Michael Beckwith - Founder, Agape Spiritual Center | RiseUP
Michael Beckwith

Founder, Agape Spiritual Center

In 1986, Michael Bernard Beckwith founded the Agape International Spiritual Center, a trans-denominational community of thousands of local members and global live streamers. Highly regarded for its cultural, racial, and spiritual diversity, the late Coretta Scott King wrote to Beckwith, “I greatly admire what you are doing to bring about the Beloved Community, which is certainly what my dear husband worked for and ultimately gave his life.”

Agape’s local community outreach programs feed the homeless, serve incarcerated individuals and their families, partnership with community service organizations active in children’s schools and homes for youth at risk, support the arts, and advocate the preservation of our planet’s environmental resources. Agape’s global humanitarian programs provide food programs, retraining programs, schools, libraries, orphanages, hospitals, clinics, homes for unwed mothers, micro-loans, financial support during natural disasters, and human advocacy. Locations range from 8 African countries to Afghanistan, Bosnia, Colombia, Ecuador, India, Iraq, Kosovo, and Sri Lanka.

An eminent representative within diverse religious traditions and harbingers of world peace, in February 2012 Dr. Beckwith addressed the United Nations General Assembly as part of its annual World Interfaith Harmony Week. As co-founder and president of the Association for Global New Thought, he had the distinguished honor of presenting to Nelson Mandela the Gandhi King Award. Beckwith is also an international co-chair of the Gandhi King Season for Nonviolence which was launched at the United Nations in 1998 and is active in 900 international cities and 67 countries. About its mission His Holiness the Dalai Lama has said: “Both Gandhi and Martin Luther King are inspiring examples of the power and truth of nonviolence and the actions that arise from them. The Season for Nonviolence is a very good tool to remind us of their witness, and also the large unfinished work we have together in transforming awareness on our planet.” Beckwith served as co-chair of the Synthesis Dialogues 1, 11, and 111 attended by the Dali Lama of Tibet.

Dr. Beckwith is a sought after meditation teacher, conference speaker, and seminar leader on the Life Visioning Process, which he originated. Three of his most recent books—Life Visioning, Spiritual Liberation, and TranscenDance Expanded are recipients of the prestigious Nautilus Award. He has appeared on the OWN’s Help Desk, Dr. Oz, The Oprah Winfrey Show, Larry King Live, Tavis Smiley, and in his own PBS Special, The Answer Is You. Every Friday at 1 pm PST, thousands tune into his radio show on KPFK, Wake up: The Sound of Transformation.

Beckwith’s humanitarian activities have attracted to him accolades from many organizations, a few of which include:

2010 The Light of God Expressing in Society, Unity International
2009 Ebony Magazine, Power 150 Award
2009 Gamble Tree of Life Award
2009 BraveHeart Award for Inspiration
2009 Hollywood Note Foundation, Visionary Spotlight Award
2008 The Maharishi Award
2007 Model Citizen Award
2006 Black Aids Institute Hero Award
2004 The Africa Achievement Peace Award
2003 Dr. Beckwith and Agape’s works were read into the 107th Congressional Record
2002 California Legislature Assembly Award for Meritorious Service to Humanity
2002 World Festival of Sacred Music Local Hero Award
2001 Gandhi-King-Ikeda Award from Morehouse College
2000 Induction into the Martin Luther King Board of Preachers at Morehouse College

For more information visit www.agapelive.com