Reverend A. R. Bernard, the founder and pastor of the Christian Cultural Center in Brooklyn, discussed Reverend Al Sharpton’s public safety summit and explained what changes he wants to see.

He founded the Christian Cultural Center as a small storefront church in Williamsburg back in 1978. Now, the center has more than 37,000 active members and is one of America’s fastest-growing churches.

Bernard discussed how Brooklyn’s changed over the years, especially as it relates to public safety. The Black church has a long and complex history of improving the Black experience in the U.S. since its formation in times of slavery. Bernard discussed how the Black church has been largely shaped by the history of the African American experience.

Last month, the City Council approved a 10.5-acre urban village in East New York that will include 11 new buildings, more than 2,000 new apartments and green space. Bernard discussed his vision for the mixed-use campus and what it would entail.