City of Miami Assistant Police Chief Rev. Dennis M. Jackson II to preach at Bethel AME Church-Pompano Men’s Day Service

City of Miami Assistant Police Chief Rev. Dennis M. Jackson II to preach at Bethel AME Church-Pompano Men’s Day Service

By Johnny L. McCray, Jr., Esq.

        The Men’s Ministry of Bethel AME Church—Pompano, pastored by Reverend Eddy Moise, Jr., is excited to welcome as guest preacher for our 2017 Men’s Day Celebration, Reverend Dennis M. Jackson II., Senior Pastor of New Mount Moriah Baptist Church in Liberty City. The service is Sunday, Feb. 26, 2017 at 10 a.m. Rev. Jackson, a bivocational pastor, carries a bible and a badge.

He is also a 24 year veteran member of the City of Miami Police Department. Rev. Jackson was recently promoted to Assistant Chief of the City of Miami Police Department and is in charge of the department’s largest unit, the Field Operations Division, which is responsible for the day-to-day delivery of a wide range of police services within the City of Miami.

“The two positions are very similar in the sense they both require serving others. As a minister you’re the lead servant, with law enforcement, you are a servant. In both professions you’re serving others, and you’re putting your life in jeopardy to serve others”, says Rev. Jackson, a 1991 graduate of Bethune-Cookman University and member of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc., who also recently earned a Master’s Degree in Theological Studies. Having grown up in the Carol City area, Rev. Jackson is known as a servant leader. Before his appointment as chief, he served as commander at the North District station, which serves Liberty City, Little Haiti and Upper Eastside. As servant, he’s been able to gain trust of people in those neighborhoods to solve problems and cases. Rev. Jackson also believes success in ministry and in crime prevention often hinges on people in the community who are ready to cooperate with people whom they trust. “The word of God says when the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice,” says Rev. Jackson, who adds that the work of pastors and police officers requires similar skill sets, the most important of which is a desire to serve and improve the lives of people. “The way we go about addressing anything that relates to crime, drugs, or gangs is to ensure that the community trusts us enough to work with us,” he explains. “If the community can’t get involved in every step, I don’t think it’s a good plan.

As pastor, Rev. Jackson and his wife, Tanya, started an after-school program about seven years ago for children from the Liberty Square area with their own funds at their church, located at Northwest 68 Street and 14 Avenue. Because of its popularity, they moved the program, called Dream Center, to Holmes Elementary. The Dream Center serves 100 children at no expense to the parents; there are 45 more children on the program’s waiting list.

Traditionally, Men’s Day has been the preeminent time in the Black church to recognize the exemplary men who have decided to set themselves apart as men of God. This special day provides a forum to openly appreciate and celebrate the contributions Christian men make to their families, churches and communities.

However, inasmuch as this day is a time of reflection, it is also a time for men to look forward, to make searching inquiries of them, and to assess their collective place in contemporary society. It is also the opportune time to deepen their resolve to serve God, the family and community, under the banner of Bethel’s Men’s Day theme this year: “Men of Valor: Bearing the Fruit of Love, Joy, and Peace.”  

Join Pastor Moise and the members of Bethel AME—Pompano in celebration of our Annual Men’s Day at 405 N.W. Third Ave. (Esther Rolle Avenue) Pompano Beach, Fla., (954) 943-6220