The Faith First Project® exists to close the distance between intention and impact.
Founded by Rev. Damon O. Smith, The Faith First Project® is a Chicago-based practice in leadership development and social justice consultation, operating at the intersection of church ministry and public-serving institutions. Its work is grounded in a single theological conviction: that every body is intentionally created by God, loved by Jesus Christ, and guided by the Holy Spirit — and that this conviction carries organizational consequences. Institutions either honor that claim in how they are led, staffed, funded, and governed, or they do not.
The practice serves two constituencies. The first is the church: congregations and their leaders seeking formation, teaching, and a social justice ministry that moves beyond statement into structure. The second is the mission-driven institution: nonprofits, public agencies, civic coalitions, and executive teams seeking a consultant who can assess an operation accurately, name what is not working, and stay through implementation.
Rev. Smith currently serves on the ministerial staff of Liberty Baptist Church of Chicago under the leadership of Rev. Andrew D. Hunt, Jr., CPA, M.Div., holding appointment as Associate Minister of Social Justice. The social justice ministry at Liberty Baptist stands in continuity with the congregation's historic role as the home church of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. during his time in Chicago, where he organized the Chicago Movement for fair and equitable housing.
That inheritance shapes the method. Following the model of Jesus Christ, who responded to individuals oppressed by unjust systems, The Faith First Project® works at both scales: with the person in front of it, and with the system that placed them there. The practice provides leadership development, policy consultation, and applied training designed not merely to inspire transformation but to organize for it — producing change and developing the people who will sustain it.
Life is frequently marked by chaos and pain. The Faith First Project® holds that reality honestly, and holds alongside it the abundance available through Jesus Christ: joy, grace, mercy, justice, forgiveness, and above all, love extended to all people.
Methodologically, the practice represents an evolution from Liberation Theology toward a broader framework of Social Justice Theology — a deliberate reorientation of faith-based leadership practice, carried out through preaching, teaching, coaching, consultation, and mentorship.
Welcome to The Faith First Project®.
