The Boston Education Collaborative (BEC) mobilized churches, college campus ministries and non-profit organizations to support public school students in Boston, Brockton, Cambridge, and Chelsea students during the 2022-2023 school year. BEC recruited college volunteers from MIT and Harvard InterVarsity campus fellowships to support the Pacesetters Boys Afterschool Program at Fletcher Maynard Academy in Cambridge. These college students enriched the afterschool program by planning lessons and activities that aligned with their majors coupled with the program’s mission of providing social-emotional support.

The Black Church Vitality Project partnered with the Mayor’s Office of Arts and Culture and the City of Boston’s Environment Department to produce an original play that retold the story of a Dorchester pastor working with local residents to advocate for sustainable development in their neighborhood. Dorchester Weather: a play about climate and change created space for dialogue about environmental and social issues Dorchester residents are facing and modeled how art can begin to repair and build relationships between local government, churches, business owners and residents in communities where development decisions are being made.

Sarah Blumenshine (director of EGC’s Intercultural Ministries) and Liza Cagua-McAllister (EGC’s systems consultant) were a key part of the planning, fundraising, and film team for our longtime ministry partner Agencia ALPHA’s “Immigrants Make Massachusetts Stronger” initiative. Over the course of a year, participants attended workshops that helped them think more deeply about their personal stories and the contributions they make to their families and community. Congregación León de Judá hosted the culminating event on Oct. 28, where the participants’ stories were told through the premiere of a short film, portrait exhibit, and participant panel.

EGC’s content and production team helped share the story of what God is doing in Greater Boston. We produced dozens of articles, ministry and music videos, and short-form content seen by thousands of Christian leaders across the region. Our investment in producing a diverse selection of resources across different media platforms ensures that Christians from different generations can consume content in the ways that most resonate with them. You can view content here!

Intercultural Ministries is undertaking a two-year project that seeks to better understand and nurture diaspora mission networks from Greater Boston to the world. Diaspora missions is mission activity that is initiated, led, and supported by diaspora (immigrant and refugee) Christians back to their homelands or other nations they have some affinity with. So far Gregg Detwiler and Victor Babbage (EGC consultants for Intercultural Ministries and Leadership Development) have interviewed 15 diaspora mission practitioners whose ministries reach many countries around the world. The goal of this project is to strengthen these efforts and to make this form of vital missions better known.

The Haitian community in the Boston area is facing multiple challenges, including the ongoing crisis in Haiti, the related influx of migrants from Haiti, and the need to strengthen intergenerational leadership in the Haitian Christian community. EGC is partnering with the Fellowship of Haitian Evangelical Pastors of New England and key Haitian leaders to respond to these needs. For example, together with the Fellowship, we are supporting Haitian-led efforts to rebuild churches in Southern Haiti; we are initiating the Rising Voices Initiative, a program to strengthen the prophetic voices of both senior and emerging Haitian pastors in New England; and we are working to build capacity so that Haitian churches can better serve new Haitian migrants in their communities.

The Race & Christian Community Initiative (RCCI) continued its work of equipping Christians in Greater Boston to engage issues of race by supporting white evangelical communities to experience — and contribute to — healing from the sin of racism. RCCI convened over 25 local leaders of different generations and races to explore how white evangelicals move from an ideological commitment to addressing racism to ongoing action. We are continuing to process and distribute our learnings to help white evangelicals move toward anti-racist action. Our work with pastors and ministry leaders have challenged them to make significant changes in their organizations to be more racially equitable.

On May 28, EGC gathered with over 250 Christian and community partners at Kowloon Restaurant in Saugus to watch the premiere of RENEWAL, EGC's virtual concert and fundraiser. This hour-long production consisted of ministry highlights, music videos, and hearing from other voices from the city. We are extremely grateful for the generosity in response to our event and believe the productions and the connections made as part of this process will continue to bear fruit for the Kingdom.

The Filmmaker Collaborative is a diverse community of more than 30 Christian filmmakers, local to Boston. Founded in 2017 by Elijah Mickelson, EGC's Director of Communications, this community includes members from over 15 local congregations. The purpose of the Filmmaker Collaborative is to build relationships, encourage one another in the creative process, and explore collaboration together. The Filmmaker Collaborative was instrumental in creating content for the EGC Fundraiser in 2023.

EGC doubled down on our role as a learning institution that supports Christian leaders in urban Greater Boston. We produce in-depth articles containing historical context, current case studies, data-based reporting on timely urban issues, and recommended action steps for Christians who want to learn more or become more engaged in that issue. Some of these articles include Child Welfare Ecosystem, College Ministries & Churches Serving University Students, and Christian Creatives and the Church.

“The EGC internship helped me discern my path for responding to the call to ministry. The seasoned mentorship and organic interactions with diaspora Christian leaders continue to provide insights for developing the responsive Christian leadership training framework with ministry partners on the ground in Africa.”

Victor Babbage came to EGC in 2022 as a mentored-ministry student through Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary. Victor, originally from Zimbabwe, has worked at the intersection of the Church and society in nine African countries. . He has served as a consultant in leadership and organizational development, as well as an innovative educator. Victor brings these valuable skills to his work in the Diaspora Missions Applied Research Project, and is also a diaspora missions practitioner himself. Victor’s three adult children currently attend university in Africa. Victor lives with his two young children in Greater Boston. His wife currently resides in Uganda.

