This past week I had the opportunity to spend some time with the founder of the Christian Community Development Association (CCDA), John M. Perkins. During this time we spoke about the powerful mentoring that is taking place at Harambee. In addition to this, we were also able to have a conversation about our shared interest in carrying out Christ’s call to make disciples through home churches in the United States.

For those who do not know John M. Perkins is an influential leader who has made a considerable difference for Christ in the areas of reconciliation, leadership, and community development. As an author and speaker he has been able to provide much needed direction and passion to the Body of Christ for decades. While he was in town, he also spoke at Fuller Seminary. There he shared his thoughts on justice and its relationship to the gospel. During this moving time, he also spoke about his desire to dedicate the rest of his life towards promoting discipleship through mentoring and home churches. I believe that Perkins’ heart is truly reflective of the prophetic voice of God for leaders at places such as Fuller Seminary. I hope that leaders will respond to the call to invest in the next generation on an incarnational, missional, and personal level.  

When most people think about legacy the first thing that comes to mind is the future. For me, when it comes to legacy, I think about the past, the present, and the future. If one cannot adequately understand or address their past, they will inevitably be lost, moving forward in life without any grounding. From this point, one must understand that in the present, integrity is of the highest commodity. Without integrity, one will not have the credibility, authenticity, or character to truly make a difference in life. Although success may come, it will be tainted, and failure in the future will be unavoidable. Finally, while no one truly understands or can predict the future, by understanding where one comes from in addition to possessing integrity, a foundation can be established which will provide solid roots that will be conducive towards making dreams come true and being a positive role model. Now that is what I call a positive legacy.

Professionally, I have had several years of public speaking experiences that would prove to be beneficial for conferences, academic lectures, parent workshops, staff development, school assemblies, community forums, council meetings, board meetings, commencement ceremonies, strategic planning, and fundraisers.

The Subject Matter – My Life & Research
Growing up as a Mexican-American in Los Angeles, I have witnessed first-hand the challenges and realities that are faced daily by those who are under-privileged, at-risk, and under-represented. Valuing integrity above all, I have endeavored to make the necessary steps in order to fit the mold of a positive role-model. With five successful years of experience in mentoring inner-city students, I have established deeply personal relationships. It is with this basis that my credibility and power as an influencer speak for itself.

At a young age I desired to look towards the past and around the globe for solutions to today’s problems. It is in this light that I obtained a doctorate from the University of Southern California. My work in the classroom has been under-girded with the goal of fully comprehending the problems that were taking place in my community, then developing creative remedies to heal neighborhoods across the nation.

Academically speaking, my discipline as a researcher has allowed me to gain a wide-breadth of knowledge in various areas, ranging from boxing to the life of George Washington. Due to this, my speeches are peppered with relevant, colorful, and intelligent illustrations. Below I have listed my previous speaking engagements:

With all do respect to all of the centers of higher learning out there, this practice of providing honorary doctorates is ridiculous. What is the motivation of the universities that are doing this? I would argue nothing more than to use the ceremony of awarding a degree, to facilitate networking and publicity for the school. With this tradition, universities that were intended to provide degrees to scholars who completed coursework, thus earning degrees are now giving away diplomas as though the place was a second-rate degree mill. This reminds me of the meaningless doctoral degrees that are put out by unaccredited distance education schools. These schools have been able to provide doctoral degrees to several prominent TV preachers, without anybody knowing the difference. Be weary of those who have degrees and don’t provide any background information on their academic history. What are they trying to hide? 

This honorary degree stuff is nothing more than a meaningless decoration in my mind. If celebrities want awards, there are plenty of foundations and organizations out there to make this possible. This practice of giving away degrees smacks of the fundraising technique used by organizations which will allow donors to name buildings and chairs after themselves if they provide enough money. Why don’t universities value the integrity of their institutions more? Instead, they would rather compromise their duty to uphold the value and tradition of the doctorate degree. How are those who put in the hard work & effort supposed to feel when they see the degree cheapened at their commencement ceremony? How are they supposed to feel when they see people on television using the title of doctor as though they put in the work of a scholar? These recipients do not deserve the honor or the prestige that comes along with the investment required to complete a doctoral program. Again, universities should create another award or stop the practice all together.  

