The 15th Annual Movement Day New York City was held on October 18 at Bethel Gospel Assembly in Manhattan, where plenary speakers and panelists explored the themes of ‘Rebuilding Communities,’ ‘Rebuilding Cities,’ and ‘Rebuilding Generations,’ drawing inspiration from the book of Nehemiah.

“It was very meaningful to host Movement Day at Bethel Gospel Assembly in Harlem,” said Mac Pier, founder of Movement.org. “Nearly 300 leaders from the Tri-State Area gathered to consider the possibilities of impacting the next generation, impacting communities with innovative educational models, and the possibilities of creating affordable housing. Meeting the felt needs of our communities creates fresh opportunities to share the gospel in our urban context.”

Movement Day, a catalytic event that brings together ministry and marketplace leaders, was founded in 2010 in collaboration with Dr. Tim Keller and Redeemer City to City.

After starting the morning with praise and worship music from the Bethel Gospel Assembly worship team, Bob Doll, chairman of the board at Movement.org, and Bishop Carlton Brown, senior pastor at Bethel Gospel Assembly, greeted the crowd. In line with the “Rebuild” theme, Bishop Brown recalled how Bishop Ezra Williams and Bethel Gospel Assembly purchased the church’s current building from the city approximately 45 years ago for $300,000. The building, a former public junior high school, was abandoned and dilapidated.

“We didn’t have the money, but God made a way,” he said.

Bishop Brown also shared how “the Lord gave us a vision 20 years ago to build a new sanctuary on the courtyard, along with the housing facility above the sanctuary.”

Bob Doll, the CEO of Crossmark Global Investments, led a marketplace breakfast and opened Movement Day by saying, “Folks, we have work to do.”
Doll cited a recent poll regarding how people felt about the importance of religion in America (down from 62% to 39% in the last 25 years), and other concerning trends.

“Movement Day increases the speed of the Gospel in cities,” he said. “What do we do? We pray, we convene, we catalyze, we develop leaders, and we meet needs. John Stott said, ‘Failure to evangelize the city is our failure to be salt and light.’ We have the most powerful, exciting, and positive news in all of human history. Let’s change the world for Jesus Christ.”

Movement Day’s impetus for change was based on Nehemiah’s passion to rise up and rebuild the walls of Jerusalem.

THE LEADER’S BURDEN

Rev. Mullery Jean-Pierre, senior pastor of Beraca Baptist Church in Brooklyn and emcee of Movement Day, recalled how Nehemiah was heartbroken upon learning about the state of his beloved city.

“He mourned, he wept, he fasted, and he prayed,” Rev. Jean-Pierre said. “Our communities are in dire straits. We need men and women of God to mourn, weep, pray and fast for what is happening.”

Mark Atkinson, the NYC area director for Care Portal, was the opening speaker for Movement Day. Care Portal is an online platform that connects child-serving professionals with local churches and community members to address the needs of vulnerable children and families.

Atkinson spoke about “The Burden of the Leader.”

“Nehemiah saw the brokenness and believed he had to do something about it,” he said.

“There is much to lament about what is going on in our city. The leader’s burden is understanding the deep brokenness that we see.. Sometimes we have to pause so that God can truly grasp our heart and break our hearts for the things that break His heart.”

“Nehemiah stopped, observed, mourned, prayed, listened, and gained a vision. Then he acted. [Likewise], God has called us to be the repairers of the wall and the restorers of the breach… God wants to transform this city.”

REBUILDING THE NEXT GENERATION

Movement Day’s “Rebuilding the Next Generation” panel was led by Josh Miles, Managing Director of Movement.org, and Rev. Vandalyn Kennedy, Chairlady, International Youth Department of the Church of God in Christ. Miles and Kennedy direct Movement.org’s Advanced Leadership Institute, a nine-month cohort of under-30 leaders from across the region.

Some of the topics the shared at Movement Day included: “A Generational Faith Profile of the United States,” “Gen Z’s wide-ranging view of Jesus,” and “Gen Z’s Experience with Spiritual Mentors.”

One of the key statistics in the segment was the fact that one million young people leave the church every year. It is estimated that by 2050, that number will be 35 to 45 million.

“One million young people are leaving the church, but according to a recent study, only 33% of pastors said that youth ministry was one of their top five priorities of their church… This is a place of repentance for us as leaders,” Miles said. “The next generation needs to be one of our top priorities. Finding and reaching the next generation cannot be a backburner issue… It has to be a front burner issue for all of us.”

BUILDING FOR THE FUTURE

The Building For The Future panel discussed featured three organizations that have launched successful building projects to serve their neighborhoods by providing access to affordable housing, charter schools, and community centers.

Rev. William McCullough, senior pastor of Russell Temple CME Church in Bridgeport, CT, founded FaithActs in 2014 in an effort to provide better educational options in his city. Today, 6,000 children are enrolled in the organization’s charter schools.

“Education is the key to liberation,” he said. “Children are our greatest gift from God, and we ought to invest in them… And we are to nurture them to make sure that they receive a quality education, a world-class education.”

Dr. Ray Rivera, Founder and President of Latino Pastoral Action Center, and his daughter Rev. Susan Rivera Leon, senior pastor of Sanctuary Church in the Bronx, spoke about founding Family Life Academy Charter Schools over 20 years ago. The schools have 1,900 students enrolled.

“We are a Christ-centered, holistic ministry. Basically, we are about Jesus and justice,” Dr. Ray Rivera said.

“Our schools were birthed out of a cry from the community,” said Rev. Susana Leon.

Bishop Hugh Nelson, Board Chair of Ebeneezer Urban Ministry Center and Hope Center Development Corporation in Brooklyn, spoke about his faith-driven journey to purchase multiple buildings in the East Flatbush section of his borough.

Ericka Keller and Mario Procida of PK Development Group, who partnered to bring the Ebenezer Urban Ministry Center vision to fruition, were also part of the panel. They recalled meeting Bishop Nelson at a forum hosted by Mayor Eric Adams, who was the Brooklyn Borough President at the time.

“He (Adams) recognized that Brooklyn was the borough of churches and was looking for a way to advance the people of the community. He hosted forums for faith-based leaders who were interested in developing affordable housing,” Ericka Keller said.

Mayor Adams attended Movement Day for the third consecutive year. Rev. Charles Hammond, of Brooklyn Tabernacle, along with other long-time city pastors, prayed for the mayor after he addressed the crowd.

Movement Day also featured a time to shine the spotlight on upcoming events and ministry opportunities in the Metro New York region such as Hope Day, The Jesus is Lord Parade, Historical Bible Society Sundays, Redeemer City to City training, and Movement.org’s 2025 Lenten Series, led by Pastor Terry Smith of the Life Church in West Orange, New Jersey.

Movement Day NYC was sponsored by PK Development Group, Faithly, Tuscarora Inn and Conference Center, Historical Bible Society, and Dan Buttafuoco and Associates.