Eight years ago, Dwayne Gibbs cast his vision for Berean Missional Church: a multi-ethnic, multi-class, intergenerational and racially-reconciled church for at-risk East metro youth and their families. In his Facing Race Ambassador nomination, it was noted that “creating an anti-racist community is not a description of Dwayne’s work, but rather, a descriptor of his entire life.” 

As part of the Berean Missional Church’s programming, Dwayne formed the Harvest Movement Youth Center in 2002—working to incite in youth a passion to identify racial issues and empowering them to overcome obstacles created by America’s racial history. Through his church he also created Harvest Academy, which uses an online public schooling curriculum for at-risk students grades 7 – 12, and started a multi-ethnic youth choir to combat the negative images the media portrays of urban youth. “Without (a) movement there is no progress," says Gibbs. 

Prior to founding Berean Missional Church, Gibbs spent 10 years with the St. Paul Fire Department, which routinely brought him to the homes and face-to-face with many of the city’s most vulnerable residents. Much of his work today grew out of experiences he had while working with families in the face of fire devastation.