Min. Lydia L. Davis
BOARD MEMBERS
Founder & President
Rev. Lydia L. Davis is the visionary Founder and Board President of our nonprofit “You Feed Them Missional Food Pantry, Inc." officially launched in March 2017. As a result of her God-given vision, her assigned mission, her passion and perseverance, thousands of lives have been transformatively impacted physically, spiritually, relationally. She and her Christ Care Ministers have shared the gift of Salvation to hundreds having over 630 individuals who has accepted that gift. In addition, 20 have been baptized during our Missional Food Pantry indoors and outdoors! Kingdom Building! Her missional food pantry have five initiatives under its missional umbrella to help positively impact to transform lives.
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Born and raised with a solid Christian foundation in East Chicago, Indiana. When Lydia was not in school or at home, she was alway active as a youth in church at St. Mark AME Zion Church - upon which rock she was raised and mentored as a natural young leader. Under the leadership of strong women and teachers of God, Lydia was the president of the Y-Society at St. Mark under Ms. Vivian Bell. Served as a Youth Usher under Cora Bradford, Rachel Thomas, and Queen Sanders. She also was a youth Sunday School and VBS assistant teacher. Educationally, she graduated from a Catholic (private) High School.
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Rev. Davis has over 30 years in Media, Marketing and Communications in Ministry starting at her church in Fremont, California at South Bay Community Church under her spiritual father, Emeritus Sr. Pastor Dr. Stanley B. Long. She's managed a 6-figure ministry budget, has had over 30 team members under her leadership and direction in multiple ministries. She is a planter of numerous successful ministries from California to Indiana. In Corporate, for over 15 years, she held a Secret Clearance working for a major government Navy contract company. She has gifts of leadership, vision, shepherding, insight, and is mission-driven. Most important to her is her immediate family and serving to help others in need.
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Minister Davis is currently a member of Barnes United Methodist Church, Indianapolis, Indiana. Her calling and skill set are Ministry, Service, Missions & Outreach, Visionary, Leadership. She has been an active and notable member of Barnes UMC since 2012 upon her relocation from Northern California to care for her ill mother. After her Mother’s death in January 2013, she accepted God’s additional calling and elevation for and through her life on January 4, 2014.
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She has facilitated for over eight (8) years Barnes' Tuesday night Prayer Call where her father, Mr. Daniel Davis helps minister in worship during the call. She also served as Co-Leader, then ministry Leader of Barnes' Feeding Ministry for 7 years and Leader of the Communications/Media Ministry for 11 years before resigning from both in 2023.
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Minister Davis serves as the Missional Food Pantries Operations Director, a certified Teacher and Trainer and Certifications Specialist with Faith, Hope and Love Community Inc since 2016. FHL is a Missional Food Pantry teaching, training, consulting and launching organization. She has taught, trained and/or helped certify and launch as of 2025, over 20 missional food pantries in culturally diverse churches throughout Central Indiana, with more conferences and soft launches pending throughout the state and abroad. Her teaching and ministering conferences have been before American, Hispanic/Latina, and Haitian congregations. She helps cast the vision, making it plain, by instruction, the Word, interaction, and practice.
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Since January 2019, she also serve on the Board of Directors for Metro Ministries, Inc. serving on the Grant and Fundraising teams as well as on the Speaker's Bureau visiting and speaking at churches and organizations within the Indiana UMC Central District.
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She is also the Founder of her transitional ministry, His Love Kept Me Ministries Inc, birthed out of her own transformative experiences of pushing through levels of personal pain. She preached her genesis sermon, soon after her calling, on May 30, 2014 in Northwest Indiana and continues to preach through her life. She has a passion to serve and help meet needs of those struggling through pain, those who “hunger” for love, hope, help, and healing through ARK (Acts of Random Kindness). Her legacy will include making positive ripples that help transform many lives in some God-loving way, shape, or form regardless of obstacles and challenges.
