Fishing Differently in Washington, DC.
On April 22, 2023, the Washington, District of Columbia Cohort of the Oikos Institute for Social Impact celebrated the end of its first year of engagement and initiated the next steps toward communal transformation and economic mobility. Oikos’ Discover and Dream initiative, funded by the Lilly Endowment, partnered with seven churches in Washington, DC, and Arlington, Virginia, to adopt and apply the Fishing Differently model, as coined by the Rev. Dr. Sidney Williams, Jr. in his book Fishing Differently: Ministry Formation in the Marketplace, for conducting the social impact work so often depended upon in their communities. After 18 months of virtual meetings, this first in-person gathering occurred at DC’s Wesley Theological Seminary, Oikos’ seminary partner in developing the F.I.S.H. Capital (Faith/Financial, Intellectual, Social, Human) Learning Modules. The DC Cohort comprises one African Methodist Episcopal (AME) church, one AME Zion church, two United Methodist churches, and three Baptist churches. The DC Cohort is coordinated by Wesley Seminary Directors Dr. Douglas Powe and Dr. Lovett Weems, along with Oikos’ Regional Coordinator, the Rev. Regena Thornton, also an Itinerant Elder in the AME Church.
The excitement and joy in the room was a culmination of the learning modules, the churches identifying their social impact projects, and generous grants from Trinity Church Wall Street (TCWS) for each church to lay the groundwork for feasibility studies, pre-development expenses, and professional reviews of the churches spend plans. Oikos believes that certain processes must be succinct if churches want to effectively Discover and Dream. Oikos brought in experts to facilitate discussions on financial preparation and grant writing. Candis White of the Crossing Capital Group and owner of PremierOne Business Services provided participants with a list of budget items to gather for funding partners. They emphasized the importance of hiring a financial expert (inside or outside the congregation) to assist in their budget reviews. This best practice is especially important as place-based investors require this documentation for decision-making. The Reverend Jacqueline Rooths, an AME Itinerant Elder and long-time United States Department of Housing and Urban Development employee, provided a detailed presentation on grant preparation. They emphasized the importance of meeting deadlines and keeping all expenditure decisions aligned with the information documented in grant applications.
In the spirit of the “Shark Tank™ Program,” each church provided a five-minute presentation on their respective #WeFishDifferently Social Impact Project. All presentations incorporated the following: Fishing Differently learning modules, historical information regarding their churches, interactions with collaborative partners, and their plans to generate income after completing their projects. The Reverend Dr. Anna Mosby, pastor, and her team at St. Paul AME Church, Washington, DC, eloquently articulated the development of St. Paul’s social impact project and meticulously outlined the goals, milestones, funding, and deadlines as they make an impact in DC’s Northwest quadrant. The “Shark Tank” Judges provided effective feedback and encouraged each church to enhance the use of their virtual platforms, ensure they can share at least three years of budget documentation, and allow their imaginations to evolve to conduct effective social engagement.
This gathering is one of many leading up to Oikos’ inaugural Fishing Differently National Conference in Chicago, Illinois, September 20-22, 2023, wherein Oikos (a nonprofit organization) and its partner, Crossing Capital Group (a for-profit organization) build ecosystems to address matters in distressed communities with faith-based organizations, anchor institutions, and place-based investors. We hope to see all our African Methodist Episcopal Church Family there.
Find out more information about the national conference and register at www.oikosinstitute.org. You may also purchase Fishing Differently: Ministry Formation in the Marketplace by the Rev. Dr. Sidney S. Williams Jr., who serves as pastor of Bethel AME Church in Morristown, New Jersey.
