Winner: Resourcing Church under 1,000
Metro Community Church
Name and Location: Metro Community Church; Fort Lee, NJ
Denomination: Evangelical Covenant Church
Date Founded: April 5, 2004
Weekend Attendance: 320+
Senior Pastor: Peter Ahn
Missions Pastor: Ron Kwak (Volunteer Director of Zimele USA)
Website: www.emetro.org or www.zimelecommunity.org
Overview: Metro Community Church is focusing their AIDS relief and social-economic development activity in the rural communities of Kwa-Sulu Natal. Zimele USA (a non profit organization) was launched by volunteers at Metro, and their long term plan is to work within selected families and communities to mentor and empower them with life skills so that they can stand on their own two feet. In fact, that's what Zimele means in Zulu. Zimele is empowering those impacted by HIV/AIDS and poverty through 3 core programs: micro banks, micro businesses and mentoring.
Specific initiatives:
- Micro Bank Savings Program - Fifty active savings groups with a total of 600 program participants (each of whom supports 6-8). Each group goes through an 8-module training program that provides training in finances and group dynamics. Zimele staff monitors the performance and provides additional training to those underperforming groups. The groups have given out 1,300 loans for the purpose of purchasing food, education, home renovations and to start or grow small businesses.
- Micro Businesses - Provides women in the savings groups with training and materials to start their own small businesses and access to markets to sell their products.
- Community Mentoring - Partners with small, locally-based non-profits to provide training and tools necessary to implement their community initiatives. Currently involved in establishing the first community library and computer center, food parcel distribution to those in extreme poverty, home hospice care and support, and community gardens.
Engagement of the Congregation: The congregation at Metro is highly invested in Zimele USA. Dozens of men and women have been to Africa to serve and learn. They have worked hard to reach out to their local community in order to educate people about HIV/AIDS and engage them in the work at Zimele. They have been creative in their fundraising efforts and have provided resources, both in terms of money and people , way beyond what a smaller church "should" be able to do.
Judges' Comments: "As a young, relatively small church, Metro is putting on a clinic on how to do affective, holistic AIDS ministry."
