Baltimore’s Black Pastors take bold steps in Maryland politics

I have always been a proponent of Faith leaders getting involved in political issues in such a way that holds elected officials accountable and encourages the wider community to get politically active.

While there are those that disagree with pastors being politically involved, the reality is that in the African American community the Black Pastor still wields considerable influence and often times is one of the few community leaders that is free to speak.  African American elected officials have by and large been in too many people’s pockets and therefore have too many outside influences controlling their voices and votes.

We need Black Pastors involved in responsible ways that ensure a greater quality of life for the majority of our communities.

In light of that, I celebrate the creation of a new alliance in Baltimore. Bishop Walter S. Thomas, pastor of New Psalmist Baptist Church, Senator Verna Jones (Chairwoman of the MD Legislative Black Caucus) and Mr.Raymond Haysbert (President of Forum Caterers) have helped to form an alliance of Faith, government, and business leaders in an effort to influence the policies that govern African American communities. (AFRO, Oct.12) While we have groups in place already like the Interdenominational Ministerial Alliance, BUILD, and Young Clergy for Social Change; I am of the opinion that the more African American clergy organized for social reform the better.  Without organization we are no match for the major systems and backstage powerbrokers that intentionally divest from our communities, economically exploit our families by snatching their valuable real estate in the name of urban revitilization and perenially underfund Baltimore City Public Schools leaving many of our youth ill equipped to be the leaders we need them to be. Let’s be clear ghettos are not coincidental; they are created.  The agenda of both major political parties have failed our communities. It’s time for us to organize and take our agenda to them.

We need pastors involved – and not just involved, but responsibly involved.  This point was reinforced in my mind when I read an article in the Baltimore Sun (Sun, Oct. 23) 2006) which described a visit by Governor Robert Ehrlich to an historic Baltimore church.  The Sun reports that the pastor of that church made a plea from the pulpit for parishioners to give $100 dollars to the Ehrlich campaign.  The article quotes the pastor as saying: “We cannot write a church check to a politician, but when people come to speak, you should sow into their lives I want 10 people to write me a check for $100 to Friends of Ehrlich. When someone rushed a $100 bill to the pastor’s hand he was quoted to say, Let’s give God a hand for $100 cash!”

In the spirit of political fairplay, the Pastor said that he will do the same for the Democratic candidate for Governor when he speaks to the congregation, but yet the political fundraising sanctioned by the pulpit does too much to disrespect the sacredness of the sanctuary and the intimacy of the relationship between undershepherd and flock. When congregants view one person (rightly or wrongly) as the spiritual representation of Divine presence among them; one would do well not to invite parishoners to haphazardly engage in a charged political arena.

The strategy is obvious – equally dividing support to both candidates is a smart move especially in a closely contested race, but if Judas taught us anything he taught us that when money is exchanged between the Church and the State; someone is bound to be crucified.

Furthermore, it doesn’t appear as if anything of substance came out of the event.  According to the article, Ehrlich didn’t talk about issues – he talked about leadership. 

Afterward, one of the congregants is quoted as saying, “He just got my vote. I believe in his words and I respect him.  For some reason he just talks to my heart.

And that precisely is the problem.  For far too long African American voters have been swayed by historic loyalties or carefully crafted emotional messaging.  This elementary approach of political engagement is appropriate for high school elections where you vote for who is most popular, but it’s poisonous when participating in real world elections where people create the rules and regulations that govern your life.

We must stop allowing ourselves to be wooed by the charisma of silver tongued politicians who come only at election time to speak to our hearts. We must run the marathon of tracking the policies of those elected with our brains to ensure that they are doing what we need them to do in office. Churches must join with community leaders to create public policy agendas for their neighborhoods and then demand that political candidates endorse their agenda – not the other way around. We must expose our youth to political education classes, advocacy trainings, and visits with elected officials in an effort to groom them to represent us honorably in offices of public service. If election after election we struggle to find candidates that represent our values and champion our issues it would make sense for us to train up a child in the way they should go so that when they are older and electable they won’t depart from us.

It will take innovative pastors to recognize these needs and put initiatives in place at their church that will educate, train, and equip Black Believers on how to responsibly engage the political process in ways that will bring about concrete results for our people. With the legacy of clergy activism in the city represented by groups like the Interdenominational Ministerial Alliance and the emergence of exciting new alliances spearheaded by the likes of Bishop Walter S. Thomas, we just may have taken another step toward the promised land for Black Baltimore.

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