Movement

Brian Steck

Movement Day Bridgeport Unites City Leaders for Transformational Change

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“A Moment in Time.”

That was the theme for the inaugural Movement Day Bridgeport on June 14, 2025, at Cathedral of Faith Church where leaders from every sector—government, faith-based nonprofits, clergy, and young adults—united around a shared vision for the city’s future.

This “moment in time” in Bridgeport, Connecticut was not missed, according to Rev. Gabrielle Beam, the director of Movement Day Bridgeport (MDB) and pastor of The Rivers Anglican Church.

“God is pouring out His Spirit on Bridgeport to unify the church in a deeper way so that we can get more work done and He can be glorified in the city. It’s undeniable,” she said.

Bridgeport Mayor Joseph Ganim challenged the church community not only to pray for the city but to dream big and act boldly in pursuit of lasting change.

“What is your dream for this city?” he asked.

MDB highlighted four core pillars: marketplace and workforce development, emerging leadership, education reform, and gospel proclamation. These themes were not only discussed but activated, as faith-based organizations like Elevate, Rise to Read, Faith Acts, and Raising Highly Capable Kids united in their mission to address Bridgeport’s education crisis from preschool to high school.

Another highlight of MDB was the passion of Next Gen leaders who were willing to “take on the weight of the problems of affordable housing, homelessness, and education of the next generation,” Pastor Gabrielle said.

MDB also sparked groundbreaking partnerships. For the first time, Catholic leaders joined what had largely been a Protestant-led initiative. Likewise, the historically siloed Black, White, and Hispanic clergy associations were visibly unified. Leaders stood on stage and called for forgiveness, healing, and shared purpose. The symbolic act of reconciliation culminated in spontaneous embraces among pastors and congregants—an emotional display of what it means to be the Church in one heart and one voice.

Connecticut State Senator Sujata Gadkar-Wilcox and Representative Christopher Rosario lent political weight to the day’s themes, with a focus on paid apprenticeships, workforce development, and legislative solutions.

Panel discussion at Movement Day Bridgeport

 

Overall, MDB was marked by a spirit of unity, collaboration, transformation and purpose.

Post-event feedback was extremely positive. One pastor sent a text to the organizers of MDB, quoting Psalm 27:13, “I would have lost heart, unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.”

“We must continue the course of unity through the Spirit,” he wrote. “For 30 years, I had hoped to see the body of Christ come together as one in our region.”

In the last decade, a group of 30 to 40 Bridgeport pastors have worked toward transformation in their city through various initiatives and outreaches. MDB not only solidified that foundation but also cast a renewed vision for an even greater impact.

“We are now seeing the beginning of a harvest and a much deeper work,” Pastor Gabrielle said.

THE FIRST MOVEMENT DAY was hosted in New York City in 2010 through the partnership of Dr. Mac Pier and Movement.org and Dr. Tim Keller and Redeemer City to City. Leaders from the church, non-profit, and marketplace communities gathered to celebrate what had been accomplished, examine areas that still needed work, and find tangible ways to collaborate for continued flourishing. In the last 15 years, Movement Day expressions have been hosted in 900 cities across the globe. Find out more at www.movement.org/.

Accelerating A Global Gospel Movement at the 1,000 Cities Summit

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Unite. Equip. Transform. Multiply.

That was the theme when MOVEMENT.ORG hosted its 1,000 Cities Summit at the Museum of the Bible in Washington, DC, on May 16-17, 2025.

The annual Summit gathers leaders from the marketplace, the church, and parachurch arenas to collaborate around MOVEMENT.ORG’s vision to accelerate the gospel in 1,000 global cities. These urban centers have urgent social and spiritual needs—and Gospel movements are the key to lasting, transformational change.

Currently, MOVEMENT.ORG is impacting leaders in 300 cities on five continents.

MOVEMENT.ORG is UNITING the church to pray. It is EQUIPPING local leaders who know their cities best – enabling them to launch gospel movements that are TRANSFORMING communities through collaborative action. These same leaders are MULTIPLYING this vision across hundreds of cities globally.

At the 1,000 Cities Summit, Mac Pier, founder of MOVEMENT.ORG, recalled how that formula helped the Evangelical Church grow by 750% in New York City from 1989 to 2019. Since the inaugural Movement Day in New York in 2010, the Scholars Program and Movement Day events have been multiplied in hundreds of cities in the United States and globally.

