The Afrikan Village & Cultural Center

The Origin

The Afrikan Village & Cultural Center (formerly the New Ephesus Missionary Baptist Church) is a nationally organized and federally recognized body. It was founded by Dr. Ray Hagins in February of 1998, in St. Louis, Missouri, and has grown into an international association of fellowships that are comprised of Afrikan-centered Brothers and Sisters whose aim is to preserve and protect the ethnic and cultural awareness of our people, and pass this knowledge on to our future generations so that they will be established in the knowledge of who and what they are. 

The Mission

The mission of The Afrikan Village & Cultural Center is to be an African-Centered, Scripture-based ministry of Excellence whose purpose is to Educate, Edify, and Equip its members, through the knowledge of the Truth, to serve our community and reach people with the message of liberation while striving to be compassionate in our love, excellent in our service, righteous in our living, and spiritual in our fellowship and worship.

The words of the mission statement answers the four primary questions about The Afrikan Village & Cultural Center.

Question # 1: Who are we?

Answer: We are The Afrikan Village & Cultural Center (with national headquarters located at 3520 N. Newstead Avenue, St. Louis, Missouri). Dr. Ray Hagins (a.k.a. Sa Ra Ankhotep Maakheru Setep En Ra) is our National Chief Elder & Spiritual Teacher.

Question #2: What are we?

Answer: We are an African-centered, Scripture-based ministry of Excellence.

Question # 3: What do we do?

Answer: We educate, edify, and equip our members, through the knowledge of the Truth, to serve our community and reach people with the message of liberation

Question # 4: How do we do what we do?

Answer: We do what we do by being compassionate in our love, excellent in our service, righteous in our living, and spiritual in our fellowship and worship.

OUR COVENANT

Our organizational covenant is a voluntary agreement by the members of The Afrikan Village & Cultural Center whereby we promise to conduct our lives in such a way as to glorify Almighty God and our Ancestors while promoting the ongoing development of our ministry (movement).  Every member should study it carefully, refer to it often, and seek to live by it.  It clearly outlines the obligations of membership.

Our covenant is as follows:

Having been led by the Spirit of God within us, we do now in the presence of The Almighty, our Ancestors and this assembly, most solemnly and joyfully enter into covenant with one another.

With The Almighty being our helper, we engage to respectfully work together in love; to strive for the advancement of this organization, in knowledge, holiness, and righteousness; to promote its prosperity and spirituality; to sustain its fellowship, discipline, and teachings; to contribute cheerfully and regularly to the support of this organization, its expenses; and to the spread of the message of Afrikan liberation for the resurrection and empowerment of our people throughout our community and the world.

We also engage to maintain personal and family devotions; to properly educate our children; to strive for the liberation of our kindred and acquaintances; to walk cautiously in the world; to be just in our dealings with others; faithful in our engagements, and exemplary in our deportment; to avoid all idle gossip, backbiting, and excessive anger; to abstain from illegal and unrighteous activities; and to be zealous in our efforts to advance the rebuilding and continuity of Afrikan people.

We further engage to watch over and protect one another; to remember each other in prayer daily; to aid each other in sickness and distress; to cultivate sincere empathy and courtesy in speech; to be slow to take offense, but always ready for reconciliation; and to be mindful of the teachings in our daily living and to appropriate them without delay.

We moreover engage that when we remove from this place, that, as soon as possible, we will unite with another fellowship and/or organization, where we can carry out the spirit of this covenant and the principles of Maat as taught in the Medu Neter (the Word of God).