Frank Allen

Background

About Frank Allen

At HOPE's founder, Frank Allen enlisted in the US Army at 17 years old and over the next ten years took advantage of the Departments Defense and State Consortium of Colleges and Univeristies where he was able to study in multiple top tier universities. Upon his honorable discharge he entered into his denomination's formal ministerial internship program and graduated after a year he completed the collegiate program. At which time he felt called into vocational ministry to live and serve among the poor. His bishop affirmed that called and in October of 1992 appointed the Allen family as full-time vocational inner city missionaries. Frank and Wendy along with their toddling son Ashton moved into the inner city where they worked together to bring hope to the hopeless. From the point of Evangelism, Social Work, and Biblically orthodox Social Justice the work was intense and the ministry grew, Frank began to recruit volunteers and seek donors to help with the needs. Out of necessity, HOPE was organized into parachurch 501(c)3 faith-based nonprofit organization. Frank always struggled with the business end. His call remains among those in the streets and alleys –– the byways and hedges. But over the past 30-years God has always provided gift business managers to help. We have had difficult, hard, and terrifying times and seasons. The struggle is real. From the lack of resources for his family, staff, ministry and the needs in his community. Frank often shares about feeling powerless, saying,"At times, all we can do, is cry and pray as we embrace those we love in their desperation. The very ones God has called us to serve, we have reached and have grown to love. Only to weep with them as they crumble under the constant grind of poverty and stand between them and the terrorizing evils associated with poverty. Most especially helping children, strengthening struggling families, and building community. But over the past ten years working with violence and gang prevention and intervention. HOPE has been feeding the hungry and ministering to the poor before incarnation ministry was popular among many Christians. Frank has been a purveyor and practitioner of social justice long before it was vogue and trending across social media––even before social media. HOPE's beginning mission was to help those who came to accept Christ to reconnect with local churches, but they did not not fit in and they returned back to HOPE's chapel and our chapel. It has transitioned to a church for the poor, by the poor, with the poor, and of the poor.