Category Archives: Barack Obama

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Why Black Pastors Cozying Up to the Donald (Trump) Is the Wrong Thing for the Black Church…

rsz_donald_trump

Hello World,

The honest truth is that I’m in political mourning right now as in just over a year our nation’s first black president will have to pass the mantle to another president. That being said, I haven’t really been paying attention to the wooing efforts of Hilary Clinton, Bernie Sanders, Donald Trump, Ben Carson, etc. I know who they are, and I’ve seen some of the headlines, but I’ve been too busy holding political shiva, if you will, to care…

But when I heard last week that the Donald had secured the endorsement of 100 black pastors and that they were going to meet at the Trump Tower for a telecast press conference on Monday, I realized attention must be paid…Thankfully, “more than 100 black religious leaders and scholars” trumped Trump and disseminated an open letter via one of the nation’s oldest black magazines, EBONY magazine, criticizing this purported unholy alliance…Below are last two paragraphs of the letter, which was signed “for the cause of justice.”

By siding with a presidential candidate whose rhetoric pathologizes Black people, what message are you sending to the world about the Black lives in and outside of your congregations?  Which Black lives do you claim to be liberating?

To stand with Jesus is to have great skepticism about systems of power and a willingness to question the motives of the powerful. Or, as James Baldwin once penned to Angela Davis: “If we know, and do nothing, we are worse than the murderers hired in our name. If we know, then we must fight for your life as though it were our own—which it is—and render impassable with our bodies the corridor to the gas chamber. For, if they take you in the morning, they will be coming for us that night. Therefore: peace.”’

Once the seemingly political Goliath started to be hit by a few of the Black Church’s stones including many pastors who said taking a meeting with the Donald was not synonymous with an endorsement, Trump backed up and said rather than his scheduled political preening to show off his breaking bread with black pastors, he would instead have “an informational meet and greet with many members of the Coalition of African American Ministers,” that it would not be “a press event, but a private meeting, after which, a number of attendees are expected to endorse Mr. Trump’s campaign for President,” according to rawstory.com.

So on Monday in the Promised Land (let some black pastors tell it) of the Trump Tower, more than 100 met with the Donald and afterward, he reported that he “saw love in that room” and that he anticipated “many, many endorsements” to be secured. One pastor who was there already voiced his endorsement, according to CNN.

“You want stories, you want controversy. Anybody who knows Donald Trump personally knows that he’s not a racist,” said Steve Parson, a black pastor from Richmond, Virginia. Parson said he was in “total support” of Trump.

But Pastor Jamal Bryant, who got criticized for saying “these h*** ain’t loyal” in one of his sermons, rightly divided the word when he said those who met with the Donald are “prostitutes” simply seeking “their 15 minutes of fame” according to the New York Daily News.

One only has to look at this photo below to see this meeting was more about bragging rights than building bridges…

meeting

My mom has always told me that “birds of a feather flock together.” Take a look at the flock around Trump…To his left is Rev. Omarosa Manigault-Stallworth…I remember when she became a reverend as a I wrote a post about it “Bad Girl Gone Good: Omarosa Manigault-Stallworth.” At the time when I wrote the post, she had “two categories on her Web site: naughty and nice. On the nice page, she [was] dressed in a white flowing gown with her hands outstretched presumably pointed to heaven. I guess she [was] dressed as an angel. Well, on the naughty page, she [was] undoubtedly dressed as a devil. She [had] horns on her head and is in some red pleather get-up with her stomach showing.”  According to her current website, she is an assistant pastor of Weller Street Missionary Baptist Church on Skid Row in Los Angeles” and that, ironically, she preached her first sermon at Pastor Jamal Bryant’s Empowerment Temple in Baltimore, Maryland. But most of us know her as that crazy chick from Donald Trump’s reality show “The Apprentice.”

To the Donald’s right is Dr. Darrell Scott. Scott is married to Prophetess Dr. Belinda Scott, who was featured on the canceled show “Preach,” which was billed as a docuseries on Lifetime. Presumably, it was cancelled due to ratings, but some think the show may have been canceled after 15,000 people signed a change.org petition calling for the show to be yanked off the air…Tachina Carter, who started the petition, said “Preach” was “TRAVESTY to the Christian Community.” She went on further to say:

The women aka Prophetesses are making a MOCKERY of the church and promoting foolish behavior that is not necessarily a true representation of the REAL power of God. Cameras do NOT belong in the church filming the “spiritual” things that society as a whole does not understand. By airing this show it will cause more harm than good to the Christian community who already has a difficult time in sharing “The Good News” of Jesus Christ to the masses.

preach

Well, honey, Prophetess Belinda Scott went off on her Facebook page according to an article from The Christian Post.

We now live in a world were every word about anyone, whether it’s your personal opinion or not; if it’s NEGATIVE or HATEFUL and DEGRADING in anyway against RACE, SEXUALITY or LIFESTYLE or LEARNING and BEHAVIOR disorders…you can’t say that…but, I watch hatful people who say they love the Lord, type like that FROG typing at that machine …TURN UP ON ‪#‎PREACHTV‬! A show that is not mocking the church, but exploring the lives of believers in the Church and hear me out first. The word reality is this …the state of being real, a real event or state of affairs, One, such as a person, an entity, or an event, that is actual. Now, do I hear from God…YES, did He call me to be a PROPHETESS, YES, Have I and Do I hear God’s voice concerning events, people and issues…YES! Did I see these attacks against us coming….YES! Is there a harvest on the way….YES!!!

