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New Ministers
In Cleveland’s Fairfax and Central neighborhoods
STORY BY TRACY BEAN
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REV. CORY JENKINS, SENIOR PASTOR
Shiloh Baptist Church
5500 Scovill Ave.
Sunday worship: 11 a.m.
Web site: www.shilohcleveland.org
Rev. Cory Jenkins is the new senior pastor of Cleveland’s Shiloh Baptist Church. He took the helm on Sept. 27, succeeding Rev. Jewel Jones, who presided over the congregation for 14 years.
Jenkins, 28, said he is blessed with the opportunity to lead this historic congregation in writing the next chapter of service and relevant ministry to the Greater Cleveland community. It is his prayer and firm conviction that God will utilize the gifts and hearts of the Shiloh fellowship to be a lessing in the lives of people in its surrounding community. “I believe the role of the church as it has been given to us by Jesus Christ in the New testament, that the church is the center of the community in meeting temporal needs in order to make a spiritual transformation,” he explained. “The church has to find innovative ways to reach out to our community in order to make the spiritual impact that changeslives. To ignore the community is a disservice to the mission of the body of Christ.”
In today’s society, Jenkins believes that the church is a place where people are looking for personal fulfillment and satisfaction, but they are also challenged to live up to their Christian responsibilities.
“People are looking for more than Sunday worship. They are seeking more personal ways to use their gifts for the building of God’s kingdom here on earth. For instance, families are looking for a men’s ministry, a women’s ministry and something for their children,” he explained. “It can also be a challenge to help many who are already in the church to see their own personal responsibility to put their hands to the plow and become involved in the process of kingdom building through community empowerment and social transformation. I believe the best way to meet this challenge is to develop various systems and ministries within the church so that people of all age groups and interests can connect and move forward in their faith.”
Currently, Shiloh has a food pantry and a tutoring program and partnerships with the City Mission and Friendly Inn Settlement House, but the church is looking to expand its partnerships and community involvement. Jenkins wants the word to get out that Shiloh is striving to be a place that welcomes all, regardless of the place where a person finds himself. “I want people to know that Shiloh will meet you at your point of need,” he said. “This is a place where you can grow in grace, fellowship and become a better follower of Christ. Here, you will be challenged to branch out from your comfort zone to be used by God.”
Jenkins, a native of Brooklyn, N.Y., earned his bachelor of arts degree in business administration from Atlanta’s Morehouse College in May 2003, with Phi Beta Kappa distinction. Last year, he earned his master of divinity degree from Princeton Theological Seminary with a concentration in practical theology. Jenkins is also a contributing writer for the National Baptist Voice, the official publication for the National Baptist Convention USA Inc.
Prior to coming to Cleveland, Jenkins served as executive pastor of Cornerstone Baptist Church in Brooklyn, N.Y. In addition, he worked with the Christian Education ministry at Calvary Baptist Church in Morristown, N.J., and the Outreach Ministry of Greater Allen AME Cathedral in Jamaica, N.Y.
Jenkins was instrumental in the formation of the NuGen (New Generation) ministry, which addresses the unique in the 21st century. NuGen is a vital ministry in the life of the church as it serves to bridge the gap between generational differences in worship style, community outreach and faith development. Jenkins is married to his seminary sweetheart, the former Courtney Clayton of Cleveland.
REV. JAWANZA KARRIEM LIGHTFOOT COLVIN,
SENIOR PASTOR
Olivet Institutional Baptist Church
8712 Quincy Ave.
Sunday worship: 8 and 10:45 a.m.
Web site: http://www.oibc.org/
The Rev. Jawanza Karriem Lightfoot Colvin was called to serve as the sixth senior pastor of Cleveland’s Olivet Institutional Baptist Church in April. He was formally installed on Oct. 11. Colvin follows in the legendary footsteps of Rev. Dr. Otis Moss Jr., who served Olivet with distinction for 33years.
For Colvin, 34, the church is first and foremost a spiritual entity, but he said it still has social implications.
“The church is comprised of persons who have come into intimate contact with God through Jesus Christ. It is through the church that we come to understand who we are, our place in the world and the meaning of life,” he explained. “But the church also has a social mission to improve the quality of life of people and to engage in activities which impact the world economically, politically and socially.”
The African American church, in particular, which was born out of social struggle in the midst of political and economic oppression, has always had a social mission, according to Colvin. But today, more than ever, that mission needs to be fulfilled.
“In the 21st century, a part of the church’s mission is to speak to emerging issues born out of relationships, economic challenges, personal struggles and family trials. Increasingly, the church is dealing with socio-political issues, as well as very interrelational issues pertaining to couples, families and single parents. So, our mission is enhanced as we try to minister spiritually, interpersonally and socially,” he explained.
As with most congregations, Colvin has to continually address the needs and interests of his entire congregation and to create an active energetic environment in which people are engaged and ultimately persuaded to strengthen their relationship with God.
“Retirement no longer means that you are retired. Seniors may be in a different season of their lives, but they still continue to seek active and meaningful ways to be involved and engaged, and we try to create opportunities for them to do that,” Colvin explained. “On the other hand, our young people are living in a very socially networked world, and they are constantly engaged. If the church negates to recognize that reality, where people are in dialogue and conversation about the issues of the day, then those people will create their own communities. The church has to be a part of these conversations and to serve as a moral and spiritual compass as people wrestle with serious personal issues.”
Olivet has an extensive array of outreach ministries, including mentoring, youth and elder programs and a food pantry. Colvin said community outreach is the hallmark of Olivet’s ministry. “Being in an urban environment, we simply cannot deny the pressures right at our front door. We are looking to expand many of the programs that touch members of our congregation and the community at large. We have the capacity and the human resources to impact the quality of life for the people of Greater Cleveland,” he said. “I have also been touched by the outpouring of support from many civic and community leaders who have been very open to continued partnerships with Olivet. To me, that demonstrates a unified understanding that the civic, political, nonprofit and religious communities have to collaborate in addressing major issues in Cleveland.”
Colvin’s message to Cleveland is that Olivet Institutional Baptist Church is an active congregation that is spiritually seeking God and seeking to touch the lives of people. “We will continue to create new relevant ministries and to help to imagine a new city and a new region that is empowered to go further ahead in the 21st century,” he said. A native of Washington D.C., Rev Colvin is a graduate of Morehouse College in Atlanta, where he received a bachelor of arts degree in religion and history. He earned a master of divinity from the Union Theological Seminary in New York City and is pursuing a doctor of education at Teacher’s College, Columbia University, specializing in adult leadership and education.
Colvin came to Cleveland from East Friendship Baptist Church, a community-conscious congregation committed to spiritual and social uplift in Washington, D.C. Previously, he served on the ministerial staff of the Grace Baptist Church of Mount Vernon, N.Y. While at Grace, he received the rites of ordination in 2000. In addition to his service at Grace, he served as the assistant to the senior minister for children and youth at the Metropolitan Baptist Church, also in Washington, D.C.
Throughout his ministry, Colvin has been involved in community affairs and has received numerous honors for his commitment to scholarship and service. He was published in the African American Pulpit in 2003 and was inducted into the Morehouse College Board of Preachers. Colvin and his wife Allison are the proud parents of two sons, Asher and Phillip.
REV. MARK LOUIS JOHNSON SR., SENIOR
PASTOR
Liberty Hill Baptist Church, 8206 Euclid Ave.
Sunday worship: 10:45a.m.
Web site: www.libertyhillbc.org |
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