Matthew Barnett facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Matthew Barnett
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Barnett speaking at a Dream Center service in the Angelus Temple (June 2010)
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| Nationality | American |
| Occupation | Pastor |
Matthew Barnett is an American pastor known for starting a famous community center called the Dream Center. He is also the main pastor at the Angelus Temple, a historic church in the Echo Park area of Los Angeles, California. His work focuses on helping people in need.
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The Dream Center
In 1994, Matthew Barnett and his father, Tommy Barnett, decided to create a place to help the community. They bought an old hospital building in Los Angeles. They turned this building into a center to help people facing hard times.
The center was named the Dream Center. When he was just 23 years old, Matthew began managing its daily activities. The goal was to provide food, shelter, and support to anyone who needed it.
What Does the Dream Center Do?
The Dream Center is a busy place that is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. It offers many different programs to help the community. These programs are often called "ministries."
- It provides a safe place for young people who have left home or are in trouble.
- It offers a home for people who have nowhere else to live.
- It helps people overcome difficult personal challenges and get their lives back on track.
- It gives job training to help people find work.
Today, the Dream Center helps tens of thousands of people every week through its many programs.
Angelus Temple
In 2001, another important event happened. The Angelus Temple, a famous church founded in 1923 by Aimee Semple McPherson, joined with the Dream Center. When this happened, Matthew Barnett became the senior pastor for both places.
Before the merger, the Angelus Temple was not as active as it once was. Its main building wasn't being used very often. At the same time, the Dream Center's services were so popular they were held in a crowded gym.
By joining together, they were able to fix up the beautiful old church. The main part of the temple was renovated, which cost $7 million. Now, the Dream Center holds its services there.
A Life of Service
Matthew Barnett's work has been recognized by many people. In 1999, he received the Religious Heritage Award for his service. Even former U.S. President George W. Bush praised his work and the positive impact of the Dream Center.
The Marathon Challenge
To raise money and awareness, Barnett took on an incredible challenge. He ran seven marathons on seven different continents in just seven days. A donor promised to give $100,000 to the Dream Center if he completed it.
This was especially difficult because doctors had once told him he would never run a marathon after a serious health problem. He completed the challenge to help support the many people who rely on the Dream Center.
