Inland Empire Concerned African American Churches
About Us
The IECAAC was formed in January 2000 by a group of twenty-two local churches/pastors from the Inland Empire as a first step to address systematic patterns of abuse and violence to and in the community. The organization was formed in response to the hiring practices of the San Bernardino County Sheriff Department. On February 21, 2000 the IECAAC, along with over 750 members and demonstrators, marched over a mile in the rain from the sheriff station to the Board of Supervisors' office to protest the hiring of an officer involved in the shooting death of an Inland Empire teen. The march successfully brought attention to this as well as other issues in the Inland Empire. Since then the IECAAC has been in demand by many groups as the voice of the African-American community and the community at large. Local politicians continue to seek an audience with the organization for presentations and support.
Our Purpose
The purpose of the Inland Empire Concerned African-American Churches is to unify the African American church, the community's voice and resources to effect improvement and keep resources within our communities.
We believe the best way to do this is through the unified, collaborative efforts of the churches within those communities. The church has always been the center of the African American community. The IECAAC looks to continue and expand the church in order to improve the socio-economic situations of our communities at-large.
Our Governance
IECAAC is governed by a team management structure. The president, vice-president, secretary, treasurer, and 13 member Board of Directors are all elected from associated churches. Elections take place on a staggered basis. Positions are held between 1 and 3 years. This allows for a smooth transition as not all positions are vacated at the same time. Members elected to positions are eligible for two consecutive terms before they are required to take a minimum one year hiatus from serving as an officer of the organization. There are 6 standing committees: 1) Church Unity, 2) Education, 3) Health, 4) Community Development, 5) Economic Development and 6) Prayer.
Our Vision Statement
The IECAAC envision improving the quality of life for residents of the Inland Empire. The church is once again the pillar of the African-American community with the capacity to support itself and its community through utilizing resources as well as facilitating spiritual and technical expertise. The member churches of the IECAAC are vital components of their communities. They are so important to the community that they are considered too vital to let fail. The community itself is a united, socio-economically literate collective that is being exposed for the gem that it is. The population and economy of the Inland Empire are increasing due to families and industry returning to the area. The Inland Empire has been transformed into a vital, vibrant, family friendly community and the IECAAC has played an integral part in facilitating that change.