The Rev. Dr. Brenda Maull is one of the many women making a difference in South L.A. An associate minister at Holy Mount Calvary Missionary Baptist Church, Maull has devoted nearly four decades to helping others overcome the challenges of life.
A Los Angeles native, she serves in three assignments to carry out her passion. The Rev. Dr. Leonard E. White, pastor of Holy Mt. Calvary, appointed Maull to the Mission and Community Engagement Ministry; and the Rev. Ronnie Taylor, pastor of New Christian Church of Disciples of Christ, named her as the liaison minister to Life Ministries.
Maull also directs her nonprofit, Between Hope and Humanity, which offers tangible resources, education, information, and an array of faith-based support services to homeless, marginalized, and economically disadvantaged communities.
Educationally prepared, Maull holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Business and Management; and Master of Arts in Behavioral Science: Negotiations and Conflict Management. Also, she earned Master’s and Doctor of Ministry degrees at Claremont School of Theology. The following is an edited version of the Sentinel interview with the Rev. Dr. Brenda Maull.
How long have you been in this ministry and what factors inspired you to pursue it? I have focused my professional and philanthropic energies in Southern California for over 39-years. The core of my professional career has been centered in work involving non-profit management, labor relations, real estate, and government affairs. I am also an ordained minister and licensed officiant.
What inspires me most about community engagement ministry is that it transcends traditional faith practices and religious rituals that tend to be confining. From my perspective, at the heart of spirituality are compassion, mercy, love, and grace.
I maintain that serving in ministry goes beyond the walls of the church, and into communities where brokenness and conflict can be ministered. As a result, I am passionately involved in multiple ministry settings that not only address individual spirituality, but also help those challenged by emotional distress, mental illness, economic hardship, and homelessness.
What role has God or your faith played in your ministry? I am inspired by biblical research, Bible Study, and parable storytelling. I am a regular practitioner of Mindfulness Centering Prayer Meditation. I have found the practice to be a channel to the openness of heart and mind, to peace and oneness with God.
Being a spiritually gifted writer, I speak passionately about how spiritual writing helped to untangle my heart from past anxiety and stress. I find that it has the capacity to help those struggling with deep seeded emotions to heal and move beyond debilitating strongholds.
I believe faith is the surest anchor during times of upheaval. It has a way of undergirding us spiritually so that we don’t break when there’s calamity. The practice of Centering Prayer Meditation helps to develop qualities in the mind to strengthen our faith to deal with distressful life circumstances.
What is a memorable experience during your ministry? In the early 1990s, I served as facilitator for one of the first church participants in the HUD Real Estate Development Program in Los Angeles. These programs provided opportunities for faith groups to rehabilitate and sale distressed properties in marginalized communities. Although, at the time, it saddened me that there was very little acknowledgement of the tremendous benefit the work tendered. It spiritually enlightened me on the incredible need for more such faith-based programs in underserved communities.
In the end, it gave me perspective on what evolved beautifully into my spiritual purpose in life. The experience deepened my dedication to serve in community engagement ministries purposed in economic wellness.
What impact is your ministry having on the community? Through my nonprofit, Between Hope and Humanity, I am working on building bridges to prevention, education awareness, support services, and wellness resources that benefit poor communities.
My goal is to facilitate community partnerships aimed at ending the plight of hardship and homelessness in underserved communities. I am dedicated to letting my “God Light Shine” where the need is greatest.
Through the community engagement minister at Holy Mt. Calvary, we facilitated partnerships between faith groups and food sponsors to bring “Meals on Jesus,” a grocery giveaway program that operated in neighborhoods along the Main Street corridor.
How can others help or get involved in your ministry? Between Hope and Humanity is particularly interested in collaborating with faith-based, social, fraternal, and civic groups that serve marginalized communities. Contact: [email protected].
