Being Blessed by the Black Community and by Pastors Kerwin and Madelyn Manning

I have been reflecting on how blessed I feel by my connection with the Black community of Pasadena. Jill has been connected with this community since the 1990s when she moved to Pasadena and apprenticed herself to John Perkins, an amazing African American religious and Civil Rights  leader who founded the Christian Community Development Association (CCD). She moved into the Harambee Center which was started by Perkins in what was the most dangerous and gang-ridden part of Pasadena. The goal of the Harambee Center was to foster youth development, education, arts, leadership formation, and Christian discipleship. Perkins became Jill's mentor.  For decades she has lived in the heart of the Black community, formed deep friendships, became active with the Interdenominational Ministerial Alliance (IMA, the oldest association of Black pastors in the greater Pasadena area, and earned their respect and love. 

When I married Jill 15 years ago, a Black pastor told me: "When you married Jill, you also married the city of Pasadena." 

These words proved prophetic since over the years I have come to love Pasadena,  and especially Northwest Pasadena, the most diverse area of our city. For the last ten years Jill and I have been working with residents of the N. Fair Oaks area, once a thriving Black Main Street, that has suffered decline because of discriminatory policies. This work has culminated in the City's decision to name this area "The Black Legacy District" and to adopt almost all the community's recommendations for revitalization. 

This brings me to an event that Jill and I attended this week: the joyful celebration 25 years of service by two of the most loving and dynamic pastors I know, Kerwin and Madelyn Manning (shown here with us). Their service to God and people and our city is always inspiring.

The event took place at the fancy Noor restaurant, with a couple of hundred people in attendance, all dressed to the nines. Attendees included church members and friends of the Mannings, like Jill and me.

Pastor Kerwin has played a key role in our city, stranding up for righteous causes like police accountability and affordable housing.

He is always a joy to be around and makes you feel loved. He's not only a gifted preacher, he's also very funny. He likes to joke that he loves his wife with all his heart--and his kidney and spleen and intestines, etc. He invited a Black comedian named Broderick Rice to Emcee and he had us rolling in the aisles with laughter, making fun of the quirks of Black pastors.

We also heard music from a praise band called "Salty Chips" and a gifted pianist named Darin Atwater.

People who knew and served under Pastor Manning gave beautiful and moving testimonials. They described him as someone who always encouraged them to find their gifts and do what God was calling them to do. Others spoke of his kindness and love. Pastor Kerwin is a true man of God and follower of Jesus Christ, an embodiment of Good News.

Pastor Kerwin is the Senior Pastor—affectionately known as the “Head Coach”—of Pasadena Church, a vibrant multi‑racial, multi‑ethnic congregation committed to living out God’s purposes in the city and beyond.

He likes to say that he has a congregation of 186,000 people--the population of Altadena and Pasadena. He sees his ministry as not only serving his church community, but also the cities where his church is located. He loves Pasadena/Altadena and demonstrates his love in countless ways, such as helping victims of the Eaton Canyon fire.

A dynamic preacher and gifted worship leader, he has ministered globally in settings ranging from university chapels to international conferences, with ongoing work in South Africa, Japan, Cuba, and other nations.

Born and raised in Toledo, Ohio, Pastor Manning earned his B.A. in Religion from Anderson University and has served the wider Church of God through numerous national leadership roles, including President of the National Inspirational Youth Convention and longtime Chair of the Clergy Community Coalition of Greater Pasadena.

Since 2001, he has led Pasadena Church alongside his wife and ministry partner, Madelyn. They are the proud parents of Madison Denise and lovingly honor the memory of their daughter Morgan Danielle.

Morgan Manning died at age 14 from cardiac arrest caused by CPVT (Catecholaminergic Polymorphic Ventricular Tachycardia) — a rare genetic disorder that disrupts the heart’s electrical system.

After Morgan’s passing in 2017, the Mannings created A Piece of My Heart Foundation in 2018 to support CPVT research and raise awareness. They also took immediate, practical action to protect other children: upon learning that Pasadena Unified School District middle schools lacked Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs), they purchased AEDs — along with training and maintenance — for all eight middle schools. Their decision was intentional and deeply personal, as Morgan died just before graduating 8th grade.

Their work has since inspired the district to expand AED access across all campuses, turning their grief into a life‑saving legacy for other families.

Because of their deep faith and love, the Mannings turned a personal tragedy into a life-saving ministry. I can't help loving them!