“We have seen this tremendous growth in Manhattan and now see it happening around the world,” he said. “We are hopeful that, by the end of 2027, we will be active in 300 additional cities, bringing the total to 600. We are on a trajectory to fulfill our 1,000 Cities Vision by the year 2033.”

The Summit featured keynote messages from Steve Green, president of Hobby Lobby and Board Chair of the Museum of the Bible; Dr. Terry Smith, senior pastor of The Life Church, West Orange, New Jersey; and Dr. John Jenkins, senior pastor of First Baptist Church of Glenarden, Upper Marlboro, Maryland.

Another highlight of the Summit was reports from MOVEMENT.ORG’s regional leaders in Africa, South Asia, Brazil, and the Middle East, and an update on new regions in Central Asia, the Balkans, and Southeast Asia.

“We believe that we can multiply this vision in 1,000 cities over the next several years,” Mac Pier said. “This is not an arbitrary number. There are 4,000 cities around the world that have a population of more than 100,000. God cares for every person in every city.”

“I believe that if we have collective agreement and commitment to the future together, we can see God do some things that we believe will be world historic.”

TOGETHER WE CAN TRANSFORM CITIES: With your partnership, MOVEMENT.ORG is equipping leaders, uniting churches, and sparking Gospel Movements across the globe. Click here to give.

 

Scholars Program Is Empowering Women Across India

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“A defining moment.”

That’s how Dr. Kavitha Emmanuel, a pastor and marketplace leader in Chennai, India, described the difference the Movement Day Scholars Program has made in her life and city.

The founder of the Disruptive Women ministry, Kavitha leads a movement that seeks to disrupt the status quo by giving women a voice in a culture where they are marginalized and by helping to give them a seat at the table when it comes to leadership in the Church.

“India is considered one of the most dangerous places in the world for women and girls,” Kavitha said. “There is human trafficking, institutionalized violence against women, domestic violence, and a high suicide rate. In the family structure, women very often do not have a voice.”

For the last three years, Disruptive Women has continued to multiply in South Asia by hosting Esther Challenge events at churches during the month of March (Women’s History Month). In 2025, 18 different cities signed up for the Esther Challenge.

“We welcome churches to not only celebrate women but also study the gaps that exist in communities and families,” Kavitha said.

Kavitha was inspired to start Disruptive Women in Chennai after reading Mac Pier’s book, A Disruptive Gospel, and hearing Leticia Shelton (author of the Disruptive Women book series) speak during a Movement Day Scholars training event.

“All these things came together, and I felt the Spirit of God nudging me and saying, ‘You need to do something called Disruptive Women in India.’ I am really excited about what God is doing with a small seed that has begun to take root and grow.”

As the Disruptive Women’s movement grows, cities will be transformed. Kavitha is simply not satisfied with a “few women here and there” in leadership positions, especially when you consider that more than 50 percent of church attendees in India are women.

“The end goal is to accelerate the Great Commission,” she said. “We cannot reach the whole city with the whole gospel if half of God’s image is absent. We need women at the tables. We need to reach women.”

Building Bridges at the 35th Annual Pastors Prayer Summit

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The theme of MOVEMENT.ORG’s 35th Annual Pastors Prayer Summit was “Rise and Build,” based on the reconstruction of the Wall of Jerusalem chronicled in the book of Nehemiah.

On January 27-29 at Tuscarora Inn and Conference Center in Mt. Bethel, Pennsylvania, over 300 pastors and Christian leaders from Metro New York City united in worship, prayer, teaching, and fellowship.

“We are building bridges across racial, economic, social, and generational divides—the Pastors Prayer Summit embodies this,” said Mac Pier, founder of Movement.org. “The heart of Christianity is the incarnation, God among us. When we are among each another, God shows up and does very powerful things.”

PAIN AND PRAYER

In his opening message, Mac Pier shared about “The Leader’s Pain.”

“The story of Nehemiah begins with an extraordinary amount of pain,” he said.

“Our pain reminds us of our dependence on God and our absolute interdependence on one another. We experience pain in our communities and in our region. God uses our pain and our prayer to change the world.”

Like Nehemiah, a leader’s pain must drive them to prayer.

