The FAITH FIRST PROJECT® is the brainchild of Rev. Damon O. Smith. This is my digital home of two workspaces: Church Work and Policy & Leadership Consultancy. My work is framed from a one lens: liberation for all bodies as intentionally made creations of God, who are loved by Jesus Christ and guided by the Holy Spirit.
I serve at Liberty Baptist Church of Chicago under the leadership of Rev. Andrew D. Hunt, Jr., CPA, M.Div. As a member of the ministerial staff, I work as the Youth Pastor and Social Justice Pastor. As Youth Pastor, I teach children and young adults about Jesus Christ, the principles of Christianity, and Biblical lessons, and I introduce how their Faith can be lived out even in the beginning of their lives.
The Social Justice projects of Liberty Baptist Church continue from our days as the home church of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., while he was in Chicago, where he organized the Chicago Movement for fair and decent housing. Just as Jesus Christ responded to the needs of people oppressed by systems, The FAITH FIRST PROJECT® responds to the needs of people by offering leadership development, policy consulting, and personalized training that not only inspires change but also creates change and change agents.
The FAITH FIRST PROJECT® recognizes that life is full of Chaos and Pain, but because of Jesus Christ, there is an abundance of Joy, Excitement, Grace, Mercy, Justice, Forgiveness, but, most of all, LOVE for everyone.
The FAITH FIRST PROJECT® represents an evolution from Liberationist Theology to Social Justice Theology. This is a radical paradigm shift in the practices of faith-based leadership, and we navigate this journey through preaching, coaching, consulting, and mentoring.
Welcome to The FAITH FIRST PROJECT®.
