Meet our Pastor The Rev. Dr. Dwaine A. Jackson
Rev.Dr. Dwaine A. Jackson accepted his calling to the ministry in 1992. He started to develop his ministry at Bethel AME Church Los Angeles with the youth and young adults. He facilitated mentoring programs and activities that developed the faith capacity of the youth and young adults. He also served as minister to the men; collaborating on ways to encourage, uplift, and support laymen and those in the surrounding community.
Rev. Jackson helped organize and start The Genesis Day Camp which was a low or no cost summer day camp for youth in the South Los Angeles Community. Reverend Jackson is the Co-Founder of Rebirth Youth and Family Center which specialized in Youth Mentoring Programs and Housing homeless young adults that were involved in the Criminal Justice System or Department of Children and Family Services.
He was appointed the coordinator for the Southern California Sons of Success Program of the African Methodist Episcopal Church. Through these various ministry opportunities, God was able to refine his gifts so that at the 87th Session of the Southern California Conference of the African Methodist Episcopal Church, Bishop T. Larry Kirkland appointed Dr. Jackson to his first pastorate Bethel AME, Barstow, California. Reverend Jackson remained faithful to that charge for three years. In 2013 Dr Jackson was moved to St. James AME in Los Angeles, where he was instrumental in bringing a homeless shelter to the church and housing transitional aged youth during the winter months as well as providing a summer lunch program for the youth in the community.
In 2016 under the leadership of Bishop Clement W. Fugh, Dr. Jackson was appointed to Bryant Temple Los Angeles. In his short time at Bryant Temple he has revitalized the churches Community Development Corporation and has been serving as Chief Executive Officer for 7 years. The CDC provides several community programs funded such as homeless shelters, Bridge housing for women being released from the criminal justice system and find themselves homeless, a safe passage program for youth, mental health services that focuses on youth trauma, and a disaster preparedness, all programs are funded by the city, state, and the federal government.
Rev. Dr Jackson Is currently bi-vocational and has been working for Shields for Families a non-profit social service agency for over 13 years where he serves as the program Manager for Shields Healthy Start Program. This program provides services to pregnant and parenting moms and their families the goal of the program it is our goal to decrease infant mortality and morbidity.
Rev. Dr. Jackson has also prepared himself academically; receiving his Bachelor of Arts Degree in Social Science from Wilberforce University, a Master of Arts in Clinical Psychology from Antioch University, Master of Divinity from Payne Theological Seminary and Doctrine of Ministry Payne Theological Seminary.Dr Jackson sits on several boards throughout the city and believes in empowering the community in which he serves, he believes with the right tools there is nothing impossible.He is a proud parent and grandparent and is a member of the Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc.