Our Story

Brother-to-Brother began as a concept without form and void.  The idea was to create an atmosphere where brothers could meet together and speak man to man about spiritual and societal issues.  From that humble beginning of five or six men, we are now an organization boasting of almost 100 members and friends across several states as men have experienced our Tuesday night gathering in Oakland, CA, and have moved to distant places.    

Our core is ecumenical and spiritually dynamic.  We are men of diverse social, economic, religious, and employment backgrounds.  This fact adds immeasurably to our scope and depth of discussions and studies. Literally laborers and professionals without titles or social status come together weekly to teach, learn, share and mentor brothers with brothers.  

We are not a duplication of any other male group.  We are Protestants, Catholics, Muslims, COGIC, Baptists, Methodists, Presbyterians, AME, Lutherans, Seventh-day Adventists, and agnostics as a sample of our breadth.  We study, pray, agree, and disagree at times without arguments and contempt.  We are blessed men blessing and loving any and all that attend our meetings.  We do not proselyte.  We are not dogma or denominationally driven.  We embody compassion, respect, and honor with a genuine Afrocentric worldview without apology or permission.

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What We Do

Brother-to Brother holds weekly meetings with an annual three-day retreat and an annual holiday dinner in appreciation for our wives and significant others.  Our bedrock meeting is Tuesday evening (before Corona 19) at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Herbert Lofton.  A meal is prepared and served at 6 pm.  Discussion and prayer are from 6:30 pm until 7:00 pm.  Spiritual discussion around a biblical text or entire book within scripture runs from 7 pm to 8:30 pm sharp.  

Discussion is encouraged for all in attendance.  Our unrecorded interactions are highly charged emotionally as men bring personal experiences, pathology, and blessings encountered in real-time.  Real emotional, personal, psychological, and spiritual healing unfolds weekly in our compassionate setting.  Brothers are not judged or condemned but they are heard and accepted by their brothers in life’s walk.

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Here's how brother's support brothers:

1. Continual interface with members who are sick, shut-in, confined to hospitals or rest homes through weekly visitations lead and coordinated by Herb Lofton.
2. B2B hosts a weekly recovery session for our brothers with alcohol or drug histories.  The dynamics are life-changing.  
3. McClymond H.S. in Oakland is our adopted school for mentoring and modeling and sponsoring the youth in the inner city.  
4. An annual retreat where scholarship funding is identified.  Seminars are presented, financial guidance, generational connecting activities provided and legal advice in estate planning and wills are examined.  
5. An annual golf tournament for fun and fellowship.  Funds are raised in these events for the multiple benevolence endeavors undertaken during the calendar year.
6. Our weekly meetings allow us to keep in contact with each other as we study, pray, and interact personally.  Currently, we meet from 6:30 pm until 8:30 pm by way of the internet and virtual interaction.

Brother-to-Brother participants:

• Do weekly visits to the area hospitals, home-sick and shut-ins, who are on the visitation list. Again, Herb Lofton is the driving force behind these weekly visits.
• Host a weekly drug and alcohol sobriety session, where participants have claimed years of sobriety, due to the Brother to Brother Fellowship.
• Have adopted McClymonds high school, in Oakland, CA and regularly offers themselves to the McClymonds’ students as event hosts, event sponsors, role models and mentors.

Annual Retreat

Brother-to-Brother hosts an annual retreat, where they bring in professionals to share information on men’s preventative health strategies, healthcare for aging parents, insurance and inter-generational transference of wealth and tax strategies, financial planning and college scholarship acquisition strategies.

Annual Golf Tournament

Brother-to-Brother, host, an annual golf tournament and fund raiser, where they raise funds for their benevolent programs.

Weekly Meetings

On Tuesday evening the men start arriving around 4:00 P.M., and engage in fellowship. At 6:30 P.M., the food arrives and the men hold hand to offer a prayer to bless the food they are about to receive. The men share the free dinner that has been lovingly prepared by Rena Lofton, Herb’s wife. After dining, Herb Lofton, or someone he selected, will begin the session by standing up in front of the group. The leader asks, if there are any visitors and the visitors are made comfortable, introduced and welcomed. The leader then asks, if there is anyone who is concerned about themselves, a family member, neighbor or situation that they would like to offer up to God, for divine intervention. The men gave their concerns. The leader then asks who desires to pray; someone will volunteer and pray in their cultural style. After prayer the Bible study begins. No formal Bible teacher is the designated leaders. No question is deemed a bad question. Different reflections are welcomed; but no arguments are allowed. Everyone is respected and surprisingly the difficult theological issues are disgusted.

African-American males have a unique and difficult path to walk in these United States. Hence, Brother-to-Brother puts into practice the Biblical scripture, exemplified by St. Paul’s 2nd Corinthians epistle,

“We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies.

Mr. Herb and Rena Lofton have been the driving force that has kept this humble gathering motivated and committed to Christian values and ethics, for more than 12 years. Herbert and Rena Lofton are precious treasures within our community. They exemplify true Christian love and are both deserving of this award.

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Our Bible Study Rules

1. Fellowship and sharing of a meal from 6:00pm – 6:30pm

2. Announcements and other presentations from 6:30pm- 6:45pm

3. Lifting and OpeningPrayer from 6:45pm – 7:00pm

4. Leave your title and denomination at the door

5. Obey and adhere to Sergeant At Arms

6. Raise your hand to be recognized

7. No cross talk

8. Three-minute speaking time limit per share

9. Treat each other with respect always

10. Talk to the group and try to engage the middle 60%

11. Reader and Sergeant at arms keep their comments to a minimum

12. No assignments; participation is voluntary

13. African American Centric Group