For Mark Whitlock, a full-time pastor for more than 20 years, churches in black communities are more than just places to hear the gospel.
They’re places for African Americans, particularly those living in the low-income neighborhood of South Los Angeles, to hear money lessons.
Pastors need to prepare themselves to help people, Whitlock says. Some trust their local church more than watching CNBC or reading the Wall Street Journal.
“If the church doesn’t have the capacity to do it then the church’s responsibility is to guide that member in the right direction with a banker or a financial planner,” Whitlock says.
Whitlock is the executive director at the Cecil Murray Center for Community Engagement.
The center runs the Faith Leaders Institute, which helps connect pastors with resources South L.A. residents need.