Clergy visit to DC continues tradition, prepares next generation

Last month, the Interdenominational Ministerial Alliance (IMA) went to DC to visit with the Maryland Congressional Delegation.  This used to be a common practice for IMA and President Dr. William Calhoun wanted to revive it citing the importance of elected officials being visited by clergy from to time. 

Senator Barbara Mikulski helped to make sure that we could get there and be comfortable while there.  We met with her, Congressman Elijah Cummings, Senator Ben Cardin, and Congressman John Sarbanes.  IMA set the agenda for the meeting and in our 90 minutes or so we discussed the war in Iraq, universal healthcare, genocide in Darfur, and youth development support among other issues.

It is always a privilege for me to be able to spend time with elders in the ministry who are actively involved in the brand of ministry that I feel I’ve been called to.  The IMA has been a valuable resource for me and is even preparing me to receive the baton and continue the legacy of pastors like Marion Bascom, Vernon Dobson, and other members of Baltimore’s “Goon Squad” which aggresively advocated for the least among us. 

The IMA has shown that it is one of the few largely African American clergy federations in Baltimore that is serious about intergenerational partnership.  My elders who are in the Fall or Winter of their season recognize the wisdom of partnering with those younger ones coming behind who have demonstrated a commitment to the work of ministry and currently enjoy the boundless energy that is characteristic of those in the Spring or Summer season.  The elders provide the wisdom of experience and the youth provide innovative ideas about how to carry the message forward.  These types of intergenerational partnerships don’t come without some tension, but if all involved remain committed, the result will be a self-propelling succession plan.  One of the most exciting intergenerational leadership models that I’ve come across recently involves Senior Pastor Jeremiah Wright and Pastor Otis Moss of the Trinity United Church of Christ.  Dr. Wright is one of the most revered clergymen in the world and Rev. Otis Moss, III is one of the most promising young ministers in the African American church.  Trinity United has symbolically secured “life insurance” in a sense.  There will be little administrative pause when Dr. Wright retires or transitions.  I’ve seen some other churches who don’t have “life insurance” really struggle during the interim season while trying to locate a suitable minister to serve as pastor.  As far as America’s larger Black Churches go; I believe that succession planning is all the more important.

As you can see in the picture at the top of this post, there are only a few youthful faces in the lineup – mine being one of them.  My goal is to continue to invite younger members of the clergy to be a part of this and other clergy groups like BUILD who speak to the issues impacting the marginalized.  Young preachers need to be sensitized to the plight of the poor.  When visiting with civil rights era activist, Dr. Wyatt Tee Walker in August 2005; I asked his guidance concerning what ministry should look like for my generation.  He said very simply, “Heber, just remember Luke 4:18” – the passage where Jesus reads in the Temple from Isaiah’s scroll.  As Dr. Freddie Haynes, Pastor of the Friendship West Baptist Church in Dallas puts it; Jesus makes it clear that the anointing of God is for social impact.  The poor, prisoners, blind, and oppressed were on Jesus’ mind and central to his ministry.

My prayer is that my generation of preachers will strive to the utmost to be like Jesus and in fact perform greater acts of service and sacrifice.  If we are faithful in this regard, not only will we honor God, but we’ll also honor our ancestors who lived, sacrificed, and died so that we might have an example of how to nobly carry our cross.