Rev. Joe Young, Associate Pastor at First Baptist Church in Richmond, Virginia is the keynote speaker for the Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday program sponsored by Young Women of Promise on Monday, January 18, 2010 at 10:30 a.m. at St. James AME Church located at 402 East Shine Street in Kinston, North Carolina. The MLK holiday event will also include the Keepers of the Dream Recognition Program which honors individuals in the community who are honoring Dr. King by making a difference in the Kinston-Lenoir County community.

Rev. Joe Young is husband, father, minister, speaker, poet, musician who is unashamedly Christian and unapologetically Pan-Afrikan.  He serves as an associate pulpit minister at First Baptist Church of South Richmond and works for the city of Richmond as the City’s Volunteer Coordinator.  Rev. Young is a student at the Samuel Proctor School of Theology at Virginia Union University and will be graduating this coming May (5-8-2010) with a Master of Divinity and a Master of Arts in Christian Education.  Rev. Young was licensed to preach the gospel on November 12, 1989. He has served as an Associate Pastor at the St. Paul’s Baptist Church (Richmond) and as an Assistant Pastor at Progressive Baptist Church in St. Paul, Minnesota.  Brother Joe, as some affectionately call him, resides in the Richmond Area with his wife, Joy and their four children, Jordan, Joelle, Jianna and Joseph III.

       The Martin Luther King. Jr. holiday celebration will also serve as the official kickoff for the Semester of Service program sponsored by the Kinston Youth Enrichment Project.   The Semester of Service is designed to engage youth in eastern North Carolina in meaningful service projects and leadership development opportunities between the dates of January 19, 2010 (MLK Day of Service) and Global Youth Service Day held on April 23-25, 2010.    

       The mission of the Kinston Youth Enrichment Project is to inspire youth in grades Kindergarten through 12 with a passion for learning. According to Williams, Kinston YEP President and Founder, “The Keepers of the Dream recognition program provides a special opportunity to recognize the talents and gifts that Kinston and Lenoir County residents are giving to this community. It also helps to keep us mindful of the great contributions that Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. made during his lifetime.” 

Rev. A.O. Carmichael, pastor at  St. James AME Church  is serving as the host pastor and Pastor Rod Daniels, Pastor of Spirit of Truth Ministries in Greenville, will serve as co-chairperson for the event.

For questions and additional information contact Theresa Williams at 252/939-5587 or email kinstonyep@yahoo.com.