At the 35th Annual PPS, Mac recalled how the pain and brokenness of New York City (an average of eight murders a day between 1987 and 1994) helped birth a mighty prayer movement, with 2,000 churches participating in various expressions of intercession over the years. The collective impact of spiritual and social flourishing, including church growth and reduced crime, led to the convening of the first Movement Day in Manhattan in 2010.

Movement Day, birthed by the joint efforts of Movement.org (formerly The NYC Leadership Center) and Tim Keller and Redeemer City to City, gathered Christians to celebrate what had been accomplished and examine areas that still needed work.

Over the next 15 years, this blueprint for transformation in New York was exported globally.

“New York has inspired 900 cities around the world to participate in our Movement Day expressions,” Mac said.

At PPS, he challenged attendees to think globally, revealing the organization’s 1,000 Cities Vision, which seeks to train 5,000 Movement Day Scholars over the next decade, especially in unreached cities of Asia. He likened New York City to Antioch, a key hub city in the book of Acts.

“The faith community in New York is uniquely positioned to impact 1,000 cities because, collectively, we are an Antioch for the globe. God has positioned us to make an enormous difference. Pain brings us to a place of possibility.”

KEYNOTE MESSAGES

Following Mac Pier’s message on “The Leader’s Pain,” challenging, and powerful keynote addresses (links to videos in titles) were presented by Pastor Charles Galbreath (“The Leader’s Burden”), Pastor Fred Provencher (“The Leader’s Confession”), Pastor Marc Rivera (“The Leader’s Diligence”), Pastor Terry A, Smith (“The Leader’s Shalom”), Pastor Gabrielle Beam (“The Leader’s Strategy”), Pastor A.R. Bernard (“The Leader’s Vision”), and Mullery Jean-Pierre “The Leader’s Posture”).

General sessions also featured worship with Monique Sade, small group prayer times, and Lectio Divina reflections led by Marya Pier, wife of Mac Pier and a Bible Study Fellowship Leader in Queens.

REGIONAL PRAYER ROOMS

One of the annual highlights of PPS are the Tuesday afternoon breakout sessions where attendees meet in regional prayer rooms for the Bronx, Brooklyn, Queens, Manhattan, Staten Island, New Jersey, Connecticut, and National. Other Tuesday breakouts included seminars by Faithly (“Building A Christian Social Media Ecosystem”), Hope Day, the Shalom Devotional Series, A Christian Apologetics Workshop with Dan Buttafuoco (“Inoculate 
Your Youth With The Truth”), Haiti One by One, and Dr. Ron Walborn of Asbury Theological Seminary (“Spiritual Gifts: Tools For Building The Kingdom, not toys for Entertaining The Church).

At the 2025 PPS, Movement.org gave out Lifetime of Spiritual Achievement Awards to honorees Art and Norma Gean Davenport, First Church Of God, Far Rockaway, NY; Pura Coniglio, Pastor, Love Gospel Church Without Walls, Bronx, NY; Tom and Vicky Mahairas, co-founders of Citivision, Manhattan Bible Church, Transformation Life Center and other ministries; Glen and Carole Kleinknecht, Cru Inner City, Pastor Tim Chicola, Pastor Emeritus of The Crossings Church, Livingston, NJ.

“God is calling us to arise and build broken people and repair broken altars,” said Pura Coniglio. “God has called us to be bridge builders and restorers of the breach.”

BRIDGING GENERATIONS

One of the bridges built at the 2025 PPS helped strengthened the link between generations. Many young leaders attended, including a large contingent from Movement.org’s Advanced Leadership Institute.

Pastor Davenport, a former Concerts of Prayer board member, addressed the young leaders, encouraging them to regularly attend PPS.

“There are many first timers that have come to this assembly today. And we can testify that this is the place to be,” he said.

“We are grateful that, throughout my entire ministry, this organization—this group of people, God’s people—have instilled in us the value of prayer, the value of praying together…so that God can move in spite of the challenges we face.”

PPS sponsors included: Historical Bible Society, Daniel Buttafuoco and Associates, Asbury Theological Seminary, Tuscarora Inn and Conference Center, Hope Day, Haiti One by One, Faithly, Christian Cultural Center, Heritage Pastors Assoc. (Jesus Is Lord Parade), and Metro District of the Christian Missionary Alliance. 

