Damon Lynch, III is a lifetime resident of the city of Cincinnati, Ohio. He was educated in the Cincinnati Public School system and holds a Bachelor of Science degree from Cincinnati Bible College. He is presently the senior Pastor of the New Prospect Baptist Church located in the Over-the-Rhine area in Cincinnati. Under his leadership the church has helped to build and strengthen the Over the Rhine community.
He is an emeritus faculty member of the Asset Based Community Development Institute at DePaul University in Chicago, Illinois. He has conducted workshops and seminars throughout the United States to many organizations on the Asset-Based approach to problem solving and development.
His civic and community involvement includes:
- Appointed to chair the Health Committee of the Cincinnati chapter of the NAACP.
- Committee Member of Cincinnati Initiative to Reduce Violence (CIRV). Organization of Cincinnati leaders from public and private sectors working with a proven process to reduce homicides in the city of Cincinnati.
- Created the City of Hope Project. The groups focus is the re-integration of ex-offenders, and Community Economic Development.
- Development of the New Prospect Baptist Church Development Corporation.
Elm Street Development Project, purchase of an entire inner city block for economic development.
- Opened a community bakery, employing community residents.
- Former President, Cincinnati Black United Front, an organization that seeks to bring economic, social, political, and racial equality to the Greater Cincinnati community
- Led group of organizations in the filing of a class action lawsuit against racial profiling in the City of Cincinnati. This lawsuit resulted in a historic landmark agreement between the Cincinnati Police Department, Fraternal Order of Police, City of Cincinnati, American Civil Liberties Union, and the Cincinnati Black United Front
Pastor Lynch has received many awards and recognition for his work, some of his awards include:
- Southern Christian Leadership Conference Rosa Parks Award
- Sentinels Police Association President’s Award
- NAACP Theodore M. Berry Award for Civil Rights
- Martin Luther King Jr. Award at the city wide MLK day celebration
New Prospect Baptist Church
1829 Elm Street, Cincinnati, OH 45202
(513) 721-2355; fax (513) 721-3652
npbc@fuse.net