Faith in Action

Hat Tip: God’s Politics

The media frenzy over the remarks of Barack Obama’s former pastor, Rev. Jeremiah Wright, raise critical challenge to the prophetic role and voice of the black church. These “incendiary” remarks have set off a firestorm in the media, exposing the deep divide that exists on Sundays - America’s most segregated hour of the week. This controversy serves as a stark reminder that the problem of the color line that still divides the U.S. and its churches. This often misguided debate obscures the rich and necessary prophetic role of the black church. Most coverage fails to capture the competing narratives and self-definitions of the U.S. that coexist depending on one’s race and social location. While I’m uncomfortable with some of Dr. Wright’s overly provocative rhetoric, and disagree with some of his claims (like his suggestion that AIDS was a creation of the U.S. government), I still vehemently defend the prophetic tradition that Rev. Wright has advanced over the course of 36 years of ministry. I agree with the Rev. Otis Moss III, the new Pastor of Trinity United Church of Christ in Chicago, that we do a grave disservice by boiling down over 207,000 minutes of Dr. Wright’s preaching into a handful of 30-second sound bites, most taken out of context.

Read More

A “hustler for justice” - that’s what a good sister-friend of mine called me not too long ago. And if that is the case then today I got my hustle on big time.

Faith in Action the radio program aired on Spirit 1400AM at 1PM and we talked about whether Faith or Race should hold ultimate authority as Believers engage matters of politics, public policy, etc. Pamela Wilson, author of Finding Soul Brothers: Dismantling Black Christian Racialism and Dr. Jonathan Walton, Assistant Professor of Religious Studies at the University of California, Riverside were our guests. The conversation was pretty interesting. Wilson contends that our cultural identification should be minimized when we “come to Christ” while Walton took the position that we shouldn’t allow ourselves to be narrowly defined by the “either-or” lenses of Faith or Race. You know where I stood with my Red, Black, and Green, Pan-Afrikanist, Daishiki-wearing, Revolution starting, White Power Structure critiquing self. (Have you donated to the Faith in Action show yet? If not, why not? I haven’t proved myself yet?)

We were joined in the conversation by Tracy Ward, reporter and writer with The Baltimore Afro American Newspaper. Sis. Ward is a powerful orator, poet, community activist, etc. who has given new life to the Faith in Action page of The Afro. That page has been a place where one could read about everything BUT people of Faith putting into practice what they believe. Ward’s writing is a breath of fresh air as she is on the grind telling the stories of Believers who are in the trenches living out Luke 4:18,19. Sis. Tracy was in the studio today working on a piece about me and the work that I’m doing in the Baltimore Metro area. The piece may be out this Friday, March 21, 2008 - “Good Friday.” I pray that the piece encourages those who are out there “hustling for justice” and that it convicts those who choose to neglect their duty as laborers in the vineyard. (I believe that at this stage if you’re a preacher and you’re not active in some substantive way in the community then it’s because you don’t want to be. Ignorance is not an excuse.)

Read More

Hat Tip: UCC News

By J. Bennett Guess
2/26/2008

The Internal Revenue Service has notified the United Church of Christ’s national offices in Cleveland, Ohio, that the IRS has opened an investigation into U.S. Sen. Barack Obama’s address at the UCC’s 2007 General Synod as the church engaging in “political activities.”

In the IRS letter dated Feb. 20, the IRS said it was initiating a church tax inquiry “because reasonable belief exists that the United Church of Christ has engaged in political activities that could jeopardize its tax-exempt status.”

The Rev. John H. Thomas, the UCC’s general minister and president, called the investigation “disturbing” but said the investigation would reveal that the church did nothing improper or illegal.

Obama, an active member of the United Church of Christ for more than 20 years, addressed the UCC’s 50th anniversary General Synod in Hartford, Conn., on June 23, 2007, as one of 60 diverse speakers representing the arts, media, academia, science, technology, business and government. Each was asked to reflect on the intersection of their faith and their respective vocations or fields of expertise. The invitation to Obama was extended a year before he became a Democratic presidential candidate.

“The United Church of Christ took great care to ensure that Senator Obama’s appearance before the 50th anniversary General Synod met appropriate legal and moral standards,” Thomas told United Church News. “We are confident that the IRS investigation will confirm that no laws were violated.”

[READ ON TO SEE IRS LETTER & "THE OBAMA SPEECH" THAT PROMPTED THE INVESTIGAGION]

Read More

Today, Rev. Scott Adams and Pastor Reginald Thomas (Greater Gethsemane Church) will be holding it down in my absence on Faith in Action. I have some business to take care of today, but the show will be left in very capable hands.