PASTORS PRAYER SUMMIT PHOTO GALLERY (click on photo to enlarge):

 

Let’s Do Something World Historic: How to Help Transform Cities Like Nairobi

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On Giving Tuesday and through the end of the year, you have an opportunity to make a difference in cities around the world by supporting Movement Day Scholars like Esther in Nairobi, Kenya.

Esther Chengo is passionate about fostering gospel movements and the flourishing of African cities. A resident of Nairobi, this Christian leader is grateful for the training provided by the Movement Day Scholars Program, which has equipped her to be a catalyst for evangelism, discipleship, and addressing urgent social issues in her city.

“The Movement Day Scholars Program offered an excellent resource for me to discover more about God’s vision for my life and my city. I now have clarity on how to start and nurture Christian Gospel Movements that lead to the transformation of the city.” – Esther Chengo

The Movement Day Scholars Program is an intensive, three-year training module. Graduates create a faith stretching 10-year plan to collectively see God transform a city.

“Our goal is to train and catalyze leaders in the greatest cities and bring the gospel to these urban areas,” said Mac Pier, Founder of Movement.org. For the last five years, the Movement Day Scholars Program has impacted over one thousand leaders in South Asia, Africa, South America, Central Asia, and the Middle East. Our vision is to train 5,000 leaders by 2033 to accelerate the gospel worldwide.

Your gift – both large and small – will help make this vision a reality.

“Together, we have an opportunity to do something world historic. God will use your generosity to contribute to a new arc in the growth of Christianity globally.” – Mac Pier

Please click here to donate.

 

Movement Day NYC: Faith and Marketplace Leaders Unite to Rebuild

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The 15th Annual Movement Day New York City was held on October 18 at Bethel Gospel Assembly in Manhattan, where plenary speakers and panelists explored the themes of ‘Rebuilding Communities,’ ‘Rebuilding Cities,’ and ‘Rebuilding Generations,’ drawing inspiration from the book of Nehemiah.

“It was very meaningful to host Movement Day at Bethel Gospel Assembly in Harlem,” said Mac Pier, founder of Movement.org. “Nearly 300 leaders from the Tri-State Area gathered to consider the possibilities of impacting the next generation, impacting communities with innovative educational models, and the possibilities of creating affordable housing. Meeting the felt needs of our communities creates fresh opportunities to share the gospel in our urban context.”

Movement Day, a catalytic event that brings together ministry and marketplace leaders, was founded in 2010 in collaboration with Dr. Tim Keller and Redeemer City to City.

After starting the morning with praise and worship music from the Bethel Gospel Assembly worship team, Bob Doll, chairman of the board at Movement.org, and Bishop Carlton Brown, senior pastor at Bethel Gospel Assembly, greeted the crowd. In line with the “Rebuild” theme, Bishop Brown recalled how Bishop Ezra Williams and Bethel Gospel Assembly purchased the church’s current building from the city approximately 45 years ago for $300,000. The building, a former public junior high school, was abandoned and dilapidated.

“We didn’t have the money, but God made a way,” he said.

Bishop Brown also shared how “the Lord gave us a vision 20 years ago to build a new sanctuary on the courtyard, along with the housing facility above the sanctuary.”

Bob Doll, the CEO of Crossmark Global Investments, led a marketplace breakfast and opened Movement Day by saying, “Folks, we have work to do.”
Doll cited a recent poll regarding how people felt about the importance of religion in America (down from 62% to 39% in the last 25 years), and other concerning trends.

“Movement Day increases the speed of the Gospel in cities,” he said. “What do we do? We pray, we convene, we catalyze, we develop leaders, and we meet needs. John Stott said, ‘Failure to evangelize the city is our failure to be salt and light.’ We have the most powerful, exciting, and positive news in all of human history. Let’s change the world for Jesus Christ.”

Movement Day’s impetus for change was based on Nehemiah’s passion to rise up and rebuild the walls of Jerusalem.

THE LEADER’S BURDEN

Rev. Mullery Jean-Pierre, senior pastor of Beraca Baptist Church in Brooklyn and emcee of Movement Day, recalled how Nehemiah was heartbroken upon learning about the state of his beloved city.

“He mourned, he wept, he fasted, and he prayed,” Rev. Jean-Pierre said. “Our communities are in dire straits. We need men and women of God to mourn, weep, pray and fast for what is happening.”

