The Legacy Movement and gospel racial reconciliation

Major media outlets often report many of America’s inner cities have economic disparities, high crime rates, drug problems, and broken families. These sources virtually never report that there are major works of gospel-centered racial reconciliation happening throughout many of America’s most dangerous inner cities. One movement is called the Legacy.

Brian Dye founded and directs the Legacy Movement, which includes Legacy Christian Fellowship, a church-planting movement seeking to establish a house church in each of Chicago’s 77 neighborhoods by 2020. That movement now includes seven such churches. Dye is an elder over all seven, and they gather once a month for corporate worship. Other meetings are in the neighborhoods where members live. The goal is one-on-one and life-on-life discipleship.

Dye, of Puerto Rican and Anglo descent, has always lived in minority communities and loved the urban context. A self-professed introvert, Dye quickly acknowledges he is not naturally a movement planner or organizer, but he loves Jesus and believes He died and was resurrected to unify all people and all things in Himself. Dye and his leaders have witnessed life changing conversions of many different kinds of people—from those involved in drugs to other forms of spiritual bondage. Legacy in its community outreach offers food, Christian hip-hop, street evangelism, and pickup basketball.

That house church model also helps in community development, since house church members live in the neighborhoods where these churches meet. The result is more community service, recreation, and mentorship of youth in some of the toughest neighborhoods in Chicago. Dye and his multi-racial Legacy Christian Fellowship team are great examples of how God uses humble vessels for His glory.