“But remember the Lord your God, for it is he who gives you the ability to produce wealth, and so confirms his covenant, which he swore to your forefathers, as it is today.” Deuteronomy 8:18

Company History
Founded in 1992, Nia Incorporated of Greater Richmond is a non-profit community development corporation and a ministry affiliate of The Saint Paul’s Baptist Church.

Vision
The vision of Nia, Incorporated of Greater Richmond is to provide opportunities to promote the economic, emotional, and physical well being of the community.

Mission
Nia will promote the well being of its community by offering training, services and resources through partnerships, corporate and community sponsorships and grants.

Our Beliefs

• We believe that Jesus Christ is the Author and Finisher of our faith, and the Holy Bible is the supreme standard for all wisdom and knowledge. We believe these beliefs are the foundation for a successful life, and will seek to operate according to the values and principles it sets forth.
• We believe that leadership is best done by serving, and will seek to lead in a Christ-like manner. We work to encourage people to value themselves for their gifts and talents, and will seek to meet people at the point of their needs, consistently demonstrating mutual respect for all and valuing relationships over results.
• We value honesty and integrity in all individuals and will hold ourselves to the highest standard of providing and demonstrating these values. We will endeavor to treat everyone as equals, with respect as brothers and sisters in Christ.
• We believe in the value of sharing skills, and will be instrumental in teaching and connecting people with resources to develop into entrepreneurs capable of giving back to their community. We will seek to empower people to become “fishers of men.”
• We believe in instilling the need for leadership through both education and training, and provide opportunities to develop these skills and resources. We will seek to become the standard for leadership, and become the “go to” source and the “means to an end”’ when for leadership support.
• We believe in the unity of community relationships and partnerships and will seek to be united in the body of Christ. We will seek to bring people together working with and through members of the community and businesses to develop partnerships that will benefit the community at large.

Volunteer Opportunities

Volunteers are the lifeblood of most nonprofits. Nia is not unique in needing volunteers to assist in carrying out its mission. A few of the areas where volunteers are needed are: Public Relations, Marketing, Fund Raising, Grant Writing, Administrative and Advertising Support, Web Maintenance. If you are interested in sharing some of your time and talent with Nia, please contact volunteer@niainc.org.

Chief Visionary

Lance D. Watson is the Chief Visionary and Senior Pastor of The Saint Paul’s Baptist Church. The vision for a community-based economic development corporation was born in his heart prior to 1992. As a result of that vision, Nia, Inc. of Greater Richmond was formed.

Pastor Watson is a three time Summa Cum Laude graduate of Wayne State University in Detroit, Michigan from which he holds the Bachelor of Science in Psychology, the Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy and the Master of Arts in Guidance and Counseling. He is a Magna Cum Laude Graduate of the Samuel DeWitt Proctor School of Theology at Virginia Union University from which he holds a Master of Divinity and a Summa Cum Laude Graduate of the Presbyterian School of Christian Education at Union Theological Seminary in Richmond, Virginia and the recipient of honorary doctoral degrees.

Born in Detroit, Michigan. He was ordained to the ministry by his Pastor and Mentor, Dr. Frederick G. Sampson at the Tabernacle Baptist Church. He is married to Rosemary Wilder, a noted and world traveled singer in her own right and together they parent three children, Lance, Rachel and Damon.

His achievements and recognitions are noteworthy. He has been honored as an Outstanding Contributor to Education, an Outstanding Communicator and Minister of the Year, as well as an African American Role Model by several organizations. He is listed in Who's Who in Religion and a member of the Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity.

He serves as Senior Pastor of the Saint Paul's Baptist Church of Richmond, Virginia and the host of the national telecast “Positive Power” and chief dreamer and visionary for NIA, Inc., Destiny Schools, Positive Power Media and the Saint Paul’s Federal Credit Union. Saint Paul’s has been noted as one of the fastest growing churches in the Commonwealth of Virginia.

This young, progressive and forward-looking congregation for "People On the Grow" serves as the spiritual home for more than 8,500 persons and supports mission and ministry causes around the globe.  To house its growing ministry, mission and media operations, Saint Paul’s has recently opened a new world class facility on 47 acres of land.

A gifted communicator, teacher and author; his works include, "Being Healthy From Now On; Maximize Your Edge: Navigating Life’s Challenges” and the soon to be released, “That Was Then, This is NOW!”