A national team of experts prepared to help people get out of debt, as the first step toward financial freedom, is hosting a mini-conference in Detroit for the first time on March 31 and April 1 — in order to recruit hundreds more to the dfree® Financial Freedom Movement. The Friday night program, from 7 to 9 PM, is being hosted by Pastor Sterling Brewer at King David Missionary Baptist Church. The Saturday program, from 9 AM to 2 PM, takes place at the University of Detroit, Mercy and is also hosted by The Global Summit, Detroit Partnership, Greater Christ Baptist Church Credit Union and Powered by Prudential.
“We live in a culture where debt is not perceived as a problem,” said dfree® Founder DeForest B. Soaries, Jr. “The first thing we have to do is admit there is a problem. We have to address the mess. We have to change our attitudes.”
Soaries has said financial slavery is a massive problem, particularly for African Americans. America’s consumer debt is $3.4 trillion and the average American household balance-carries $16,048 in debt. Perhaps more shocking, the wealth gap between black and white Americans is so extreme that it would take 228 years for black people to obtain on average what white families have today.Americans also aren’t passing on good financial habits to younger generations. Millennials are “financially fragile,” with 53 percent carrying over a credit card balance in the last 12 months and 50 percent believing they couldn’t come up with $2,000 for an unexpected need within the next month.3
The informative, uplifting and celebratory mini-conference is designed to train those who want to start dfree® programs in their churches, community organizations or other groups and also to introduce dfree® to targeted audiences — including entrepreneurs, millennials and women. The program includes training, opportunities for 1-on-1 meetings with financial advisors and financial empowerment workshops.
“Dr. Soaries has done an outstanding job in helping people become financially responsible and get on the road to debt free living. Greater Christ Church is proud to join him in this tremendous ministry,” said Dr. James C. Perkins, president of the Progressive National Baptist Convention Inc., and pastor of Greater Christ Baptist Church. Greater Christ is just one of hundreds of churches nationally that have joined the financial freedom movement. International participants are located in places including Australia, Ghana, Spain and South Africa.
“God always sends a Moses, to deliver his people from bondage. Dfree is such an opportunity,” said Bishop John L. Jones, Jr., of St. John’s Tabernacle New Pentecostal Church. “This is a program that’s time has come. I pray that this program goes all across this country and is a blessing to the masses.”
Featured presentations on April 1 include Living in Your Purpose to Help Achieve Financial Prosperity by Centric Senior Vice President Michele Thornton and Making Money in the New Economy by Tech Guru Navarrow Wright.
Registration for the conference is available via https://bit.ly/2naPn0R . The Friday event is free at King David Missionary Baptist Church, 18001 Sunset Street, Detroit, Michigan 48234. The Saturday event costs $20, which includes a dfree® book, workbook and light meals. It takes place at University of Detroit, Mercy, 4001 W. McNichols Road, Detroit, Michigan 48221. A limited number of scholarships are available by emailing info@mydfree.org.
Founded in 2005, the dfree® financial freedom movement is a transformational, lifestyle movement that promotes financial freedom through values-based principles and practical approaches to financial management. dfree® addresses the cultural, psychological and spiritual influences on financial wellness. In the tradition of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., dfree® also is a movement to help achieve economic justice in America. Rev. Dr. King once said, “We must never let it be said that we spend more for the evanescent and ephemeral than for the eternal values of freedom and justice.” dfree® emphasizes controlling money matters so that individuals have the freedom to focus on more purposeful pursuits. Let’s Move Forward Together.
dfree® was featured by CNN in a 90-minute documentary, “Almighty Debt,” an installment of the Black in America series, hosted by Soledad O’Brien. The dfree® strategy is being used by hundreds of churches, organizations and individuals worldwide. For more information about dfree® visit mydfree.org, text “dfree” to 22828 to join the mailing list or follow any of the following: #dfree #mydfree #dfreeNextLevel #LMFTdfree.
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