They’ll be talking about Gay Marriage in Maryland. This has been a perennial issue in Maryland for the past few year’s in our state’s General Assembly and some say that the “pro-gay marriage” activists have built the necessary support needed to push this over the top.

There are a plethora of bills that the Legislature is considering. The State Senate had its first round of hearings on these bills on Feb. 14th. The House will be hearing its bills in committee this Thursday, February 28, 2008. (Click here to see the full rundown of bills being considered.) Some say the issue is whether or not same-sex partners should be afforded the same rights that heterosexual partners are afforded under the law. Others say the issue is the normalizing and legislating of deviant behavior that goes against natural order and God’s design.

How should the state of Maryland come down on this issue?

That’s the question we’ll be asking Sen. C. Anthony Muse who is a member of one of the committees considering this issue and Chair of the Prince George’s County Legislative Delegation. Muse is also the pastor of The Ark of Safety Christian Church in Upper Marlboro, Maryland. He is the lone democrat who has joined five republican senators in pushing legislation that would authorize a man and woman to enter into a “covenant marriage” - a move intended to strengthen heterosexual marriages, but does not address same-sex marriages.

Find out what he, Pastor Reggie Thomas, and our spirited callers have to say about this issue today at 1PM on Faith in Action on Spirit 1400AM (Baltimore). For those outside of the Baltimore area, the audio will be posted to the blog later this week, but in the meantime feel free to post your comments/questions here and we’ll possibly address them on air.

SDPC Integrity Not For Sale!

January 29, 2008

The Samuel DeWitt Proctor Conference, Inc. is committed to strengthening the internal capacity of African American congregations to enable them to engage in fruitful and strategic social justice ministries. The SDPC’s mission is to bring about effective and long-term change through education, advocacy and direct action. We have forthrightly addressed a number of issues including, Katrina, HIV/AIDS, healthcare access, end of life care, voter protection education, children’s rights, the prison industrial complex, media concerns and matters of faith.

It is unfortunate that both a misrepresentation of the facts and a zealous rush to judgment without benefit of any dialogue or informed research has resulted in a potential “divide and conquer” situation. Yes, we share the concerns about misogyny and the degrading and disempowering media images and messaging—both blatant and subtle—not just by BET, but in all American media. So yes, I signed the letter and I was not at all deceived.

Read More

Ok - so things have gone completely haywire with this supposed “Pro-BET” clergy letter.

While there’s still some confusion in the air, here is what I know so far:

First, BET is one of the sponsors of the Samuel DeWitt Proctor Pastor’s Conference this year. (February 2008)

Second, There was some kind of letter about BET that was signed by a group of clergy. Now - I’m not sure what that letter said and I’m not even sure if the letter that was posted on this site in a previous post was the actual letter. (I did copy/paste that letter, however, from the Clergy Strategic Alliances website. Perhaps that was an earlier draft.)

Third, while other websites sent Romal Tune (CEO of Clergy Strategic Alliances) to hell; I warned people on that site and on this one from rushing to judgement on Tune. I even said here that we had served together in a previous initiative and that I had always known him to be a stand up guy. In addition, Tune was instrumental in helping Young Clergy for Social Change meet Dr. Freddy Haynes, III - a gesture for which I am still extremely appreciative.

Let me take a moment to remind everyone about what I’ve said in relation to this - particularly in the area of cautioning revved up bloggers from castigating those involved.

Here’s what I said on an earlier post:

“Most notably, the What About Our Daughters blog has published an expose’ tying Rev. Romal Tune - CEO of Clergy Strategic Alliances, LLC - to the creation of the letter based on his supposed relationship with a PR firm doing business with BET. I can’t independently validate this information, but I certainly pray that this is not the case.

I know Rev. Tune and have served with him. In my personal dealings with him - Tune was a stand up guy with a heart for positive social change.

Rev. - you are more than welcome to utilize this space to refute this accusation. You have my numbers.”

My warnings on the What About Our Daughters Blog was well received as well:

“So as Heber said. Let’s not immediately rush to judgement and send the church secretary’s blood pressure up. That conference [SDP Pastor's Conference], however, needs to be called and called often about letting BET change money in the temple.”

Noted theologian, author, and professor, Dr. Renita Weems agreed with my caution:

“I agree with H. Brown that it might be wise to investigate before you incriminate and launch a campaign against these clergy.”

So you do what you wish with the information.

