Church’s Bid to Buy Forum Part of Economic Activism Trend

The effort by the Faithful Central Bible Church to buy Inglewood’s Forum and develop it into a huge church and Christian convention center is part of a larger trend among African American churches that are trying to take economic development into their own hands.

Dissatisfied with the slow trickle of government programs, more congregations are launching ambitious faith-based programs for their communities, according to pastors and economic development experts.

Tuesday, Bishop Kenneth C. Ulmer detailed his vision for turning the Forum into a premier Christian convention center and enterprise zone.

“We’re going to build a first-class hotel and convention center that will be the base for hundreds of jobs. Then, connected to the convention center will be retail outlets spurring more businesses to develop. This is bigger than us. It’s what God is calling us to do,” said Ulmer, almost breathless with excitement.

The church, he said, is entering into partnership with an entrepreneur from Philadelphia who owns the largest Marriott hotel on the East Coast.

Ulmer’s effort follows a pattern set by other predominantly black churches in the region. First African Methodist Episcopal Church in Los Angeles, led by Rev. Cecil Murray, started the movement with the establishment of its FAME Renaissance program in 1992.

FAME Renaissance began by renovating abandoned apartments and offices, and providing loans and job services. Currently, the group has a $31-million budget and is raising funds to open an Internet incubator in its neighborhood, near USC. The incubator is on track to open in November and, church officials hope, will ultimately house 30 companies, creating hundreds of jobs.

Similarly, in 1995, West Angeles Church of God in Christ started the West Angeles Community Development Corp., which has built 44 low-income housing units and has 112 under construction.

More recently, the church teamed up with two other nonprofit economic development corporations based at major area churches to build Chesterfield Square, a $75-million shopping center in South-Central. The project is the largest commercial development to be built in the South-Central area in more than a decade and is expected to produce 600 jobs, many for local residents. It is scheduled to open late next year.

Jack Kyser, chief economist with the Los Angeles County Economic Development Corp., described the church initiatives as “the new business of church.”

“Churches in the suburbs are dwindling. But these churches in the inner city have struck a chord by filling needs in their communities. At FAME and also at Faithful Central, we’re talking about very aggressive outreach programs. And maybe that’s what religion is all about,” he said.

Kyser said another reason that more inner-city congregations are venturing into economic development is that businesses are more open to dealing with churches than governments.

“Community members and small businesses like doing business with churches because they won’t drown in paperwork. And sometimes when you’re dealing with those canned government programs, there isn’t that much money to begin with,” he said.

At Faithful Central Baptist Church, Ulmer, 52, spent the day dealing with a newfound celebrity status--shuttling through the tabernacle crowded with reporters, running from one interview to the next, answering questions, describing his new spiritual vision.

“It has been a little crazy. But I think what’s most important is that we are finally going to have a home,” he said.

While reluctant to criticize federal and state programs for neglecting the inner city, Ulmer said churches realize that government can’t do it all.

Economic development efforts, he said, mark a return to what the church once was.

“The church was once part of every fabric of society. This is a return to what we were once called to do. The church is called to do more than just gather behind stained-glass windows. We’re supposed to be feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, housing the homeless. That’s what it’s about,” Ulmer said.