Rebirth International

Rebirth International is the outgrowth of our founder Mo Leverett’s calling and vision to advance spiritual and community revitalization in pockets of poverty both stateside and worldwide. Mo grew up in the Deep South and even as a young man became increasingly burdened to see his South live up to its professed Christian ideals, especially in regard to the historic issue of race and the entrenched problem of multi-generational poverty. That passion has grown to a life’s call and mission and led Mo and his wife Ellen, after receiving his Masters of Divinity degree from Reformed Theological Seminary in Jackson, Mississippi to move into the Desire neighborhood of New Orleans in 1990 to launch his first urban ministry called Desire Street Ministries.
Of course the Desire neighborhood and the entire 9th ward that enfolds it are infamous for its poverty, crime and other social problems. The housing project which was built in this community was ranked the nation’s worst by HUD and was the center of most the cities murders and poverty. Mo and his team succesfully developed a ministry that became one of the leading young urban ministry models in this country. Within a multi-purpose facility that was built, a church, a school, an off-site medical clinic, and many other ministry programs were set into motion.But after 16 years of succesful yet arduous front-line incarnational urban ministry - the organization and community that he served was devastated and ruined by Hurricane Katrina. Mo went to work with a team of dedicated staff to rescue and redesign the ministry he founded in 1990. Yet through a series of events, it became apparent that God’s call on Mo to expand urban ministry initiatives in other pockets of poverty was the providential next step for Mo’s spiritual journey.
While leaving Desire Street Ministries was among the most painful circumstance Mo has faced in his professional life, the vision of Rebirth was always where Mo’s gifts and passions lied.