 percent, live below the poverty level.
•According the US Census Bureau survey, published August 28 (2007), Detroit is the "Poorest Big City" in the United States,
Pictures do not describe
As one walks through our neighborhood the sights tell a bit of the story but sounds and smells also speak. One hears frequent cursing in the strongest terms, smells sewers, and a the aroma of pot being smoked, to get a feel for the city you need to walk through it.
Education -Detroit's Highest in drop-outs
Detroit's 21.7% graduation rate is the worst in the nation. Often the case that poverty and poorer education are tied together. Other major cities like New York and Baltimore at 38% show that our urban centers are indeed places of great disparity in relation to educational resources and and support. Unfortunately because so few people in our community know the value of education often young people are not encouraged to finish basic education or go on to higher education.
Single Parent Homes
The one statistic that constantly relates to poverty is the single parent home. Unfortunately in a culture which is undereducated and under employed the idea of taking responsibility for a family gets rather lost. The government's intervention of taking care of unwed mothers contributes to the loss of traditional family structures and values. So young men and women grow up learning that sex outside of marriage, and children outside of marriage is a "good thing". We have literally seen parents celebrate the pregnancy of a teenage daughter - just like a family celebrating a child getting their career launched. This situation cries for the moral intervention of Scriptural based family structures.