Fellowship Bible Church Senior Pastor running for Birmingham city council
ByJHDaniel
Reading time: 4 minutes
If you live in Birmingham’s District 2, you’re going to need a primer on all your city council candidates. There are a bunch of them!
Don’t sweat it, though. We have you covered. Check out this post on all the current candidates, and be sure to keep up with our weekly interviews with all of them here at Bham Now. If you have any questions or comments, please reach out to me via Facebook @bhamnow.
This interview is all about Lawrence Conaway, one of seven candidates running for the District 2 seat so far. There’s still plenty of time to run, so we’ll see if anyone else throws their hat into the ring. Stay tuned!
You can get to know Conaway by checking out his website, too.
More On District 2
Kim Rafferty ia your current city council member for District 2. She has declared her intent to run, as well.
Neighborhoods in District 2: Brown Springs, Crestline, Crestwood South, Eastwood, Huffman, Liberty Highlands, Overton, Roebuck, Roebuck Springs, South East Lake.
Other City Council Candidates
Kimberly Jeanty, Stephen L. Murphy, Deanna Reed, Jordan Thompson and Tyrone Williams.
Bham Now has interviewed Jeanty, Murphy , Thompson and Williams.
Candidate Interview
When did you officially announce your candidacy and where/how did you do it?
“I officially announced my candidacy for City Council District 2 on April 6, 2017 at a venue in Crestwood Festival Center and through social media.”
What is the name of your principal campaign committee?
“Committee to elect Lawrence Conaway for City Council District 2.”
Why do you want to run for Birmingham City Council?
“I’m running for Birmingham City Council District 2 because I believe I can work with all residents and community leaders to solve problems in our neighborhoods, address needs of all the people, attract more businesses, help existing businesses grow and getting vacant houses back online. I want to leverage the knowledge I’ve gained from working with people and community leaders to focus on solutions.”
More Questions And Answers
What is your background, education and experience?
“I’m a native of Birmingham and have lived here all of my life with the exception of living in North Alabama for six years. I have a BS degree in Electronics and an MBA and MA in Ministry.
“I worked as a computer analyst for the Department of Veterans Affairs for 11 years, after which I accepted a staff position at Guiding Light Church (GLC). I served in various capacities at GLC: Children and Adult Daycare Director, Facilities Director, Youth Pastor and Assistant Pastor.
“It was during that time that I started working as a volunteer in Birmingham and Jefferson County Schools, Cornerstone School in Woodlawn, as well as other places.
“I formed a non-profit in 2005 called Charity In Action, Inc. that provided GED, job prep, tutoring, parenting classes and seminars for seniors. I went through Leadership Birmingham in 2007 and helped to organize the Yes We Can! Birmingham initiative.
“I was a member of the group that formed the Birmingham Education Foundation (BEF), served as Chairman and still serve on that board. I currently serve on the board of Neighborhood Housing Services of Birmingham (NHSB), United Way of Central Alabama Community Impact Committee and am UWCA VAT Chairman. I am also the senior pastor of Fellowship Bible Church.”
How will you foster a healthy, working relationship between the mayor’s office and the Birmingham City Council/city hall?
“I will foster a healthy, working relationship between the mayor and the council by being the best example I can be, fulfilling my role in a professional manner, being respectful and consistently reiterating that we’re servants of the people.”
How will you accomplish transparency with the residents of Birmingham, if elected?
“Transparency is very important during the campaign for anyone aspiring to be a representative of the people. As the councilor for District 2, I will be a representative of the people.
“I will be transparent with them about what goes on at City Hall. I will communicate with the district through meetings, social media and have an open door policy. I will have a system for tracking all correspondence and following up in a timely manner.”
What district are you running for and what area does that cover?
“I’m running for City Council District 2, which covers Crestline, Crestwood South, Eastlake, Huffman, Liberty Highlands, Overton, Roebuck, Roebuck Springs and South Eastlake.”
The Birmingham municipal elections are scheduled for August 22.
