By Dr. Samuel L. Thompson
JA Guest Writer
Many years ago, I met Dr. Jerry Young at a Baptist ministerial Union meeting and right away I saw that he was a visionary and had a passion for helping people. From there, our friendship blossomed as we worked together on various projects. It was clear to me back then that he was not only a gifted preacher and teacher, but he had the skills and talent for executive level leadership.
The two of us were heavily involved in ministry work with our local churches and the General Missionary Baptist State Convention of Mississippi, Inc. Dr. Young was pastor of New Hope Baptist Church on Watkins Drive in Jackson, Mississippi. I was the pastor of Thirty First-Avenue Missionary Baptist Church in Meridian, Mississippi. Dr. Young quickly moved up through the ranks of the General Missionary Baptist State Convention of Mississippi, Inc., and was elected President of the State Convention.
Before he ran, I told Dr. Young that he was going to be the next president of our National Baptist Convention, USA, Inc. When he eventually ran for that office, I was excited to campaign for my friend and arrange meetings for him in Meridian, Mississippi, and the surrounding areas.
After serving two terms as president of the General Missionary Baptist State Convention of Mississippi, Inc., Dr. Young was urged by friends and supporters on the national level to run for the presidency of the National Baptist Convention, USA, Inc. After a very spirited campaign, Dr. Young was elected president of the largest Black religious organization in America in 2014.
Shortly after his election, he and I met to talk about a partnership between the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the National Baptist Convention, USA, Inc. “The subject of our meeting was, There is Grain in Egypt. We had the idea that with the right people, in the right places, doing the right things, we could bring the resources of the USDA together with the resources of the National Baptist Convention, USA, Inc., to establish an agricultural outreach program that could serve the needs of the Convention, the USDA, and the nation-at-large.
The vision of a formal working partnership between the USDA and the National Baptist Convention, USA, Inc. soon took hold when Dr. Young appointed me, now the pastor of Hope Spring Missionary Baptist Church in Jackson, Mississippi, as the Liaison to the USDA for the National Baptist Convention, USA, Inc.
My tenure as USDA Liaison has been very successful, starting with a single USDA grant in 2015 to provide agricultural outreach and technical assistance to disadvantaged and underserved farmers and ranchers. Now, 10 years later, thanks to the exceptional leadership of Dr. Young and the outstanding support of the USDA and our collaborators, the National Convention has generated more than $3 million in grants and assistance for agricultural outreach and technical assistance projects nationwide.
The USDA projects have included workshops and activities that increase access to USDA program and resources for underserved African American farmers, ranchers, women, and youth throughout the nation. When the pandemic hit and many families were faced with food shortages, the National Baptist Convention, USA, Inc. partnered with the USDA and other agencies to provide 2.4 million meals to needy families in 12 states through the USDA Farmers to Families Food Box Program.
The National Convention is currently working on two projects in the Jackson area: (1) assistance with food shortages caused by a lack of access to fresh fruits and vegetables in underserved areas of the city, and (2) projects that address tree canopy inequity and the negative consequences of climate change in underserved urban communities.
The partnership between the USDA and National Baptist Convention, USA, Inc., is but another example of the dynamic, forward thinking and visionary leadership of Dr. Young, a servant-leader of the highest echelon!
Dr. Young, thank you for allowing me the privilege of being your friend and the opportunity to execute your vision, while serving as the Liaison to the United States Department of Agriculture for the National Baptist Convention, USA, Inc.
