The founding pastor of the Christian Cultural Center (CCC), New York's largest Evangelical church, recently announced building an urban village in Brooklyn.
Billion-worth Urban Village of CCC
In an article from Christianity Today, A.R. Bernard, the megachurch pastor and founder of the Christian Cultural Center, expressed his excitement about building a billion-worth urban village in Brooklyn.
As reported, the pastor and the developers aim to break the ground on the proposed project next year.
The planned urban village will reportedly use the 10.5-acre church land for different establishments and housing opportunities. The project will consist of an affordable set of housing, a school, a supermarket, an art center, childcare workers, and facilities for senior citizens.
As reported, the proposed project aims to prevent gentrification, revitalize the community of East New York, and be a model to the nearby cities.
The pastor reportedly said that he is a fan of Jane Jacobs, a famous urban planner who saved lower Manhattan and described as a 'genius' for her ideas.
He reportedly hopes that the project will not face financial hindrances in the project just like any other big projects by other churches and organizations, and hopes that the community will be unified for the project.
Moreover, other churches in New York have already worked to develop big projects to provide affordable housing to their community, including Buffalo's Black Billion in Brooklyn, as reported.
The CT reported that over 30% of the CCC neighborhood already spent half their monthly income renting houses. This was after the devastating fire that occurred in the area in 2019.
About Ptr. A.R. Bernard
Based on its website, Ptr. A.R. Bernard, leader of the church, had a different career before he became a pastor. He once worked for a bank for around 10 years.
The pastor does not only have a banking career, but he reportedly received various degrees in theology, such as follows:
- Master of Urban Studies at Alliance Theological Seminary
- Master of Divinity at Alliance Theological Seminary
- Honorary Doctor of Divinity at Wagner College
- Honorary Doctor of Divinity degree at Nyack College/Alliance Theological Seminary
As time went by, Pastor Bernard became the president of the Council of Churches of the City of New York, representing around 1.5 million Protestants, Anglicans, and Orthodox Christians in New York.
Alongside his wife, Karen Bernard, the pastor reportedly continued to preach and started reaching the Brooklyn area's small communities.
Karen is also a co-pastor of the church and had a career in Queens County Supreme Court.
About Christian Cultural Center
On the same website, the Christian Cultural Center reportedly started as a small congregation in 1978, located in Brooklyn, New York.
The church aims to broaden the connection of the people with Jesus Christ by helping them through their service to the community, as reported.
Also, the church reportedly has visions to create a growing community in faith and help people seeking spiritual and personal growth.
In recent times, the Christian Cultural Center has more than 32,000 registered members, as reported.
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