Who is FAST?
Faith and Action for Strength Together (FAST) is a Pinellas County-based Interfaith Justice Ministry network of about 50 congregations of different faith traditions. FAST is a non-partisan 501(c)3 non-profit organization that facilitates training for county residents to identify the root causes of community problems and to advocate for positive outcomes. Through FAST, people of all backgrounds connect to effectively address their community needs by working with county and city officials who can address policy and procedure deficiencies.
Our congregations differ in our worship and faith traditions, but we are committed to pursuing justice in God's name. Our strength is in our unity.
We use a four-step process to do justice in our community:
1. We listen to our congregation members through one-on-one and house meetings. The meetings help us identify injustices our members are experiencing in the community. Our congregations then vote on what issues we want to work on for the year.
2. We research the problems to identify workable solutions.
3. We gather a large number of people once a year at our Nehemiah Assembly to show our power and negotiate solutions with our public officials.
4. We follow through on public commitments to ensure that there is action to address the problem.
Through this process, we have won improvements in our community for the past 10 years. For more information about our successes, visit the Past Victories page. Contact us at doingjusticepinellas@gmail.com or join us at one of our four large countywide assemblies.
The Biblical Basis for Our Vision
6 "With what shall I come before the LORD, and bow myself before God on high? Shall I come before him with burnt offerings, with calves a year old? 7 Will the LORD be pleased with thousands of rams, with ten thousand rivers of oil? Shall I give my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?" 8 He has told you, O mortal, what is good; and what does the LORD require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?" Micah 6:6-8 (NRSV)
The Lord requires us “to do justice, love mercy, and to walk humbly with our God (faithfulness).” (Micah 6:8)
Our congregations remind us to be faithful: We gather at least 52 times yearly to worship and do other faithfulness ministries that encourage our “humble walk” with God. Many of our congregations do an excellent job of showing mercy by providing services like tutoring to the victims of injustice. Unfortunately, our congregations don’t “do justice” very well. Biblically, justice holds the King and officials accountable for the fair treatment of all people, especially the poor, the widows, and orphans.
We follow the biblical example by bringing together the Mayor, City Council, business leaders, and other officials to hear our solutions for community problems. It takes a lot of “people-power” to get listened to by political and economic systems in our communities.
How do we "do justice?"
We learn from Nehemiah’s calling of a great assembly of people to bring charges against the unfair money lenders and how we can do justice successfully. (Nehemiah 5:1-13)
While in Jerusalem, Nehemiah heard of the economic exploitation of the people by public officials – who charged unfair interest rates to make money off the poor and vulnerable people of the land. Nehemiah was a powerful man in his own right – a cupbearer to the King. Still, he did not have enough power to confront the unjust economic system displacing people from their properties. Nehemiah could have set up some mercy ministries, like clothes closets or food pantries, but decided to do justice by getting the money lenders to act fairly. Nehemiah called it a “Great Assembly.” The whole community asked the public officials to return the land, children, crops, and interest (money) to the people immediately. The nobles and officials agreed and did what they promised.
One congregation doesn't have enough people-power to do justice. Therefore, we build our power by joining congregations across the county, bringing together thousands of people to a big Nehemiah Action to win needed changes. FAST is a tool that allows each congregation to work with other congregations to live out God’s call to “do justice” effectively.
Each Congregation’s Vision
Each congregation’s vision is to turn out our average worship attendance (AWA) once a year to “do justice” at that great Nehemiah Action! 52 times a year, congregations come together to worship, praise God, and deepen our “faithfulness” and “humble walk” with God. We can certainly turn out that same number of people for justice at least once a year!
To reach that vision, we organize people into justice ministry networks.
Justice Ministry Network members commit to the following:
Attend the Nehemiah Action in the Spring and bring three people along.
AND
Attend three other Assemblies yearly to prepare us for the Nehemiah Action and build self-sufficiency.
Annual Assembly in the Fall to start a new year of justice ministry work.
FAST Rally early in the new year.
Joshua Assembly to celebrate our accomplishments as we wrap up our year.
Our Big Holy Audacious Goal (BHAG)
FAST congregations have a Big Holy Audacious Goal (BHAG) of eventually bringing together 10,000 people to the Nehemiah Action! We believe this is the power we need to bring about meaningful changes in our community, so we are working diligently to make this goal a reality. Together, we can bring justice to Pinellas County!
Direct Action & Research Training Center (DART) Affiliation
FAST is part of the Direct Action and Research Training Center (DART) grassroots network. DART justice ministry organizations work in twenty metropolitan areas in seven states. Each DART-affiliated organization is an independent 501 c (3) nonprofit with its own unique name, funding, and staff. We chose to affiliate with DART for assistance with leader and organizer training.
For more information about DART and its other affiliated organizations, visit www.thedartcenter.org.