I must admit that it does disturb me that BET is one of the sponsors of the Samuel DeWitt Proctor Pastor’s Conference. This conference has been like a breath of fresh air to me and I believe that its accepting sponsorship dollars from BET at a time when a prominent, reputable clergyman is leading an effort to challenge the images of Black people aired across its station is problematic. It sends the wrong message…a divisive message. (divide and conquer anyone?) I have no problem with BET being invited to the SDP Conference to discuss the issues, but if they’re one of the sponsors of the conference, then naturally you’re not going to get too loud or dig too deep when engaging them.

Now what in the world am I supposed to do with this? I just received a copy of a letter of support for Black Entertainment Television signed by an impressive “who’s who” list of social justice preachers in America. Many of these preachers I have followed from afar and some of them I have sat under or broken bread with! Now…of course, just because I admire the example of ministry that they have set doesn’t mean that we’ll agree on everything, BUT - I thought that many of the preachers named on this list would be in agreement with Pastor Delman Coates and the Enough is Enough campaign - not give a vote of confidence to BET and by default politely voice their displeasure with protesting in front of her home or outside of her network’s award shows.

I thought Sista Debra Lee shot her biggest bullets when she allegedly sent BET undercover operatives to Coates’ church on Sunday morning to intimidate him and when she allegedly posed as a member of his church and crafted a letter of disapproval with him and put it on one of the few places that church folks read - internet message boards (of course hoping it would spread like news of saints in scandal) But ooohhh no. Sista Lee is showing she has some Hilary Clinton tendencies too. She’s pulled out the BIG GUNS by having Coates’ contemporaries and co-laborers sign their John and Jane Hancocks under this BET-generated letter of support. The conventions of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and Rev. Dr. Samuel DeWitt Proctor is represented on this letter! THIS I’ll have to ponder about. What am I to do with this letter and this list?

Read More

Last week on the Larry Young Morning Show, we brought up the topic of a handful of televangelists who have been contacted by Republican Senator, Chuck Grassley(Iowa).  Grassley faxed letters to Randy & Paula White, Benny Hinn, David & Joyce Meyer, Kenneth & Gloria Copeland, Eddie Long, and Creflo Dollar requesting information about salaries, board oversight and perks which appear to include luxury oceanside homes, flights on private jets, and opulent office furniture. 

Some are asking the question is this fair.  I say “yes”.  It is fair to ask these ministries to reveal information pertaining to their finances, but at the same time I think it is really unfortunate that it takes a U.S. Senator to make these ministers come clean on what’s going on.  The church should have a mechanism in place to hold everyone accountable including the pastor and leadership.  I think most church-goers will tell you that these aren’t the only ministries that seem to have adopted American Religiousity complete with gross materialism.  Many national and local ministers seem to traffic in this lifestyle as well - and what’s most disturbing to me is that some younger clergy see these models of ministry and ascribe to them.  What will the next crop of ministers become if they gravitate toward television preacher model of ministry?  That’s a scary thought.

Read More

 

My brother, Dr. Delman Coates from the Mt. Ennon Baptist Church in Clinton, MD, just informed me about the wonderful success that the Enough is Enough Campaign is experiencing already in regard to their efforts to influence what is broadcast on Black Entertainment Television. The demeaning, disrespectful, and derogatory videos are well known. It’s time that African Americans do something substantive to address this issue.

Please visit the website of the Enough is Enough Campaign and consider how you can support their efforts. For those in the PG/DC/Baltimore Metro area, please consider attending the Saturday rallies there OR think about extending the campaign to where you live. We’ve got to put the pressure on multiple places in this pipe if we’re going to bust it up.

On Friday, August 24, 2007, the brothers of BrothaSpeak and members of Young Clergy for Social Change went on location in an East Baltimore community where a firebomb attack occurred just days before. We went to the scene late in the evening (10PM - 12:30AM) to see for ourselves what was going on there and to establish relationships with the people that live there. Much to our surprise, a group of about 60 youth crowded the block and surrounded a group of young men who were preparing to fight. We converged on the scene along with police officers who were noticeably perturbed by our presence and filming of the situation.

(Eventually, the officer came over and asked us to turn off our cameras because it was illegal to film them in the midst of an investigation.  We suspect that he made this “law” up, but we didn’t have the facts at the time.  Next time, we will have our rebuttal ready.  Does anybody have info on whether or not this is truly illegal?)

We will be going back to continue establishing relationships with members of that and other communities.

Enjoy this special edition of BrothaSpeak!