From the Heart of Pastor Jacqueline A. Thompson
July 11, 2025
Dear Allen Temple Family and Friends,
Yesterday, a video featuring a young barber cutting hair outside the gates of our church has circulated widely across social media platforms. The footage has generated significant attention and, in some cases, confusion and criticism directed at Allen Temple Baptist Church.
Let me be clear: social media never tells the whole story - not of a person, not of a church, and not of a community.
At Allen Temple, we have served Oakland for over a century with a deep commitment to justice, compassion, and restoration. We are a church that believes in grace, and we are a church that supports entrepreneurship, especially among our young people.
