Faith & Action Fall Event 2024

Joe Bowling serves as the Executive Director of Englewood Community Development Corporation. Joe has lived, worked, worshiped and raised a family in the Englewood Neighborhood on Indy’s Near Eastside since 1993. Bowling leads a nonprofit staff of 25 focused on comprehensive, inclusive and equitable grassroots community economic development. Englewood has created and serves approximately 400 households with affordable rental housing, while also providing pathways to economic empowerment and home ownership. Additionally, Englewood has completed numerous impactful economic development projects such as the award winning revitalization of the historic P.R. Mallory property as a mixed-use campus anchored by two high performing community schools.

Rev. Dr. Frederick Douglass Haynes III is a prophetic pastor, passionate leader, social activist, eloquent orator, and educator engaged in preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ and fighting against racial injustice. Dr. Haynes has devoted his life to economic justice, empowerment in underserved communities, and transforming the lives of the disenfranchised. As a committed activist, Dr. Haynes has formed alliances and partnerships with local, national, and global leaders as well as Texas and Illinois local and state officials to fight social injustice, domestic violence, and poverty. Under the Barack Obama presidential administration, Dr. Haynes was publicly applauded by the President for developing the THR!VE Intern and Leadership Program which employed nearly 100 young black males between the ages of 16-19. Since its inception, the program has expanded and now employs both young men and women with local businesses and churches at a pay rate above minimum wage.

For the past 41 years, Dr. Haynes has served as the visionary and innovative Senior Pastor of Friendship-West Baptist Church in Dallas, Texas. Under his servant leadership, the ministry and membership of the church has grown from less than 100 members in 1983 to over 13,000. Dr. Haynes is married to entrepreneur Debra Peek-Haynes. They have one adult daughter, Abeni Jewel Haynes.

Pastor Jeffrey A. Johnson, Sr. accepted his call to ministry at the age of 17 and has served as the Senior Pastor of Eastern Star Church in Indianapolis, Indiana since 1988. Under his leadership, the “One Church in Three Locations” has grown to over 17,000 members and has planted three churches in Indianapolis as well. Pastor Johnson received a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Religion with Honors from Bishop College in Dallas, Texas and matriculated at Christian Theological Seminary in Indianapolis. He has also received numerous honorary doctorate degrees, highly-esteemed community awards and was voted the 2012 “Best Pulpiteer” by Black Christian News Network One, an international online media resource.

In August 2007, Pastor Johnson launched Kingdom Word Ministries and authored the following titles: “Song of Solomon: Love, Sex and Relationships”, “Making A Comeback: Reclaiming Our Lives In Christ”, “Life Illustrated: Daily Thoughts For Your Daily Walk”, “Dialogue with My Daughters”, “Dialogue with My Sons”, “Dialogue with Single Parents”, and his newest release “The Making of a King”.

A devoted husband, Pastor Johnson is married to Sharon Henry Johnson and is the loving father of four sons.

Ma’at Lands is the founder and Executive Director of Rooted School Indianapolis, a secondary school serving students in Indianapolis Indiana with a focus one financial freedom.  Ma’at specializes in start-up educational organizations, coaching and development of leaders and teachers, and working with communities to help schools execute on outcomes. She is certified facilitator in Cultural Intelligence and Unconscious Bias. Ma’at currently resides in Indianapolis, In and is completing her doctoral degree in Organizational Leadership at Indiana Wesleyan University.  

Amar Patel serves as founder and principal of Stronger Communities, a social impact consulting firm, which supports leaders and organizations to build and implement vision, strategy, and ultimately realize their community impact goals. He is passionate about cultivating conditions for communities to become places where all flourish – places free of poverty and filled with love and opportunity. A son of Indian immigrants, a first-generation Hoosier and American K-12 public schools graduate, Amar graduated from Vanderbilt University with a degree in biomedical engineering. He began his career as a high school science teacher through Teach For America in Chicago. He went on to serve as Executive Director of Teach For America Indianapolis during which time he led the organization to top-flight results across the national network.

He is a member of the Stanley K. Lacy Executive Leadership Series Class XLIV, recipient of Indianapolis Business Journal’s Forty Under 40 Award, and was named among “Indy’s Best and Brightest” by Junior Achievement of Central Indiana. Amar serves on the boards of Rooted School Foundation, Teach For India US, Tindley Accelerated Schools, and the Arthur M. Glick Jewish Community Center of Indianapolis.

Dr. Keeanna Warren is a visionary leader dedicated to advancing educational equity through innovation. As CEO of Purdue Polytechnic High Schools (PPHS), she oversees administration, educational programs, financial management, and strategic direction. Keeanna prioritizes authentic community engagement and enjoys collaborating with individuals from diverse backgrounds. Her passion for research and data drives informed decision-making and continuous improvement. Outside her professional achievements, Keeanna is a wife and mother of three children: Reid, Levi, and Aira. She loves traveling and creating core memories with her family.