Leroy Barber

Bio

Leroy Barber has dedicated more than 20 years to eradicating poverty, confronting homelessness, restoring local neighborhoods, healing racism, and living what Dr. King called “the beloved community.”

Leroy starts projects that shape society; In 1990, burdened by the plight of the Philadelphia’s homeless, he founded Restoration Ministries, to serve homeless families and children living on the streets. In 1997, he joined FCS Urban Ministries, to serve as the founding Director of Atlanta Youth Academies, a private elementary school, to provide quality Christian education for low-income families in the inner city.

He is currently the President of Mission Year, a national urban initiative introducing 18-29 year olds to missional and communal living in city centers for one year of their lives. Rev. Barber is the Pastor of a church plant, Community Fellowships Church; and on the boards of Atlanta Youth Academy and DOOR. Leroy was also chosen as a contributor to the ground-breaking book, UnChristian: What a New Generation Thinks About Christianity and Why It Matters.

Leroy is married to Donna and together they have three children, Jessica, Joshua and Joel.

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Leroy Barber's Blog

What Do We Do Now? / Nov 26, 04:49 PM

My mentors have always said to me that is not what I do when things are going well that will be an indicator of who I am; it is what I do when times are rough that will tell who I really am. How you and I respond when the road is tough and the burden is heavy is a test of our faith and character. The current state of affairs in our world is bringing that test to us all.

Wall Street continues to be turbulent, and we continue to watch families lose their homes through foreclosure. Large corporations continue to cut jobs, and banks continue to struggle to stay alive. Things are not going well.

This week my wife and I sat in court because a young man in our neighborhood decided to break into our house, and we were subpoenaed to come and identify him. When 15-year-old kids go on crime sprees, it is a sign of the desperation that people are in. Two days after we were in court, our car window was smashed by someone obviously looking for small change. Our neighbor’s radio was stolen just the day before. Things are not going well.

The holiday season is generally a tough time of the year when you’re poor. Crime rates, depression and suicide skyrocket during this time of year. ‘Tis not always the season to be jolly. With the state of the economy this year, I am afraid it will be a major blow to people who were already struggling to make ends meet and potentially devastating to a lot of people in Mission Year communities around the country. Things are not going well.

We are in a tough time. The question is how will we respond? During this season, will we continue to give to organizations like Mission Year, or will we preserve ourselves? There is a story in Scripture of the woman that gave her last coin. The fact that she had less did not seem to stop her from giving; her giving was based not on her financial position but on her relationship to God. If you are like me, this particular Scripture has been very inspirational in the past but did not apply practically. It now can be applied, and my faith is under a test. I am praying that our faith is not found lacking but will shine through as we give this Christmas season. At this time when things are desperate and we have less, what will we do?

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