A Movement in the Making

After John was put in prison, Jesus went into Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God. “The time has come,” he said. “The kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news! (Mark 1: 14-15)

The Time Has Come

At the University of Massachusetts, Amherst the time has come. The kingdom of God is near, and a movement is in the making.

If you analyze the passage in Mark, you’ll see that hardship foreshadows the nearness of God. In the opening verse, John the Baptist, Jesus’ cousin, gets put into prison; However, despite John’s sentence, the time has come and God’s kingdom has come near. Therefore, this passage forces us to question, how can one argue for God’s nearness in the midst of a difficult circumstance?

In context to UMass, the last couple of years can be characterized as a continuous “difficult circumstance.” Starting in 2020, my freshman year, COVID-19 forced the majority of the university to take their courses at home. Likewise, in the spring, many students were granted an opportunity to participate in something called the “new normal.” Essentially, this campus environment consisted of a 24/7 mask mandate, two weekly COVID tests, roommateless dorm rooms, and consistent lockdown procedures. To put it simply, this new way of college was far from normal. Yet, when I thought that the COVID regulations would symbolize the greatest difficulty, eventually a new wave of problems began to emerge at UMass.

Maurice Powe sharing his story at a UMass Cru meeting (Winter 2021)

Slowly trailing behind the pandemic was a theme of racial opposition. Twice during my sophomore year, anti-black racist emails were anonymously distributed to members of the Black community. On top of this, during Black History Month, at a student run business called “Sweets and More,” monkeys were found on chalkboards to further stress the racial climate on campus (Steward). Following this, on the morning of November 1st, 2022, a UMass student of color was wrongly arrested by the Campus Police while walking to his car in heavy traffic. Thus, with all these events taking place, a survey indicated that a disproportionate amount of Black students at UMass felt "no sense of belonging" on campus (“Sense of Belonging”). Needless to say, the Black community at UMass is in the midst of hardship. So, in the midst of this situation, how are we supposed to respond?

For Black students at UMass, it’s reasonable to feel frustrated, confused, angry, or sad. It may make sense to question whether or not God is hearing our cry. Yet, when we look back at scripture, in the midst of hardship Jesus boldly proclaimed that the time has come and God’s kingdom is near.

How can someone make an argument like this?

Personally, I believe that the beauty within this argument is how Jesus views hardship as an opportunity for good. What do I mean by this? In the midst of hardship, Jesus sees an opportunity to bring good news. While people are broken, frustrated, wondering why John the Baptist got put in prison, Jesus boldly serves the community by providing them with good news. Thus, as the church, it would seem obligatory for us to be driven by hardship to meet the needs of the hurt. Therefore, in acting this way, is this not what Jesus meant when he stated God’s kingdom has come near to those in need?

At UMass we have the opportunity to bring God’s kingdom near by serving Black students who are currently hurting. We’re invited to embody God’s nearness, and this is why I believe that it’s time at UMass Amherst. Sitting back and do nothing is not an option. So, in efforts of bringing God’s kingdom near, a group of us at UMass kickstarted a chapter of The IMPACT Movement.

As I write about hardship a lot in this section, I think it’s important to address how God is not orchestrating hardship in order for us to embody His kingdom. Conveyed best in a text called “African-American Experience In World Mission: A Call Beyond Community,” Rebecca Waltson writes this…

It is in the story of Joseph that I find this principle demonstrated. Like Joseph, who was sold into slavery, as a people, we too [African Americans] have been subjected to the effects of sin in such a way that our lives have been fundamentally altered. Like Joseph, we [African Americans] have been forced to live in the land of our affliction, never knowing the sanctity and safety of our native land. Yet, in the midst of all this Joseph realized God had been with him. Scripture records that Joseph married and had two sons. The first he named Manasseh, meaning God has caused me to forget the toil of my Father’s house. The second he named Ephraim, meaning God has caused me to prosper in the land of my affliction. As Joseph realizes God’s provision and protection [God’s nearness in the midst of hardship], God eventually uses him to bring deliverance from severe famine to both his family and the people of Egypt. Could it be, that despite the fact we [African Americans] have suffered greatly at the hand of those who intended to do us harm, like Joseph, we have been given a special place in God’s plan to redeem the nations unto himself? (5)

Thus, I use this quote to reiterate how God is not orchestrating hardship to see how we might respond. We live in a broken world and as sinful beings WE, not God, constantly afflict hardship unto one another. Yet, solely through God’s loving character, what some meant for evil God can use for good (Gen 50:20). Therefore, we’re invited to assist people in the midst of difficult circumstances because God assisted us in the middle of our sinfulness (Rom 5:8).