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She is the mother of 35 year old twin sons, Steven and Shawn (Melanie, Shawn Jr, & Stori), living in Southern California. Her son Steven has his own LLC and is a Behavioral Specialist Assistant for Special Needs Children. Her son Shawn is a multi-award top sales winning Premium Sales Account Manager for the Los Angeles Clippers. Another of her prayers were answered with the joy of her first Grandson born in 2024 and Granddaughter in 2025. Her color is purple.
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Rev. Davis was honored to be the inaugural recipient of "The Ripple Effect" Award, June 2023, an inaugural recognition from the UMC Indiana Conference Diversity, Missions, & Justice Ministries (DMJ), for her diverse impact throughout communities that help empower and transform lives, including children. She has also received letters of support from the previous Conference Bishop Julius Trimble and the current UMC Conference Bishop Tracy Smith-Malone supporting her, her organization's mission and vision, and the transformative impact of You Feed Them and its community initiatives.
Minister Lydia’s vision and implementation of the Annual Back-to-School Community Resource Day, first launched in 2017, was awarded a Mayoral Proclamation proclaiming that August 14, 2021 (the 2nd Saturday of August) is officially recognized as Back-to-School Community Resource Day. Several hundred children are registered each year, and through her compassion and leadership is instrumental in giving over a thousand pairs of new shoes to registered children that attend the CRD.
The Youth Savings Initiative was birthed as she contemplated the "missional" arm of the food pantry and its impact in young lives. Her vision was to help reduce if not eliminate the future need of food pantries and social services by the children of today by encouraging financial literacy through investing in self through savings accounts and encouraging monthly deposits. The mission was to encourage the practice consistency over the amount of the deposits.
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She accepted a "Community Youth Impact Award" in August 2025 from RecZone and the Center for Health & Social Science Development for her You Feed Them Missional Food Pantry community initiatives.
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The Blessings Bags Initiative was first inspired under her "His Love Kept Me" Ministry to help soften the impact of unhoused neighbors. These medium to large purses and drawstring bags are filled with necessities such as toiletries, personal care products, safety items such as whistles and reflective bands, and other items such as rain coverings and blankets, and more depending on the season. Other churches missions ministries are now contributing and have partnered in donating toward this initiative or helping to distribute the blessing bags throughout the city.
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The Joyful Christmas Experience Initiative over the years have registered hundreds of children of families in emergent need of assistance and may have missed, or not qualified, registering with other organizations due to early registration requirements. In addition to clothing, toys, books, households also receive food. The success of this initiative heavily depend on community support through donations.
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In July 2021, she received the Good Samaritan Project Distinctive Leadership Award for her compassion in service and desire to share hope and God's love and light to children and families. In November 2020, she received the Mozel Sanders Foundation Essential Worker Award for her sacrifices of service to the community.
She is also a recipient of a City of Indianapolis Mayoral Proclamation for her You Feed Them Missional Food Pantry in April 2019.
She is a recipient of the 2018 Urban Servant Leader Award, and the 2018 Mayor’s Community Servant Award where she also was given an engraved brick with her name on it located in downtown Indianapolis in the Mayor's circle on the Canal.
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She has also received in 2016 United Methodist Men Servant Leadership Award, 2016 United Methodist Women Special Mission Recognition Award, 2014 Calumet Star Achievers Award from her childhood home town of East Chicago, Indiana; and other recognitions of Ministry, Impact, and Service.
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Colossians 3:23: “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters.” Called by God. Chosen by God. Serving for God. Loved by God. Empowered by God. Covered by God.
Lesson: The most impactful transformative message is not just what you teach or preach; but the Message that you walk. I only hear 'charlie brown' noise when your walk reveals your hypocrisy. We don't need performers in the pulpit, we need Shepherds to lead and teach based upon the Word and upon one's integrity and character. "He's working for your good!" Romans 8:28
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Interviews:
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HUAMI Magazine (pronounced "who am I") : Pages 10-13