Community Empowerment Through
Black Men Healing Conference
"The Faith and Community Healing" Panel
The panel will discuss community trauma and spiritual care, emphasizing healing together and the role of our faith community in this journey.
Pastor Brian Herron has been the Senior Pastor at Zion Baptist Church for 19 years. Pastor Herron is one of the Founders of the Healing Place at Zion Baptist Church, born out of his work with 21 Days of Peace. The Healing Place is a place where people can come to sit and talk with someone, receive prayer, one-on-one coaching through trauma and grief, and get referrals. Also, providing a quiet space to just sit and be for a while if needed. He is also Co-founder of The Wellness Collaborative, a group of 16 organizations committed to working collectively to help heal our Community.
Pastor Herron is a community healer who offers grief and trauma coaching and training, one-on-one or in healing groups and circles. Pastor Herron is a champion of Justice for our community and works with men and women emerging from institutions of incarceration to help them transform their lives as they return to our communities and families. He also leads a street ministry of presence, ministering to those who have been beaten, broken, and left by the side of the road, those who are hurting and often involved in the violence, drug use, and dealing in our community.
Pastor Herron’s goal is wellness and wholeness for the African American Community as well as for others, so all are able to live and make better decisions and choices for themselves/us and their/our children. Pastor Brian has been trained as a Mental Health First Aide Instructor for Youth and Adults and a Trauma Trainer for the Sidran Institute Risking Connection Program, the Stairstep Foundation, and Transform MN. Healing The Wounds of Trauma Facilitator and Facilitator Trainer. Pastor Herron has also completed 4 units of Clinical Pastoral Education. Pastor Herron is married to Rhonda Bell-Herron, and they have seven children, a host of grandchildren, and three great-grandchildren.
Imam Makram El-Amin’s commitment to service and civic leadership has made him a pillar in the Minneapolis community. For more than two decades, his work as a religious and community leader has been firmly rooted in the principle of our inherent human dignity. In addition to his weekly teaching duties, Imam El-Amin leads Al Maa’uun (Neighborly Needs) Community Outreach Services (almaauun.org) that addresses food insecurity, affordable housing, career services, and mentoring.
A student of the late religious leader and scholar Imam W. Deen Mohammed, his thoughtful and moderate approach to Islam has afforded Imam El-Amin opportunities to share the stage with Bishop Desmond Tutu and the Dalai Lama. He was a delegate to a historic interfaith event in Rome with Pope John Paul II and a member of an interfaith clergy delegation to the Holy Land.
As advisor to Keith Ellison, the first Muslim elected to Congress and current Minnesota Attorney General, Imam El-Amin has counseled Ellison on religious issues and accompanied him on international trade trips. In 2007, the New York Times tagged him the ‘congressman’s imam’ and an emerging voice for religious tolerance and Muslim participation in the public square.
A frequent lecturer on Islam, he has represented Muslim Americans in Europe, Turkey, and the Middle East. He is a member of the Minneapolis Downtown Clergy and served on the advisory board of the Muslim-Christian Dialogue Center at the University of St. Thomas.
When not leading his congregation, Imam El-Amin continues to serve by mentoring adult men transitioning from prison to the workforce. He plays the role of a life coach to hundreds of men, improving their lives through education and employment. Since the beginning of COVID-19 in Minnesota, he and his team have served nearly 100,000 meals, distributed 100,000+ pounds of produce & shelf-stable items, and provided PPE, equipment, and supplies to countless individuals in Minneapolis.
Imam El-Amin is the second of five children. He’s married and he and his wife, Sharon, have three children, Porsche, Malik, and Nasir, and three grandsons, Naieem, Me’Khi, Nasir Jr, and Nasai.
“A role model is one who is aware that the babies are watching and acts accordingly.” Uncle Big