Walking by Faith, Leading with Love: Rev. Ken Chambers Invests in Alameda County

Bo Tefu | Impact Alameda

The Rev. Ken Chambers is the president and founder of the Interfaith Council of Alameda County. He is committed to fighting for social justice, and he believes in standing up for diversity and investing his time, resources and talents in serving his community

His leadership and love for community shows in his passion and work.

The head pastor of West Side Missionary Baptist Church on Willow Street in Oakland attributes his successful track record as an organizer in Alameda County to his faith. It drives him to be a selfless leader, he says.

“I grew up serving others as well as participating in social justice, challenging the government to change systems for the betterment of the community,” said Chambers.

“My faith challenges me to be a good steward and to be my brother’s keeper,” he said.

In the late ‘90s, Chambers helped drive economic growth in underserved parts of Alameda County as a key player in the establishment of the Jack London Gateway Plaza in Oakland. The shopping center was built on five acres of land.

Chambers says he has dedicated 30 years of his career as a community leader to boosting economic growth and advancing racial equity in Oakland.

“We bought and added a grocery store to the facility rather than a credit union because we wanted to prove that retail can work in low-income communities if you give it a chance,” said. Chambers.

During his 30 years as a community leader, Chambers has cultivated a strong relationship with his congregation and the people of Oakland, which has been instrumental in helping him consistently pull off successful grassroots projects that benefit the community, including food and clothing drives.

“People really like helping people. They enjoy helping people. When you give them a chance to help others, a lot of times they’ll take that opportunity and do what they can to help,” said Chambers.

The Interfaith Council is a legacy that Chambers hopes will inspire new leaders to be protective of the diverse culture in Black and Brown communities. The community leader believes that interfaith unity among diverse groups of people causes systematic change.

Chambers said the ultimate goal is to make sure that the Interfaith Council will “still be thriving and developing new leadership that will continue to grow and nurture the community.”

An important aspect of Chambers’ leadership is the power of diversity, which he views as the cornerstone of Oakland’s community.

“Different does not mean deficient. There is strength in diversity when people from different religious backgrounds and faith practices unite to get things done,” he said.

Recent police shootings and incidents of police brutality against African Americans across the country stirred civil unrest during the COVID-19 pandemic. Those incidents, Chambers explains, have exposed the racism lurking in American society. However, Chambers believes that building common ground can help the nation move forward.

“This pandemic brought us to the realization that we all need each other. That we all — no matter what color age, or economic status — want to be healthy,” said Chambers.

“It brought us down to the realization that we all need the frontline support workers that put their lives on the line in order to function during this pandemic,” he said.

Although it will be hard to go back to business as usual, Chambers is optimistic that people will value life more than before the COVID-19 pandemic. He anticipates that people will get a handle on disaster preparedness for future unanticipated and unprecedented global crises.

“We need to be about community, unity, and making changes that help future generations down the road to thrive and learn from our mistakes,” he said.

Despite the inconveniences presented by the pandemic, Chambers continues to host food drives to feed homeless people. The reverend also spearheads various community initiatives to support low-income families in Oakland.