Young Clergy for Social Change Update

For those of you who don’t know, I am a member of a group called Young Clergy for Social Change (YCSC). As the name implies, we are a youthful bunch of licensed and ordained ministers who want to engage in social justice and community activism activities. Our prayer is that this group (and other groups like it) will help encourage a paradigm shift as it relates to “how ministry is done” here in Baltimore and abroad. In my humble opinion, there is a disconnect between the church and the community here in Baltimore. (and some would say in other places as well)

Back in August, I was pretty discouraged because Young Clergy for Social Change wasn’t working out like I envisioned it would. I thought that we would get together, discuss the problems, and get right to work. However, it didn’t happen that fast and honestly, we haven’t done much “work” in the community at all. What has happened though is that we have – through the course of critical dialogue – formed a bond with each other and analyzed societal ills and the most practical way to approach them. At first, I was really frustrated because I just saw this as being a whole lot of talk, but no action, but through the wisdom and words of others I’m realizing that the “talk” is action. Furthermore, the type of talk that we’re doing has no option, but to soon transform into community action.

While I was discouraged back in August, I am encouraged now and a few life-changing encounters have lifted my spirits.

On August 6, 2005 my wife and I celebrated 1 year of marriage. Her gift to me was amazing – a gift I will never forget. We drove about 3 1/2 hours south and eventually pulled up to this small, but nice one floor home in a well-kept neighborhood. I was irritated, because I don’t like surprises that much, but when we went to the door and walked into the living room of that home, my life was changed. My wife and I were inside the home of Dr. Wyatt Tee Walker. THEE Dr. Wyatt Tee Walker: right-hand man and field general of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. For months I had been walking around the house talking about one day meeting Dr. Walker. In reading Why We Can’t Wait by Dr. King, I found out that it was Dr. Walker who was very instrumental in recruiting and training young people in the movement. I wished to meet him to find out how he orchestrated such a feat and what advice he would give me in my journey. On August 6, 2005 – I spent 90 minutes with Dr. Walker. Ninety minutes that I will never forget. I have the pictures to prove it, but I won’t upload them on this blog. Those pictures are for the book that I have to write detailing my amazing journey.

The next life changing experience happened the last week of August when I had lunch with Sonia Sanchez, Dr. Vincent Harding, and Victoria Jackson Gray Adams. Talk about a power-packed lunch! Sister Sanchez and Dr. Harding were here for the grand opening celebration of the Northwood Appold Charter School. The school is connected to the Northwood Appold UMC where the pastor is Dr. Cecil Gray. Dr. Gray has been a friend of YCSC from the beginning. He spent hours with us talking about his upbringing, experiences in social activism and his dedication to scholarship. When I got word that these 3 pioneers would be in my city, I immediately called Dr. Gray to see if we could work out a meeting. He worked it out and we had lunch. Lunch was about an hour – it went way too fast so Dr. Harding invited YCSC to come back to his hotel room after the event that evening for further dialogue. We showed up at the opening celebration that night and afterwards I drove Sister Sanchez and Dr. Harding back to their hotel room. Wait a minute. You missed that. I DROVE them back – Sanchez and Harding were passengers in my Altima! Are you serious?! We said goodnight to Sister Sanchez and went to Dr. Harding’s room. It was about 11:00pm when we arrived and we didn’t leave until about 1:30 in the morning! My colleagues and I had to get up and go to work the next day, but we knew that “upper room” meetings like this don’t happen often. Dr. Harding prodded us in his slow and thoughtful way. Be the night’s end, he blessed us with 6 DVD’s from his Veterans of Hope Project. What a man!

I view these two amazing meetings as indicators that we are on the right path and in “God’s time” we will get to the “out in the streets” activism that I keep seeing in my head. Young Clergy for Social Change is not dead – rather we are alive and well. Please keep us in prayer as we purpose to do ministry in the “trenches”.