The history of Brothers Keeper Community Resource Center (cRc) began in 1987 with its parent body, Am I My Brothers Keeper (AIMBK) Outreach Church. AIMBK was founded in the former home of Apostle Dr. William McCoy and operated out of Kich Grammar School in Harvey, Illinois. AIMBK Outreach Church preached and testified about deliverance from drugs and alcohol to the drug addicts and alcoholics on the streets of Harvey, Robbins, and Chicago, Illinois. Not wanting to turn anyone away, the church realized it had to create a vehicle that would allow the solicitation of grants, contracts and other monies designated to fund the type of work being done. The vehicle created became...
BROTHERS KEEPER cRc - Community Resource Center
Becoming the heart and hands of God, the church in the summer of 1994 began to take in individuals (ex-offenders and recovering substance abusers who craved for a change in their life) who had no family or friends to equip them with the necessary tools to rebuild their lives in a constructive and healthy manner. Hence, Brothers Keeper’s residential program was born. This program provided an eight-bed dormitory above the church (called The Upper Room) that provided three hot meals a day, substance abuse prevention/intervention group sessions, life skills training, family and spiritual life counseling, mental health counseling and ecumenical worship. All services were funded through tithes, offerings, donations, and professional volunteer services of parishioners and networking friends.The Joshua House, AIMBK’s second recovery home, opened in 1996, followed by the House of Ruth recovery home for women in the winter of 1997.
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In 1994 and 1995, AIMBK expanded its ministry with the formation of International Pentecostal Assembly Ecumenical (IPAE) and Brothers Keeper cRc. IPAE is a conglomerate of churches and outreach ministries, networking together for the spiritual betterment of society and cRc for the physical betterment of mankind.
In October 2000, AIMBK opened its third residential home for men called The Chap House, named for Apostle McCoy’s brother, Chaplain (Deacon) Andrew McCoy, who served as House Director of the Joshua House until his death in August 2001.
In February 2001, the Illinois Alcohol & Other Drug Abuse Professional Certification Association certified AIMBK’s program, “Empowering the Ex-offender”, granting 20 CEUs for Counselor I and II.
