oksecogic.org

In an effort to take back American cities from the many diversions against our Faith and God’s promises to his people, Presiding Bishop Charles E. Blake, Sr. has formed the Urban Initiatives to strategically address and rectify problems that makeup the urban dilemma.

“How much more could we do if we harnessed our collective power and focused it on a common goal: improving quality of life in the communities we serve?” asked Presiding Bishop Blake.

With education systems in many cities under fire for lack of academic achievement and underfinanced by their local governments, unemployment rates increasing into double digits, financial disenfranchisement, violent criminals domestically terrorizing families from all socioeconomic backgrounds, the desperate state of the black man, the breakdown of the family unit and more ministries needed to help aid the people as they make the journey of life, the Urban Initiative has been established to help answer Bishop Blake’s question and to strengthen these communities as a whole through addressing these issues through five core areas.

The five core areas that will be addressed:

• Education (Access, Excellence and Equality)
• Economic Development (Job Training and Creation)
• Crime (Reduction, Prevention and Rehabilitation)
• Family (Developing healthy men, women and children)
• Financial Literacy (Economic Empowerment)

Of critical importance, Urban Initiatives will provide our churches and ministries with the necessary encouragement, inspiration, rationale, information, consultation and resources to achieve real and measurable change.

An extensive six-step implementation strategy has been put in place to ensure the Urban Initiative’s success including developing and making available to local churches a comprehensive digital database of model programs, tools, training videos and other educational resources. Infrastructure and capacity needs have already identified and the Church has already outlined their expected results.

At this time, Bishop Malcom Coby, the jurisdictional prelate of the Oklahoma Southeast Jurisdiction, is a strong advocate for the programs of the COGIC Urban Initiative.  Bishopy Coby appointed Missionary Shirley Franklin as the department head of OKSE's Urban Initiatives effort.