Editor’s Note: Watch video announcement for additional statements.
First Baptist Church of Lincoln Gardens (FBCLG), in coordination with NoirUnited (NoirUnited) International, is actively leveraging its internal resources and extensive network to help African students who fled Ukraine continue their education at US colleges and universities.
“When our church saw the reports of discrimination and abuse against Africans who were trying to escape Ukraine, we knew action had to be taken to help this vulnerable population in their darkest moment,” said Rev. Danté R. Quick, Ph.D., FBCLG senior pastor. “In May, we began galvanizing members of our congregation which include senior leadership at major higher education institutions as well as physicians, nurses, entrepreneurs and mental health professionals.”
FBCLG is committed to facilitating the safe passage of the African students to the United States, assisting with their enrollment to a college or university, partnering with medical institutions to evaluate their physical and mental health, and providing for their spiritual support and basic needs.
“There are still many milestones to achieve before the students are resettled in the United States, however we are compelled to this mission because it represents Jesus’ message of love for those who are left behind,” said Rev. Quick.
“We are excited to have First Baptist Church of Lincoln Gardens as a strategic partner,” said Macire Aribot, NoirUnited co-founder and graduate student at Columbia University. “Our relationship with the church has already proven to be fruitful.
FBCLG has begun discussions with university presidents and other leaders at higher education institutions to explore the pathway in which these students can live on campus and continue their education to degree.
FBCLG and NoirUnited are racing to help the displaced African students establish some sense of normalcy as time is running out for them to remain in the countries to which they escaped.
Aribot, along with NoirUnited Co-Founder Nassim Ashford, a Yale University graduate student, spent the summer in Europe providing on-the-ground support to African students and their families who have found temporary refuge in various countries. Since their efforts have begun, NoirUnited has raised more than $100,000 for food, clothing and other necessities for more than 500 Africans who evacuated from Ukraine.
“There are still many milestones to achieve before the students are resettled in the United States, however we are compelled to this mission because it represents Jesus’ message of love for those who are left behind,” said Rev. Quick.
FBCLG has a deep and longstanding commitment to global missions. The church made a $10,000 donation in June to the Lott Carey Foreign Missions Society and co-coordinated a children’s book drive where the donations were given to a library in Ghana.
About First Baptist Church of Lincoln Gardens
First Baptist Church of Lincoln Gardens leads more than 6,000 disciples of Christ. With an emphasis on faith formation, Christian education, worship, and stewardship in the broadest sense of the word, FBCLG demonstrates how Christian principles are very practical and relevant today to achieving wellness mentally, emotionally, physically, and financially. FBCLG is also recognized as an advocate for the people as the church serves its local communities in Somerset and Middlesex counties in NJ and addresses acute needs of those struggling globally. FBCLG’s ministry includes giving more than 400 hot meals to senior citizens weekly, sending three 18-wheeler trucks to Jackson, MS to help address the water crisis, disseminating more than 400 bookbags filled with school supplies at the end of summer, implementing a tutoring program during the academic year, and coordinating a host of other wellness, cultural, and theological events led by experts and experienced lay people.
About NoirUnited International
NoirUnited International hopes to raise awareness of the issues pertinent to Black communities, foster cross-cultural connections amongst the Black diaspora, and find comprehensive and community-based solutions to systemic problems. Overall, the organization’s goal is to reimagine the power of Black unity and define a better and more equitable future for the Black community around the world.
