Juard M. Barnes
Preacher
Lecturer
Pastor
Freedom Fighter
“But let justice run down as waters, and righteousness as a mighty stream”
Amos 5:24 KJV
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Family & Career
Juard M. Barnes is Principal and Founder at The Rehoboth Project. He has nearly 40 years of experience as a community organizer and violence prevention specialist helping organizations and cities worldwide to achieve community safety. As the former Deputy Director of Faith In Indiana, Midwest Regional Director of Faith In Action and Live FREE, Convener for the Black Church PAC he has engaged in and won multi-billion dollar campaigns for community safety and Democracy.
As Senior Advisor for Communities of Practice at The Health Alliance for Violence Intervention (The HAVI), specializing in advocacy, training, and Technical Assistance in the CVI Ecosystem, Juard recently served as project lead for the White House Community Violence Intervention Collaborative, (CVIC) helping to create powerful CVI leadership for 16 jurisdictions nationwide.
Juard and his wife Larita Rice-Barnes are the proud parents of 4 amazing and contributing adults and grandparents of 6 beautiful additions to the world.
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Juard has served in ministry as a pastor in several churches, Macedonia COGIC, River of Life Community Church, The Eagles’ Nest and Currently, New Seasons Fellowship COGIC.
Professionally, Pastor Barnes has landed contracts and employment as lead administrator for Rehoboth Family Services, a consulting firm, with clients including, but not limited to Eskenazi Hospital as part of the Youth Violence Reduction Team, The Indiana Foster Care and Adoption Association, Marion County Superior Court and Probation Dept., Indianapolis Public Schools, Indianapolis WESCO/ Westside Weed and Seed, The Community for Education Foundation, Fathers and Families, Elkhart Probation Department, Elkhart Community Schools, YMCA of Indianapolis and Chicago, Miami-Dade Community Schools, etc., etc.
Juard has served as guest lecturer for Christian Theological Seminary, American Mennonite Biblical Seminary, The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, The National Academy of Medicine and many others.
Currently Juard serves as Midwest Regional Director for Faith in Action, the largest faith-based community organizing effort in the nation, moving as a multi-faith, multi-cultural organization committed to racial and economic dignity. He is particularly focused on Urban Strategies and International expansion.
