Twelve Congregations Join the Cohort

We are grateful to announce the twelve congregations that will serve as partner churches in the Cultivating a Legacy of Living Faith program. These churches were selected for their commitment to intergenerational ministry, their rootedness in the Black Church tradition, and their readiness to engage deeply with the spiritual formation of children and families. Together, we begin the work of building something lasting — a living faith that passes from one generation to the next.

This program is grounded in the conviction that worship and prayer are not passive experiences for children — they are formative ones. Drawing on child development research and the rich storytelling traditions of the Black Church, Cultivating a Legacy of Living Faith will help congregations create worship environments where every generation is not merely present, but truly engaged. Curriculum, digital resources, and shared learning will flow across all twelve partner churches as the cohort grows together in this work.

The Role of Our Partner Churches

Partner churches are the heart of this initiative. Each congregation will engage the program curriculum, participate in cohort gatherings and virtual learning sessions, and implement new intergenerational worship practices within their own context. This is not a one-size-fits-all program — partner churches are invited to adapt and apply what they learn in ways that are faithful to their congregation's culture and community. What unifies the cohort is a shared commitment to the spiritual formation of children and families and a common belief that the Black Church tradition holds irreplaceable wisdom for this work.

Partners will also contribute to the broader learning of the cohort. Feedback, testimonies, and on-the-ground insights from each congregation will shape how the program develops and inform the digital resources that will extend its reach beyond these twelve churches.

The Liaison Role

Each partner church has designated a liaison to serve as the primary point of connection between their congregation and the Baptist Grove program team. The liaison is a vital role — not administrative, but ministerial. This person will help translate program goals into congregational action, communicate key information to their pastor and church leadership, and represent their church's experience and needs within the cohort. Liaisons will gather for their own sessions of peer learning and support, becoming a network of practitioners who strengthen one another as they lead this work in their home congregations.

Our Partner Churches

Baptist Grove Church, Raleigh, NC
Rev. Dr. Bankole Akinbinu, Senior Pastor
Liaison: Min. Jordan DeVeaux

Brister Baptist Church, Compton, CA
Rev. Dr. Jawane Hilton, Senior Pastor
Liaison: Tanya Cook

Ebenezer United Church of Christ, Burlington, NC
Rev. Dr. Larry E. Covington, Lead Pastor
Liaison: Ryanne Young

Elon First Baptist Church, Elon, NC
Rev. Dr. James H. Wilkes, Jr., Senior Pastor
Liaison: Brianna Eley

First Baptist Church South Hill, Chesapeake, VA
Rev. Reginald Wise, Senior Pastor
Liaison: Min. Latrece McKnight

Friendship Chapel Baptist Church, Wake Forest, NC
Rev. Michael Eley, Jr., Senior Pastor
Liaison: Valeria M. Holloway

Juniper Level Missionary Baptist Church, Raleigh, NC
Rev. Dr. Jeffrey B. Robinson, Senior Pastor
Liaison: Renee Robinson

Monument of Faith Church, Durham, NC
Bishop Clarence Laney, Jr., Senior Pastor
Liaison: Kemberly Graham

Mount Moriah Missionary Baptist Church, Charleston, SC
Rev. Dr. Byron L. Benton, Senior Pastor
Liaison: Rev. Lillian Michelle Mitchell

New Vester Missionary Baptist Church, Sims, NC
Rev. Jeffrey Simms, Senior Pastor
Liaison: Johnna Marcelle Wynn

Oak Grove AME Church, Detroit, MI
Rev. Cindy Rudolph, Senior Pastor
Liaison: Min. Candace Purifoy

Springfield Baptist Church, Raleigh, NC
Rev. Dr. Kevin Sturdivant, Senior Pastor
Liaison: Joshua Hill

We give thanks for each of these congregations, for the pastors who lead them, for the liaisons who will carry this work forward within their churches, and for the families they serve. This cohort spans five states and several denominations, and yet we are united by a single hope — that the children in our pews will one day stand where we stand, with a faith that is their own because it was first shown to them. We look forward to what God will do through this work, and we are honored to walk this journey together.