National Baptist Convention USA Churches Encouraged to Embark on dfree Journey to Financial Freedom

Kansas City, Missouri – As The National Baptist Convention USA (NBC-USA) conducts its 136th annual conference, the dfree® Financial Freedom Movement is on hand to support church members and encourage them to take a journey to financial freedom that will stimulate church growth while helping individual church families obtain financial security.

“The NBC-USA churches who have already joined dfree® are reporting life-changing experiences and will serve as models for others who need to join now,” said Dr. DeForest B. Soaries, Jr., creator of the dfree® movement and founder of the dfree® Global Foundation, Inc. “We’re offering special training, programming and events to augment the dfree® program and ensure these critical new partners have meaningful experiences.”

Soaries, author of Say Yes to No Debt: 12 Steps to Financial Freedom, is a featured speaker, 2 PM Sept. 6, 2016, on “Financial Challenges” during the conference in the Kansas City Convention Center Hall A&B. dfree® is a practical yet holistic approach to financial security that exposes root causes of negative financial habits and provides financial literacy, faith-based methods and community support to help individuals achieve and maintain financial success.

To date, hundreds of churches and faith-based organizations have partnered with dfree®, with a goal of attracting 3,000 such members by 2018. Key findings and best practices from existing NBC-USA members will be leveraged to assist those new to dfree® and to establish regional resources. Some leading NBC-USA dfree® churches include: Mt. Pilgrim Missionary Baptist Church, Fairfield, Alabama, Pastor David Craig; Neuse River Missionary Baptist Association, Eastern North Carolina, Pastor Joseph L. Battle; and, Mt. Calvary Baptist Church, Fairfield and Suisun City, California, Dr. Claybon Lea, Jr.

Soaries also has issued a Billion Dollar Challenge as a national initiative and free resource to help individuals and families collectively pay down $1 billion in consumer debt. “So many people are drowning in personal debt and, worse, they just don’t know how to get out. But there is a way out,” he said. “dfree® takes people from debts, delinquencies and deficits to deposits, dividends and deeds. It’s a program that requires personal responsibility, commitment and support from others.”

Churches and others who have found success using the dfree® program will join together in November for the 5th Annual Financial Freedom Conference, “Say Yes to the Next Level,” being hosted this year at Soaries’ church, First Baptist Church of Lincoln Gardens in Somerset, New Jersey.

About NBC-USA: The National Baptist Convention USA, led by Dr. Jerry Young, is the nation’s oldest and largest African-American religious convention. With an estimated membership of 7.5 million, about 31,000 congregations are NBC-USA members. The current annual conference attracted more than 20,000 delegates and families, with an estimated $7.9 million economic impact on Kansas City.

About dfree®: Founded in 2005, dfree® is a financial freedom movement that addresses the cultural, psychological and spiritual influences on financial wellness and offers practical strategies for achieving financial success. dfree® Creator DeForest B. Soaries Jr. is the Senior Pastor of First Baptist Church of Lincoln Gardens in Somerset, New Jersey and former New Jersey Secretary of State.

dfree® was featured by CNN in a 90­minute documentary, “Almighty Debt,” an installment of the “Black in America” series, hosted by Soledad O’Brien. The dfree® strategy is being used by hundreds of churches and organizations worldwide. For more information about dfree® visit www.mydfree.org and follow the hashtag, #dFreeNextLevel, on social media.

Churches can join the dfree® movement by contacting Sheldon Stevenson at SStevenson@mydfree.org or Tamika Stembridge at TStembridge@mydfree.org