“The volunteers have been the best. Each has been consistently there and made volunteering a priority simply because we emphasized the value of creating strong, lasting connections with the boys.”

Daniel Skerritt is the director of the Pacesetters Boys Afterschool Program as well as the family liaison and a member of the Administrative Leadership Team at the Fletcher Maynard Academy in Cambridge. The Pacesetters program serves Black and brown boys in grades 2-5, providing academic and social-emotional support to meet the mental health and identity-formation needs of students. Daniel was a long-term resident of Cambridge before moving to Everett, where he now resides. He is a member of St. Paul AME Church in Cambridge.

“Because of my monthly coaching sessions with Megan (RCCI), I see the impacts of racism everywhere. In order to nurture the unity that God wants, I now understand that we must not only strive for diversity, but also dismantle sinful systemic power structures that are hindering this unity, such as white supremacy. This understanding has changed everything: who we hire, the programs we run, how we allocate money, and more."

Kelly has served as the executive director for UniteBoston since 2012. She has a certificate in Christian Foundations from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary. She also graduated with her Master of Divinity in Global and Community Engagement at Boston University in 2019, with certificates in Religion and Conflict Transformation as well as International Mission and Ecumenism. She has also worked as a consultant to organize the New England City Forum and has spoken at conferences around concepts related to evangelism, mission, Christian unity, and conflict transformation. Kelly and her husband, Andrew, are both ordained ministers with the American Baptist Churches of Massachusetts and live in an intentional Christian community in Dorchester. They have two daughters and enjoy spending time outdoors.

"I am so thankful I had the opportunity to help kick off EGC’s fundraiser this past year with my song 'Into the Light!' As a local musician, it was exciting to work with such a creative, talented, and devoted team of people who love Jesus and are dedicated to serving the Boston-wide area. Boston is blessed to have EGC!"

Joel LeMaire is a singer-songwriter, father to three lively little boys, and currently pursuing a master's in counseling at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary. Besides music-making, he enjoys hiking in the mountains, surfing the coast, and exploring the Boston area with his family. His vision is to offer clinical care to people in ministry who need rest, support, healing, and hope.

"We have been blessed with partnerships from organizations like the Emmanuel Gospel Center. Ruth Wong has been supporting us for many years, networking on our behalf and helping to improve our program. When we had to find a temporary space during our renovation, Ruth made the connection with Second Church for us to move there."

Jeanette Merren is a longtime resident of Dorchester and active member of Greenwood Memorial United Methodist Church. Her contributions include spearheading the church's Greenwood Shalom Tutoring Zone and Summer Enrichment. This program serves at-risk children with academic challenges who live in Dorchester, Roxbury and surrounding communities.

"My journey with RCCI has been central to my journey with Jesus here in Boston these last six years. In my various RCCI spaces and roles, I have drawn closer to the heart of God, my role in the world's repair toward wholeness, and God's deep love for me and others."

Shelton Oakley Hersey is a spiritual director, non-profit program director, and community builder who has experience living across cultures at home and abroad. She was a member of RCCI's inaugural cohort and helped vision their support and accountability groups. Now, she uses her skills as a facilitator to lead RCCI cohorts that help White evangelicals respond to racism as an outworking of their faith.

"Intercultural Ministries has been such a blessing to us in our experience with our Afghan friends. From working with the refugee population to navigating cultural differences, Sarah Blumenshine has walked closely with us in this journey, and has given us invaluable guidance each step of the way. She has made the road much smoother than it would have been without her help. She has taught us so much about working with refugees and we are so grateful!"

Loretta Chou is a pediatrician and member of Grace Chapel, a church community she has been a part of for 25 years. She was a key volunteer with Agencia ALPHA’s COVID vaccine initiative, where she utilized her capacity as a physician. In 2022, Loretta and her husband Don volunteered as family team leads with Intercultural Ministries (IM) to provide ongoing support to an Afghan family in Lynn.

“Being able to participate in a cohort where we can discuss the needs and goals of our churches has been a very valuable experience. I’ve been able to learn from our church neighbors and collaborate together to grow.”

Fania Alvarez is a member of Haitian Church of the Nazarene - Friends of the Humble. She is a member of the church's team that is participating in the Thriving Initiative cohort of the Boston Black Church Vitality Project. In addition, she is a youth minister at her church and serves in her church's social ministry, the Greater Boston Nazarene Compassionate Center (GBNCC). GBNCC provides sustainable resources and relief to underprivileged, underserved, under-represented groups, especially in Dorchester and Mattapan. Fania is blessed to see so many lives being relieved with the support her church is giving to the community.

"Performing and participating in EGC’s fundraiser event was an incredible blessing! As a Boston-based artist, it was special to see my work come to life in a new way by creating an acoustic version of my song “Trust in You” — a song about trusting in God through every season, with EGC’s vision. They stand true to their mission by incorporating the arts and empowering and uplifting others. . . It was truly a blessing to take part in.”

Jen Aldana is a singer-songwriter, worship leader, and teaching artist. She graduated from Berklee College of Music with a degree in Songwriting. After graduating, Jen became the Season 5 Winner of The Voice on Snapchat, a social media extension of the live television show. In her career in Christian music, some highlights include singing with Leeland, opening for Kari Jobe, and performing with Paul Baloche.