Mission Statement

Our Story Since 2009

Genesis was born from a simple belief: that ordinary people, working together, can create extraordinary change in their communities. For over 18 years, we've been building power with those who need it most.

How We Started

Since our inception in 2006, Genesis has centered our work on those who are the most vulnerable (youth, elders, people with disabilities). As the Bay area affiliate of the Gamaliel Network, we aim to impact structural racism through our issue campaigns. In 2019, a group of Genesis clergy and lay leaders came together to create our Vision Statement:

The beloved community becomes a reality when we act on our values to create a more just and inclusive world. The group and each leader is stronger when everyone brings their values and beliefs to the work of Genesis. Genesis believes that values come from stories. Our values are animated by our spiritual commitments and practices.

Here are our commitments in order to practice being the beloved community.

Our unity is grounded in inclusion and therefore everyone’s gifts are essential and welcomed.
Genesis aspires to reconcile and heal divisions with grace and patience.

Genesis Tenets

We Believe:

Humanity is flawed, but God has a vision for us. There is Grace and a Holy Spirit (i.e. a generative source working on our behalf).
All humans are loved.
As a community, we must facilitate each others' well-being and recognize our shared dignity.
All of creation is inextricably connected.
All of creation is alive, holy, imbued with the Creator & Beloved: we should order ourselves to reflect this.
All must take responsibility for our own growth/development and our relationship with God.
All humans have gifts which are necessary and we need to work hard to include these contributions.
The definition of success is not the accumulation of material wealth. The false notion of competition and meritocracy causes tension amongst the haves and have nots.
Preferential option for the materially poor, marginalized and vulnerable. We all suffer when policies hurt the most vulnerable.
The dominant narrative that allows patriarchy, materialism, Christian hegemony, white supremacy, greed, scarcity, discrimination and evil to thrive is the opposite of community. We all suffer and are captive to this narrative.

Thank you to Genesis Leadership (especially: The Rev. Ethan Lowery, Rev. Dr. Hubert Ivery, Rev. Dr. Ray Pickett, The Rev. Molly Haws, and Marcia Lovelace) for creating this ongoing statement of belief.