When it comes down to it, I guess you can say that this practice of giving away honorary doctorates will continue, but I would contend that those who receive them should not place the title of doctor before their name without providing a disclaimer that they didn’t earn the degree, and are therefore not a scholar. If not, it can come off as a misrepresentation and degrades the effort of those who sacrificed by putting in the time, effort, and money to accomplish this feat. Let me provide the following story to illustrate the misuse of a title. Let’s say that a local businessman is given an award by a fire department, for donating a lot of money to upgrade the city’s fire engines. While the fire department might tell this businessman, that he is an honorary fireman and potentially they may also him an outfit as well. I think it would be a stretch for this “honorary fireman” to now go out on calls and think that he was qualified to do the actual work. How disingenuous and ridiculous would it be if he actually put “fireman” on his resume or as a title when he went on TV. If someone didn’t know any better they might actually take his advice or try to hire him at their fire station…when he has no business doing so.  In the end, you can say that in life we often want to portray ourselves better than we actually are. I mean, I would actually argue for that in many respects. You should take showers, wash your clothes, and make sure your home is clean. Yet, on another level, in a spiritual sense as disciples of Jesus Christ we must recognize that the outside will only take us so far. Integrity is much more valuable than the outward appearance. Inner beauty (honesty, integrity, & good character) is much more important and should take a higher precedence in our life than outer beauty (the way we look or present ourselves). God is far more concerned with whether or not one misrepresents who they really are by using fake academic titles to supposedly boost up their credibility or to gain a wider audience than normal. Personally, as a pastor I am not impressed by my peers who feel that they are successful based upon how many people go to their church, how big their church building is, and if they have ever been on so-called Christian television. If anything, I am far more concerned about what compromises they made to obtain those three so-called accomplishments than you might think. Based upon the Bible, I don’t think most people fully comprehend the importance of being humble, preserving your integrity, and not appearing to come off like someone who is more concerned about putting on a good show than keeping it real. Following Jesus Christ as a disciple of His is a lot more about being genuine & authentic, than being fake & deceptive.

Greetings Family & Friends,
There are many people in this room today who are strangers to each other, yet there is one common characteristic that each of you shares. Each person here has witnessed my development as a scholar and a leader. At this time, I must acknowledge my wife Karina, who has been able to have the most intimate view of what it actually took to get to this point. She has been my biggest supporter and a true blessing from God, appreciation. Now, I don’t want to go too long in this speech, so I will briefly address two subjects. First, I will touch upon the experiences I have had in education. Next, I will address what I have been able to do with what I have learned.

The statement that could best describe my life thus far is this: I have chosen to take the road less traveled for the glory of Jesus Christ. From the earliest decisions that I made as a child, to go against the traditions of my neighborhood and family…to the diversity of the academic programs that I chose: film, theology, and educational psychology…to the initiative in becoming the founding pastor of Authentic LA….to the massive amount of time & finances that I have poured into my education… and to the deeply personal investments I have made into the lives of individuals…pioneering this novel path has not been easy. While I have had supporters along the way, this path has also been lonely. I have observed my contemporaries and peers fall along the wayside who lost focus, heart, life, or sold themselves out for money. I would even dare to say that the coursework that I completed along the way was easy for me, in comparison to the social pressures that went along with going in this direction and making a stand for what I believe in.

Those of you that know me well, to use a boxing analogy, have had a ringside-seat to witness my struggle. You understand that there was a cost that was paid to stand before you today. You can attest that I am no stranger to spiritual warfare, sacrifice, stress, sleepless nights, sickness, lost friendships, misunderstandings, and academic persecution to get where I am today. Yet, through it all, ignorance, bigotry, and prejudice have been my enemies. I have attempted, through research and reasoning, to seek out my old friend, the truth. Whether it was the study of what makes an effective mentoring program, or to what Paul intended to convey in one of his letters, or to the way Jesus intended ministry to be conducted…, MY SCHOLARSHIP HAD A PURPOSE! I did not study for the sake of studying. Just as a medical doctor studies in order to heal the body, I studied in order to to bring healing to the heart, mind, and soul. I chose to sort through centuries of traditions and the popular theories of the day to find answers that would help to improve the lives of my fellow man. Thus, you can say that my philosophy of scholarship has been this: as a true believer in learning from history, I am committed to looking for solutions to today’s problems from the past and from around the globe. 

Looking back…after countless trips to bookstores or logging on to Amazon.com, to the thousands of pages that have been read, to the dozens of papers that have been written, to the journals that have been filled with lecture notes, to the assortment of tests that are now behind me, to the immeasurable arguments that have been sorted through in my mind in internal debates, to the lengthy meetings with professors after class which are now over and done with, to the hours spent in libraries which are now a thing of the past. In the end, I can affirm that I was forced to face who I really was. What I am alluding to is not the mythical journey to Europe that the stereotypical college student has historically gone on, to find themselves. What I am speaking of is the internal journey that each person must face who wants to do something significant for God and who really wants to move forward in life. This inward journey can take place anywhere, in the military, in a hospital, in prison cell, or even in one’s home. The inward spiritual journey that I have emerged from took place not only in the classroom or library, but in my apartment where I sought the direction of God to help me find out what He wanted me to learn. I would state that based upon Jesus’ teaching that is recorded in the Gospel of John, chapter fifteeen…that I can do nothing apart from Jesus Christ. He is the True Vine, and I am a branch, while God is the Vinedresser. He alone can sustain me and heal me from the pain of this world. Without Him I am nothing and I must remain in Him daily to truly carry out the purposes that He has called me to.

