Ricardo Palmer has accepted the unique call to evangelize to what some would call the Hip Hop generation. God has placed in him the insatiable passion to reach out to and care for a youth culture longing for identity, acceptance and purpose.
Ricardo knows firsthand what it means to be lost without guidance and seeking acceptance from all the wrong places. At the young age of 19, only a year removed from high school, Ricardo was incarcerated on bank robbery charges. In his third year of being in prison, he accepted Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior and has served God wholeheartedly ever since. After completing six years and four months, he was released in April of 2003. Even while finishing his sentence, Ricardo served others as a faithful laborer, conducting Bible studies and prayer groups and helping fellow inmates cope with life’s struggles. Upon his release, Ricardo immediately got involved in prison ministry and was blessed to have the opportunity to encourage and motivate those with whom he was once incarcerated.
After joining The Spirit of Truth Christian Church under the leadership of Pastor Marcus R. Shiver where Ricardo currently serves in ministry, he accepted the role of youth minister and has worked tirelessly.
Because of Ricardo’s past, he offers insight which could never be given strictly from an academic perspective. He also offers creative, biblical strategies and a myriad of techniques which he puts to use daily as he interacts with youth and young adults.
Ricardo recently completed his first book entitled Jesus the Christ, Greatest Rapper of All Time: A Guide to Evangelizing Hip Hop Culture. This book is the direct fruit of six years of combined research and ministry and promises to offer viable answers for our churches, parents, and laypeople concerning our youth.
Refusing to believe that there is no hope for our youth, Ricardo relies on his own testimony as an example that they, too, have a chance.
In conjunction with the book, Ricardo initiated a non-profit organization, Community Well, which will focus on joining forces with churches and businesses to cater to the needs of youth in our communities, with the goal of ultimately building community centers in inner city neighborhoods.