Upon This Rock: The Miracles of a Black Church

American author and journalist Samuel G. Freedman's book chronicles the ministry of Rev. Johnny Ray Youngblood at St. Paul Community Baptist Church in East New York, Brooklyn — one of the country's most forsaken inner-city neighborhoods. Blending Youngblood's personal history with the testimonies of congregants, the book portrays a ministry built on radical honesty and a theology of a forgiving, present-tense God (in contrast to a "wait for the promised land" kind of faith).  The approach translates into concrete institution-building: bringing black men back into the church; a culture of tithing to fund a church school; and revitalization of neighborhood businesses.  Organizing with IAF and East Brooklyn Congregations, community leaders like Rev. Youngblood went on to develop 2,300 affordable homes for long-time residents, establishing a model of hope for urban communities rooted in individual transformation and grass-roots power-building.