Maurice Powe at his first IMPACT Movement Regional Conference in Indianapolis (Winter 2021)

The Kingdom of God Has Come Near

Photo of the first UMass IMPACT Movement Meeting (Spring 2022)

The IMPACT Movement is our means of bringing God’s kingdom to UMass.

So, what is it? The IMPACT Movement is a nationally recognized organization dedicated to equipping Black students to become disciples of Jesus Christ who integrate their faith into every aspect of their life (“The IMPACT Movement”). Valuing concepts like biblical IQ, holiness, stewardship, discipleship, missions, evangelism, justice, ethnic identity, community, and prayer, The IMPACT Movement currently is 30 years young. IMPACT has chapters at roughly 60 different high schools and universities, and when it comes to The IMPACT Movement at UMass, things are slowly on the up and up.

So how did we learn about it?

The first time that I heard about The IMPACT Movement was about a year ago. To be specific, I learned about IMPACT at the annual Pioneer Valley Fall Retreat in Spofford, New Hampshire. For context, Fall Retreat is an annual Christian getaway hosted by Pioneer Valley Cru. For a weekend long, students are encouraged to get to know each other, be vulnerable, grow spiritually, and have fun. The retreat consists of speakers, seminars, icebreakers, and dodgeball. So, by the end of the weekend, most students can’t even believe that it’s already over. From a personal perspective, Fall Retreat gave me an opportunity to view God’s body in a more holistic manner. For example, the retreat allowed me to develop community with students from other campus ministries while also meet students from other universities. Thus, the retreat showed me that what we were doing was far more than just a club, the effects could be seen all over the region.

So, knowing the power that Fall Retreat has, I desired more. Specifically, I wanted every single college student to experience a retreat like this. But when I began to think about growth, I was somewhat challenged in regards to the racial demographics. This amazing weekend left me questioning where’s all the Black people? This was in fact a retreat for the entire Pioneer Valley, therefore, wouldn’t people expect there to be some decent diversity? Nonetheless, for some reason, the Black community was lacking.

Pioneer Valley Fall Retreat Group Photo (Fall 2021)

If you looked at the picture above, Fall Retreat tends to have students from UMass Cru, a predominately white body, and UMass EPIC, a predominately Asian body. Thus, as an African American, I was forced to wonder where are my people at. Fall Retreat symbolized something special, it was a space where God’s love transcended both Cru and EPIC as ministries. Thus, by the end of the retreat, God was at the forefront, but I couldn’t help but consider how a puzzle piece was missing.

UMass IMPACT Movement first meeting group photo (Spring 2022)

For example, imagine you’re a UMass student, and the 2021 Fall Retreat picture is an advertisement for God’s body. Immediately, for Black students, something might be alarming. Essentially, the lack of Black representation inadvertently makes a statement towards what we are advertising as God’s body. In my opinion, anyone, regardless of their background, should look at a Fall Retreat picture and instantly see themself depicted within God’s body. Why? Because we as Christians are Imago Dei, the image bearers of Christ (Gen 1:27). Therefore, if a student looks at “God’s body” and instantly thinks, I don’t see myself within that, that’s alarming. Thus, at UMass, I personally believed that more needed to be done to more accurately convey God’s kingdom body; so personally that meant reaching the Black community.

So, after talking with my peers, I personally made a goal to start revival within the Black community. The Black church is a crucial member of portraying God’s body. Therefore, if we were to unleash God’s kingdom on campus, we would need Black Christians as a vital part of the body.

So, to make this thing happen, I brought this sentiment to UMass Cru staff, and surprisingly enough, it was almost as if I was answering a prayer. For years, the staff have significantly desired greater network within the Black community. Yet, since all the staff are white, this task proved challenging. Many Black students hesitated to attend a predominately white Cru meeting, but strangely enough I, a Black student, was fine with it.

