IAB Statement of Faith
At I AM BLACK (IAB) Ministry, we believe that every person is created in the image of God and possesses inherent dignity and worth. We profess that “God is Black”—not as a statement about God’s biological race or ethnicity, but as a confession that in Jesus Christ, God stands in radical solidarity with the oppressed, the marginalized, and those whose dignity has been denied. We affirm the God-given heritage of Black people and believe the Church is also called to reconnect, reconcile, and resource Black and African people through faithful stewardship.
IAB VALUES
Blackness (Reconnecting):
God is Black
We believe God is Black: We affirm Blackness as a sacred expression of God’s image—often forgotten and devalued in the world. We believe God stands with the oppressed, and therefore we are called to stand with one another in solidarity and dignity.
Liberation (Resourcing):
Educate to Liberate
We educate to Liberate: We commit to educating Black children and youth to become faithful stewards of their history, culture, and heritage—equipping them to reclaim identity, resist erasure, and shape liberated futures.
Africa (Reconciling):
Africans and Pan-Africans
We are Africans and Pan-Africans: We affirm Black and African people as one shared family and embrace the heritage of Pan-Africanism. We honor Africa— Alkebulan—as the ancestral home of humanity and the foundation of our shared heritage.
Christ (Reforming):
Christ our Liberator
We affirm Christ our liberator: We are a Christian community rooted in the gospel and shaped by Black theology, affirming Christ Jesus as Liberator—who confronts oppression, restores dignity, and reforms both hearts and systems.
Kenosis (Renewing):
God's Humble Stewards
We practice Kenosis as God's humble Stewards: We commit to lives of humility, mutual care, and shared responsibility—living in harmony with one another and as faithful stewards of God’s creation.
“I am an African not because I was born in Africa, but because Africa was born in me.”
— Kwame Nkrumah
Africa is not only where many of us come from; it is the heritage that shapes who we are and the responsibility that calls us to one another.
Heritage Quotes
“Overcoming poverty is not a task of charity, it is an act of justice. Like slavery and apartheid, poverty is not natural. It is man-made and it can be overcome and eradicated by the actions of human beings."
Nelson Mandela