Lecrae, who will speak at this year's Resurgence Conference, was interviewed by Christianity Today about the absence of fathers in the world and what he's doing to address it. Here's a snippet from the article:

Father absence is a systemic problem, particularly in urban contexts, that's proven to lead to higher rates of gang violence, incarceration, and suicide. As of 2007, the national rate of children born to single mothers was 40 percent. According to the National Fatherhood Initiative, 24 million American children—one in three—live in homes without their biological fathers. The Man Up Campaign, says Lecrae, addresses father absence by telling "young African American males that you're immediately an example for other African American males in the community at large. Not only are the young men challenged and encouraged by this, but also the young ladies, because they get to see what they should be looking for and how to encourage their brothers in the direction of taking leadership and responsibility." ...

I grew up and still didn't know what it meant to be a man.

It's no small miracle that Lecrae has become a national Christian leader on this issue. Before hearing the gospel at 19, Lecrae's life bore the marks of growing up without a father. "I didn't fit in anywhere. I was just a misfit of a person," says the 32-year-old. Living with his single mom in the south side of Houston, he wrestled with his identity and worth, getting into drugs, theft, and gang activity. "I had strains with other men in my family as well, and just didn't have a lot of healthy mentoring relationships as a young man. I grew up and still didn't know what it meant to be a man."

"Because of the fatherlessness in his own life, Lecrae had a burden for the lack of fathers in the urban cultures, and for the distortion of manhood," said Davilla, a close friend of Lecrae. "Christ redeemed and gave him new life, and he is stewarding it very well."

"Now I'm a husband and a father, and I've never seen this fleshed out in the home, so I only know what I've read and what men have taught me," said Lecrae. "That's why it's crucial and important for other men to learn while they have the opportunity."

Read the Rest Here

Hear Lecrae speak at Resurgence Conference in Irvine, CA, on October 9-10: because Jesus lives, we live for Jesus.