Pioneer Valley 2022 Fall Retreat with IMPACT Seminar led by Chase Grogan (Fall 2022)

I was one of the rare African Americans who was comfortable at Cru, and I didn’t really think about it. For the majority of my life I’ve grown up in white spaces, and as a result, this upbringing challenged me. Why? Because, in white spaces I was different, my skin color prevented me from fully fitting in. Yet on the other hand, in Black spaces, I was still different, my town made me “white-washed,” “uncultured,” and an outsider from the Black world. Thus, I’ve constantly been forced to wrestle with my identity. Yet, suddenly my racial upbringing began to hold value.

I was uniquely equipped to bridge the gap. I was accustomed to navigating both racial environments, yet it felt as if God was leading me back to the Black community. Therefore, I felt like Moses, I had grown up in the metaphorical palace, and now I was returning home. I desired revival among the Black community, and strangely enough I somehow became a leader in fulfilling the task. Thus, on October 20th (My Birthday), 2021 at 10:45am, I felt empowered to go to the The IMPACT Movement website and send this email…

Hello IMPACT,

I'm Maurice Powe and I'm a Sophomore at UMass Amherst. I'm a member of Cru at UMass, and I recently came across the Cru IMPACT ministry. For the entirety of my life I've been looking for a community like this. UMass is a predominately white institution, and I also grew up as an African American in a predominately white town; Therefore, I think IMPACT will not only help us black students, but has the potential to benefit everyone on campus. I recently went to Yellowstone for Summer Mission, and I was the only black kid in our Cru group. During the trip I was constantly wrestling with doubt of why I was there and how no one understood me. Yet, despite those thoughts I was able to witness how much God used my ethnic identity in sharing the gospel. Further, it also made me realize how important it is to have diversity in ministry.  

Nonetheless, some of the other kids at UMass have shown an equal excitement/desire to bring IMPACT to our campus. So, if you guys have any resources/tips to help support us we're all open for support! (We've all gone through the starting a campus ministry guide, and I thought it was extremely helpful). In conclusion, I thought I would send this email just to inform you about the joy and excitement that UMass IMPACT is on the radar! 

Best,

Maurice Powe 

UMass IMPACT Movement at 2022 IMPACT National Conference in Atlanta (Winter 2022)

This email isn’t perfect, I cringe looking at it, yet at the end of the day, it got the job done. On November 1st, 2021, Denise Willis, a regional director for The IMPACT Movement, and Jimmy McGee, the president and CEO of The IMPACT Movement, guided me through the next steps in bringing IMPACT to UMass.

Therefore, a movement at UMass has and is still brewing over here; and all the pictures that you’ve seen throughout this post are snippets of the aftermath. So, as I already have written a lot, I gladly intend to write more about UMass IMPACT later on this website. Specifically, if you want to know what’s on the immediate radar expect a post called “My First IMPACT Conference” on Feb 1st, but for now I hope you enjoyed this long-awaited update. The IMPACT Movement is a small way in which we can bring God’s kingdom near to our peers. The time has come, and students need it.

If you would like to support this ministry you’re always welcome to pray for us, follow us on instagram at @impactumass, or even contact me at (413)-726-8238! For now, feel free to check out the 2022 UMass National Conference blog post that David Akoh made by clicking here! Thank you so much for reading and God Bless!

References

“Sense of Belonging: Undergraduates | Office of Equity and Inclusion.” UMass Amherst, https://www.umass.edu/diversity/belonging-undergraduate. Accessed 10 January 2023.

Steward, Zach, and Liz Tavares. “Bias Incident During Black History Month: Our Perspective.” Amherst Wire, 25 February 2022, https://amherstwire.com/38113/student-life-2/bias-incident-during-black-history-month-our-perspective/. Accessed 10 January 2023.

The Impact Movement, https://impactmovement.org/. Accessed 10 January 2023.

Walston, Vaughn J., and Robert J. Stevens, editors. African-American Experience in World Mission: A Call Beyond Community. William Carey Library, 2009.