Mark Atkinson, the NYC area director for Care Portal, was the opening speaker for Movement Day. Care Portal is an online platform that connects child-serving professionals with local churches and community members to address the needs of vulnerable children and families.

Atkinson spoke about “The Burden of the Leader.”

“Nehemiah saw the brokenness and believed he had to do something about it,” he said.

“There is much to lament about what is going on in our city. The leader’s burden is understanding the deep brokenness that we see.. Sometimes we have to pause so that God can truly grasp our heart and break our hearts for the things that break His heart.”

“Nehemiah stopped, observed, mourned, prayed, listened, and gained a vision. Then he acted. [Likewise], God has called us to be the repairers of the wall and the restorers of the breach… God wants to transform this city.”

REBUILDING THE NEXT GENERATION

Movement Day’s “Rebuilding the Next Generation” panel was led by Josh Miles, Managing Director of Movement.org, and Rev. Vandalyn Kennedy, Chairlady, International Youth Department of the Church of God in Christ. Miles and Kennedy direct Movement.org’s Advanced Leadership Institute, a nine-month cohort of under-30 leaders from across the region.

Some of the topics the shared at Movement Day included: “A Generational Faith Profile of the United States,” “Gen Z’s wide-ranging view of Jesus,” and “Gen Z’s Experience with Spiritual Mentors.”

One of the key statistics in the segment was the fact that one million young people leave the church every year. It is estimated that by 2050, that number will be 35 to 45 million.

“One million young people are leaving the church, but according to a recent study, only 33% of pastors said that youth ministry was one of their top five priorities of their church… This is a place of repentance for us as leaders,” Miles said. “The next generation needs to be one of our top priorities. Finding and reaching the next generation cannot be a backburner issue… It has to be a front burner issue for all of us.”

BUILDING FOR THE FUTURE

The Building For The Future panel discussed featured three organizations that have launched successful building projects to serve their neighborhoods by providing access to affordable housing, charter schools, and community centers.

Rev. William McCullough, senior pastor of Russell Temple CME Church in Bridgeport, CT, founded FaithActs in 2014 in an effort to provide better educational options in his city. Today, 6,000 children are enrolled in the organization’s charter schools.

“Education is the key to liberation,” he said. “Children are our greatest gift from God, and we ought to invest in them… And we are to nurture them to make sure that they receive a quality education, a world-class education.”

Dr. Ray Rivera, Founder and President of Latino Pastoral Action Center, and his daughter Rev. Susan Rivera Leon, senior pastor of Sanctuary Church in the Bronx, spoke about founding Family Life Academy Charter Schools over 20 years ago. The schools have 1,900 students enrolled.

“We are a Christ-centered, holistic ministry. Basically, we are about Jesus and justice,” Dr. Ray Rivera said.

“Our schools were birthed out of a cry from the community,” said Rev. Susana Leon.

Bishop Hugh Nelson, Board Chair of Ebeneezer Urban Ministry Center and Hope Center Development Corporation in Brooklyn, spoke about his faith-driven journey to purchase multiple buildings in the East Flatbush section of his borough.

Ericka Keller and Mario Procida of PK Development Group, who partnered to bring the Ebenezer Urban Ministry Center vision to fruition, were also part of the panel. They recalled meeting Bishop Nelson at a forum hosted by Mayor Eric Adams, who was the Brooklyn Borough President at the time.

“He (Adams) recognized that Brooklyn was the borough of churches and was looking for a way to advance the people of the community. He hosted forums for faith-based leaders who were interested in developing affordable housing,” Ericka Keller said.

Mayor Adams attended Movement Day for the third consecutive year. Rev. Charles Hammond, of Brooklyn Tabernacle, along with other long-time city pastors, prayed for the mayor after he addressed the crowd.

Movement Day also featured a time to shine the spotlight on upcoming events and ministry opportunities in the Metro New York region such as Hope Day, The Jesus is Lord Parade, Historical Bible Society Sundays, Redeemer City to City training, and Movement.org’s 2025 Lenten Series, led by Pastor Terry Smith of the Life Church in West Orange, New Jersey.

Movement Day NYC was sponsored by PK Development Group, Faithly, Tuscarora Inn and Conference Center, Historical Bible Society, and Dan Buttafuoco and Associates.