Center for Religion and Civic Culture
Economic Empowerment
The USC Center for Religion and Civic Culture hosts annual Economic Empowerment series. Presentations address organizational and personal financial management. We encourage you to watch past programs, review and implement learnings with your teams or family, and share the knowledge with your community.
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Gain answers about the status of federal funding for SNAP, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, known in Los Angeles County as CalFresh. You will also learn about resources for your community members, and find out how your congregation or organization can help others during this time. In addition, learn about changes in Medi-Cal eligibility that will take effect in 2026.
George B. Thompson, a financial coach and pastor of stewardship at Faithful Central Bible Church, kicks off the USC Center for Religion and Civic Culture's 2024 Economic Empowerment series. He covers 5 crucial areas for wealth management: Income, Debt, Investments, Taxes and protection, and Estate planning. We all have financial goals — you may want to save for education or retirement, get out of debt or buy a house. Whether you run a family, business, house of worship or nonprofit, gain actionable advice on how to manage your wealth and meet your goals.
Learn how your ministry or nonprofit can raise, manage and steward money during challenging times. Rev. Steven Johnson, pastor of business and finance at Faithful Central for over a decade, also managed the finances of FAME Renaissance following the '92 unrest under the Rev. Dr. Cecil L. Murray. He shares how money fits into Murray’s 5M leadership model. Pastors, clergy, lay leaders of congregations and faith organizations will benefit from this deep dive into best practices.
The Rev. Dr. Reginald Blount, executive director of the Oikos Institute for Social Impact, presents the model of "F.I.S.H Capital" as part of the USC Center for Religion and Civic Culture's Economic Empowerment programming. Learn how to F.I.S.H. differently — and harness your congregation's Financial, Intellectual, Social and Human Capital.
Take your organization to the next level. Learn how to access opportunities with financial institutions and how to make your assets work for you and your organization. Emery Younes is VP, Business Banking at First Citizens Bank.
The Reverend Dr. Mark E. Whitlock, Jr. of Reid Temple AME Church shares funding models for churches. Prior to his appointment to Reid Temple, Rev. Whitlock served as pastor of Christ Our Redeemer AME Church (COR Church) in Irvine, California and the executive director of the USC Cecil Murray Center for Community Engagement. He left a career in banking to become the executive director of FAME Renaissance, the Community Development Corporation of First AME Church, Los Angeles.
Renée C. Bizer shares best practices to help faith organizations create a strategy for economic resilience. As Executive Director of Vermont Village Community Development Corporation, Bizer’s expertise in banking and economic development has allowed her to lead initiatives that make a significant impact in her community.
Rev. Everett Bell shares best practices to help faith organizations create a strategy for economic resilience. Bell is pastor of Bethel AME Church and founder and executive director of Impact Southern California Community Development Corporation, and has a wealth of experience in building programs with a significant impact.
King Jermaine Jones, entrepreneur and venture capitalist, shares his story and the mindset required to secure your financial future as part of USC Center for Religion and Civic Culture's Economic Empowerment session. Jones credits his faith in God, critical thinking abilities and entrepreneurial spirit with allowing him to come through the foster care and criminal justice systems and succeed first as a robotic engineer and then as owner of the Dr. Fish Spa Las Vegas Franchise and several other businesses. Jones encourages people to continue the mindset of a student and problem solver as they continue to grow and build their wealth. He also shares experience with fraud and predatory loans on his journey as an entrepreneur.
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Center for Religion and Civic Culture
University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA 90089-0520