At a young age, I had a desire to one day attend USC. Through the encouragement and example of my mentor, I was able to look beyond the context that I grew up in. I knew that there were other possibilities out there, despite what the world told me I should be able to accomplish. Therefore, I will use my education to work towards improving the educational system in the United States. I will also continue to dedicate my life to being a positive role model and an advocate for academic excellence. Thus, in a sense, you can say that I am in the process of moving forward in one of my life’s missions, which is to lead THE CAMPAIGN AGAINST MEDIOCRITY. I do not believe that one should live an ordinary life that is not maximizing the opportunities that God has placed before them. Each challenge should be viewed from an optimistic standpoint, in which challenges can be overcome with God’s help. I am in no way a finished product; I am a work in progress, on a spiritual journey, just as everyone here in this room. Therefore, I will state this: my education is in no way over. I will continue to be a lifelong learner or better yet, a disciple. I am and will continue to be a disciple in the truest sense of the word. As a disciple I will continue to learn, then apply what I have learned, and finally teach what I have learned to others about the way of Jesus Christ. My education is a tool that God has and will continue to use to enhance the discipleship process in others; not just in Los Angeles, but in Whittier, Las Vegas, Phoenix, San Antonio and other nations as well. Through the work that I have been doing in the non-profit world and through Authentic LA, it is evident that I am committed to working with individuals to call them to who God has intended them to be.

Now, in closing, let me provide you with a saying that we have here at USC and is in the spirit of the Apostle Paul…Fight On!

Recently I was invited to participate in a roundtable discussion at the White House that was centered on successful youth mentoring programs. As a scholar and practitioner in the field of mentoring, I was able to network with the leaders of other faith-based organizations, learn what other mentoring programs are doing, as well as promote my work on a national level. Los Angeles provides both huge challenges and opportunities for non-profit organizations due to the conditions of some neighborhoods and the large concentration of youth. Mentoring programs that are able to retain quality mentors, while at the same time provide the structure and services to address the specific needs of the community will prove to be beneficial as youth develop into the leaders of tomorrow. 

I have extensive experience in the field of Christian mentoring in the LA area and currently serve as a Mentor with the Ascending Lights Leadership Network and as a Mentoring Coach through the Lake Avenue Community Foundation. I also received my doctorate in Educational Psychology from USC where my research centered on effective mentoring programs.

One of the goals in my systematic study of people who have made their mark for God throughout Church History, has been to be inspired. A few of the people that I have studied have included the Apostle Paul, William Tyndale, and George Muller. Drawing inspiration from the courage displayed in their lives, I want to have my perspective broadened to see the possibilities that are out there for those who want to make a difference. If there is no comprehension or understanding of the past, we will inevitably fall into the current lackadaisicalness of contemporary Christianity which is largely dominated by the practices of consumerism and corporate America. Entertainment and compromise have been the traits that many churches have taken on in hopes of obtaining and keeping large crowds.

I would argue that as a disciple of Jesus Christ, life cannot be stagnant, stale, or dead. Instead, it is a dynamic, powerful thing where one has the power of the Holy Spirit working through them. This type of lifestyle is available to people who will step forward and follow Jesus Christ with all of their heart, mind, & soul. 

I have approached the study of Church History as a way to see what these people from the past have been able to accomplish. Therefore, I do not view these men & women as heroes or celebrities, but as my peers. These are my spiritual ancestors; they are trying to tell me about my heritage, “If God could do something through us, He can do something through you.” They provide the message loud and clear, “Step back and gain courage in God to face the giants before you, no matter what it takes.”

Many times, after I speak with someone about my life as a mentor, the following questions usually come up:

1. What advice would you give me, if I was interested in mentoring someone?

2. What do you teach someone that you mentor?

3. What can I do to make mentoring a reality in my school, business, non-profit, church, or government agency?

In the future, responses will be provided addressing these types of questions. In this light, I recently I had the opportunity to speak with Dr. David Long, California’s Secretary of Education, regarding the state of education in California and the need for site-based mentoring throughout the public school system.