- New York, New York, United States
Against this backdrop . . .In 1994, The New York Christian Times organized over 400 of the region's strongest Black churches and presented, at the Jacob Javits Convention Center, a 2-day business and community development conference called "The Black Church Means Business",over 2000 Black-owned businesses, 7 government agencies, and many major corporations, banking institutions, and media outlets participated. From this initial event came the largest home-ownership initiative to be pioneered through-first-time home-buyers seminars in Black churches in a major U.S. city. Faith lending initiatives by major banks, church-led financial seminars and economic literacy campaigns,church-run community development corporations, business successes and many successful corporate partnerships resulted from this conference and the many events that followed.With a strong commitment to economic revival in New York's under-served communities,the Black Church Means Business Conference sets the stage. Thousands of New Yorker are inspired and motivated around the agenda of financial literacy, business development and economic empowerment. Crain's New York Business wrote in the December 11, 1995, issue: "The robust economic agenda within the Black religious community burst into the open a year ago with an exposition, ‘The Black Church Means Business' …". Since the first conference in 1994,The New York Christian Times has consistently led the way and maintained annual conferences, workshops and seminars on relevant business issues.