MAKING A DIFFERENCE L ori G . Baynard
Offering Good News in Bad News Times
debt, deficits, and delinquencies. Given this commitment to fiscal responsibility, it was only natural that when the foreclosure crisis hit the state of New Jersey, Soaries felt compelled to step up and help. But what could one church do? Federal politicians were scrambling to try and rectify the growing number of foreclosures. New Jersey First Baptist Church of Lincoln Gardens was hit particularly hard. So Rev. Soaries, was founded in 1937 in Somerset, N.J., along with the First Baptist Community where it quickly established itself as a Development Corporation (which later church that cared for and served the became known as the Central Jersey community. Its legacy of feeding hungry Community Development Corporation families, providing scholarships to young or CJCDC), set up a meeting with compeople in the community, and taking the munity members, bankers, mortgage love of Jesus Christ out into the neigh- representatives, elected officials, and boring community was well in place members of the clergy. When over 800 when Rev. DeForest “Buster” Soaries people showed up, it was only too clear came to the church in 1990 as a pastoral that they needed to devise a plan to help candidate. “The role of the Christian church is Given the pastor’s commitment to offer good news to those who find to fiscal responsibility, themselves in bad news situations,” affirms it was only natural that when Soaries. And whether the bad news situation is a governor in the middle of a the foreclosure crisis hit scandal, a radio personality making racial New Jersey, the church slurs about the local women’s basketball stepped up to help. team, or a police chief who needs assistance with community relations, Rev. Soaries and the members of First Baptist those homeowners most desperately in Church of Lincoln Gardens have been need. In answer to the need, the Housing Assistant Recovery Program (HARP) quick to serve. Under Soaries’ guidance over the last was instituted by the CJCDC. In partnership with area banks, two decades, the church has placed 345 abandoned babies in loving homes, con- HARP has created a revolutionary structed over 100 homes for low- and approach to assist struggling homeownmoderate-income families, and created ers on the brink of foreclosure, and the the Cisco Technology Academy (the first program has had remarkable results. Here’s faith-based academy of its kind in the how the program works. Homeowners country). The church created and runs who are facing foreclosure first meet a state-of-the-art health center and a with HUD-certified counselors in an social services center, as well as a job attempt to work out a loan modificareadiness program.When a growing num- tion with the homeowner’s lender. If ber of church members found themselves loan modification is unattainable, the saddled with credit card debt, Rev. Soaries CJCDC will purchase the home from instituted the Dfree Lifestyle program, the lender and enter into a lease-purchase which encourages and teaches members agreement with the homeowner. The to manage their money and live free of homeowner must commit to attending
PRISM 2 0 1 0
7
financial counseling provided through the CJCDC. In addition, the homeowner must identify a mentor who can help the family through the process of reestablishing themselves financially by holding them accountable to their goals (the mentor has no financial obligation to the family). Finally, within 12-24 months, the family is able to repurchase their home at an amount not to exceed their original debt. Through this initiative people are able to stay in their homes, reestablish their credit, and repurchase their homes at a fair price. Rev. Soaries calls the plan “real help, right now, using no taxpayer money.” In HARP’s first year the CJCDC was able to help over 400 families, but with the number of foreclosure filings steadily rising, Soaries believed that they needed to do more. Under his guidance, the CJCDC brokered a partnership with a neighborhood revitalization firm called APD Solutions in Atlanta, Ga. The firm invested $25 million to further HARP’s work and to allow the CJCDC to buy up vacant bank-owned properties in eight targeted communities in New Jersey. The CJCDC would then offer these homes to low- and moderate-income families along with continuing to help those families facing foreclosure.This new venture is estimated to help approximately 625 families this year alone. Rev. Soaries sums up the core belief of the First Baptist Church of Lincoln Garden like this: “We don’t celebrate Jesus only on Sunday morning but also believe in serving our community in the name of Jesus all week long.” And by the grace of God, they are doing just that. (For more information about HARP visit FBCSomerset.com). n Lori G. Baynard is a Sider Scholar at Palmer Theological Seminary, where she studies faith and public policy. She also serves as a courtappointed special advocate for abused and neglected children in N.J.