Barak Christian Church
Blessed to be a Blessing
History, Goals, and Purpose
Barak Christian Church was organized in St. Louis, Missouri in June of 2004. It began with an initial group of 40 persons. Rev. Dr. Lynn R. Mims and Rev. Stacey Mims are the founders and pastors.
The mission of Barak Christian Church is to bring witness and presence for healing, freedom, and service to the St. Louis metropolitan area and beyond. Healing reflects the need to bind the spiritual and social brokenness of the world. Freedom reflects the need for there to be freedom to think, serve, and worship in an atmosphere of acceptance and validation without doctrinal or ritual pressure to confirm. Service reflects the need for the church to engage the community with faith-based solutions to the issues of poverty, family, and community health. The mission statement is, “Blessed to be a blessing.”
Barak Christian Church has grown from 40 initial members to a present membership of over 400 persons in a four-year period. A board of directors and a congregational body governs it. It continues to grow in membership and programs. In April 2007, Barak moved into a facility located at 7370 N. Hanley Road in Hazelwood, Missouri. This location gives Barak a strategic location that will facilitate outreach into the metropolitan St. Louis area.
Presently, Barak Christian Church is a leader in the St. Louis area in the areas of healthy relations and marriages, youth personal and spiritual development and preparing persons to serve through faith-based entities. It has partnered with other churches to work with social service and cultural agencies in federal and community initiatives to address the issues of divorce, youth abstinence, re-entry, education, and human needs. Barak has educated over 300 persons through the healthy relationship program. Barak is a partner in the community. It has experience in planning and implementing programs that involve hundreds of persons. It has opened it facilities to community meetings and other organizational affairs. It continues to provide religious services to its members and other participants. Barak is ecumenical and interfaith affirming the beliefs and creeds of other denominations and religions. It does not proselytize its social service participants.