Member Congregations:
Allendale United Methodist Church Rev. Andy Oliver , 3803 Haines Road North, St. Petersburg, FL 33703
Bethel Community Baptist Church, Rev. Manuel Sykes, 2901 54th Avenue South, St. Petersburg, FL 33712
Cathedral Church of St. Peter, Rev. Canon Mike Alford, 140 Fourth Street North, St. Petersburg, FL 33701
Central Christian Church, Rev. Donna L. Oberkreser, 1200 South Keene Road, Clearwater, FL 33756
Circle of Faith, Rev. Courtney Jones, 1310 22nd Avenue South, St. Petersburg, Florida 33705
East Lake United Methodist Church, Rev. Scott Farman, 2801 East Lake Road, Palm Harbor, FL 34685
Episcopal Church of the Ascension, Rev. Dr. Jim Sorvillo, Sr., 701 Orange Avenue, Clearwater, FL 33756
Episcopal Church of the Good Samaritan, Rev. Jamie Samilio, 2165 Northeast Coachman Road, Clearwater, FL 33765
Espiritu Santo Catholic Church, Fr. Leonard Piotrowski, 2405 Philippe Parkway, Safety Harbor, FL 34695
First Baptist Church of St. Petersburg, Rev. Ben Winder, 1900 Gandy Boulevard North, St. Petersburg 33702
Good Samaritan Presbyterian Church/UCC of Pinellas Park, Rev. Jen Daysa, 6085 Park Boulevard, Pinellas Park, FL 33787
Greater Mt. Zion AME Church, Rev. Clarence Williams, 1045 16th Street South, St. Petersburg, FL 33705
Historic Bethel AME Church, Rev. Kenny Irby, 912 3rd Avenue North, St. Petersburg, FL 33705
Holy Cross Catholic Church, Fr. Emery Longanga, 7851 54th Avenue North, St. Petersburg, FL 33709
Holy Family Catholic Church, Rev. Frank Lubowa, 200 78th Avenue Northeast, St. Petersburg, FL 33702
Holy Spirit Episcopal Church, Rev. Raynald Sales Bonoan, 601 Philippe Pkwy Safety Harbor, FL 34695
Hope Presbyterian Church, 1698 South Belcher Road, Clearwater, Florida 33764
Lakeview Presbyterian Church, Revs. Russ and Lois Lehman, 1310 22nd Avenue South, St. Petersburg, FL 33705
Lutheran Church of the Good Shepherd, Rev. Keith Walbolt, 10891 102nd Avenue North, Seminole, FL 33778
Maximo Presbyterian Church, Rev. Bobby Musengwa, 3200 58th Avenue South, St. Petersburg, Florida, 33712
McCabe United Methodist Church, Rev. Jana Hall-Perkins, 2800 26th Avenue South, St. Petersburg, FL 33712
Most Holy Name of Jesus Catholic Church, Father Brian C. Fabiszewski, 5800 15th Avenue South, Gulfport, FL 33707
Mt. Carmel Baptist Church, Rev. William Sherman,1017 Pennsylvania Avenue, Clearwater, FL 33755
Mt. Moriah Missionary Baptist Church, Rev. Robert Ward, 3500 18th Avenue South, St Petersburg, FL 33711
Mt. Olive AME Church, Rev. James V. Williams, 600 Jones Street Clearwater, FL 33775
Mt. Zion United Methodist Church, Rev. Lee Hall-Perkins, 2751 Sunset Point Road, Clearwater 33759
New Faith Free Methodist Church, Rev. James Brooks, 2427 Irving Avenue South, St Petersburg, FL 33712
Oakhurst United Methodist Church, Rev. Nathan Carlson, 13400 Park Boulevard North, Seminole, FL 33776
Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church, Rev. Gary Dowsey, 750 San Salvador Drive, Dunedin, FL 34698
Palm Lake Christian Church, Rev. Oscar Banks, 5401 22nd Avenue North, St. Petersburg, FL 33710
Pasadena Community Church, Rev. Nicole Logan, 227 70th Street South, St. Petersburg, FL 33707
Pinellas Point Interfaith Justice Seekers
Shiloh Missionary Baptist Church, Pastor Bebe Hobson, 13255 118th Street North, Largo, FL 33778
Southside Tabernacle Baptist Church, Elder Michael Jackson, 3647 18th Avenue South, St. Petersburg, FL 33711
St. Augustine's Episcopal Church, Rev. Rob Crow, 2920 26th Avenue South, St. Petersburg, FL 33712
St. Cecelia Catholic Church, Fr. Bob Schneider, 820 Jasmine Way, Clearwater, FL 33676
St. James AME Church, Rev. Alethea Winston, 1436 South Madison Avenue, Clearwater, FL, 33756
St. Jerome Catholic Church, Fr. Tom Morgan, 10895 Hamlin Boulevard, Largo, FL, 33774
St. John Missionary Baptist Church, Rev. Fleming Tarver, 1500 Pennsylvania Avenue, Clearwater, FL 33755
St. Joseph Catholic Church, Fr. Alexander T. Padilla, 2025 22nd Avenue South, St. Petersburg, FL 33712
St. Mark Lutheran Church, Rev. Katy Fast, 1120 Curlew Road, Dunedin, FL 34698
St. Mary Missionary Baptist Church, Rev. Benny Dyer, 2104 Railroad Avenue, Largo, FL 33778
St. Matthew Catholic Church, Fr. Jonathan Emery, 9111 90th Ave N Largo, FL 33777
St. Michael the Archangel Catholic Church, Fr. Tom Anastasia, 2281 State Road 580, Clearwater, FL 33763
St. Paul’s Catholic Church, Msgr. Robert Gibbons, 1800 12th Street North, St. Petersburg, FL 33704
St. Raphael Catholic Church, Fr. Curtis Carro, 1376 Snell Isle Boulevard Northeast, St. Petersburg, FL 33704
Temple Beth-El, Rabbi Amy Morrison, 400 Pasadena Avenue South, St. Petersburg, FL 33711
Temple B'nai Israel, Rabbi Michael Birnholz, 1685 S Belcher Road, Clearwater, FL 33764
Unitarian Universalists of Clearwater, Rev. Amy Kindred, 2470 Nursery Road, Clearwater, FL 33764
Unitarian Universalists of St. Petersburg, Rev. Ben Atherton-Zeman, 100 Mirror Lake Drive North, St. Petersburg, FL 33701