I wrote some recaps about the show, one, “Have You Heard of Prophetic Dancing?! ‘Preach’ Episode 2 Recap…” of which features a view into the relationship of Dr. Darrell Scott and his wife Prophetess Dr. Belinda Scott.

I’m not saying that if you appeared on a reality show (Hello Donald Trump), everything you do from that point on is a ploy for publicity, but this picture is not a good look…

The Black Church in America is our greatest heritage and our greatest legacy. To demean it by cozying up to a man who does not seem to care about the souls of black folk is akin to selling our souls for a mess of pottage. We cannot sell our birthright under the guise of building bridges when the architect of the bridge is building a bridge to nowhere.

I’m not saying that meeting with an adverse political candidate is wrong in and of itself, but that meeting has to be couched in sincere conciliation. The Donald proved that his motives were less than savory when he said a meeting was on par with a political endorsement…

All that to say, God will not bless a mess…

Any thoughts?

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White House Honors Civil Rights Leader Rev. Dr. Gerald Durley & Other Faith Leaders for Climate ‘Champions of Change’ Tomorrow!

Hello World, durley

On Monday, July 20, the White House will recognize twelve people of faith as “Champions of Change” for their efforts in protecting our environment and communities from the effects of climate change. These Champions have demonstrated clear leadership across the United States and around the world through their grassroots efforts to green their communities and educate others on the moral and social justice implications of climate change. The program will feature remarks by Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Gina McCarthy and Senior Advisor to the President Brian Deese.

The Champions of Change program was created as an opportunity for the White House to feature individuals doing extraordinary things to empower and inspire members of their communities. The event will be live streamed on the White House website. To watch this event live, visit www.whitehouse.gov/live  on Monday, July 20th at 2:00 PM ET.  To learn more about the White House Champions of Change program, visit www.whitehouse.gov/champions. Follow the conversation at #WHChamps.

Reverend Gerald Durley, Atlanta, Georgia

As the former dean of Clark Atlanta University and the former director of the Health Promotion Resource Center of the Morehouse School of Medicine, Reverend Gerald Durley seeks to combine the disciplines of faith and science with the lessons learned as a civil rights advocate of the 1960’s. He believes that climate change, global warming, and environmental justice are moral imperatives and civil rights issues. He has worked with Interfaith Power and Light, the Sierra Club, Eco-America, U.S. Climate Action Network, the Environmental Working Group, Green Law, Ambassadors for Clean Air, Moms Clean Air Force, and Water Keeper Inc. Currently he is working to eradicate fluoride from toothpaste and drinking water and testifying before EPA on the clean power plan.

Huda Alkaff, West Bend, Wisconsin

Huda Alkaff is the Founder and Director of the Islamic Environmental Group of Wisconsin (Wisconsin Green Muslims), formed in 2005. She is an environmentalist with higher education degrees in conservation ecology, sustainable development, and environmental education from the University of Georgia, and has experience teaching environmental studies courses at the University of Wisconsin. Huda is a founding member and leader of the Interfaith Earth Network and Wisconsin Interfaith Power and Light. Huda also serves on the national Interfaith Power and Light Campaigns Committee, the national Greening Ramadan Task Force, and the Milwaukee Environmental Consortium Board of Directors.

Steven Beumer, Maitland, Florida

Steven Beumer is an active member of St. John Evangelical Lutheran Church in Winter Park, Florida.  He has led St. John to make changes through new energy efficient roofing and LED lighting. He also organized a regular worship service in April dedicated to Earth Day.  Additionally, Beumer organized hands-on environmental projects such as labeling storm drains in the neighborhood to prevent trash from going into the lakes, and litter clean up on public streets near the church. Further, Beumer has worked with other faith communities to find their environmental footing within their own faith context.

Sister Joan Brown, Albuquerque, New Mexico

Sister Joan Brown is a Franciscan Sister from the Rochester, Minnesota Franciscan Community and is the Executive Director of New Mexico Interfaith Power and Light (NMIPL). NMIPL works to educate and inspire faith communities and individuals; engage them in energy efficiency, renewable energy and local food; and works with people of faith to emphasize the moral implications of various public policy concerns at the local, state, and federal levels. Sister Joan has worked for decades in the areas of justice, peace, and integrity of creation in the southwest. She also works with the Partnership for Earth Spirituality, is an OXFAM Sister Ambassador on the Planet, serves on the national IPL board, and writes for various publications including as a monthly contributor to National Catholic Reporter’s Global Sister’s report.

Cassandra Carmichael, Annapolis, Maryland

Cassandra Carmichael is the Executive Director for the National Religious Partnership for the Environment, which is an alliance of four major faith groups: Jewish, Catholic, Evangelical and Protestant. Previously, she was the Washington office and eco-justice program director for the National Council of Churches where she implemented the environmental and justice ministries of NCC’s 37 member denominations, which represent 100,000 churches nationwide. Cassandra is a senior fellow in the Environmental Leadership Program, and a previous board member on the Chesapeake Bay Alliance.

Patrick Carolan, Stratford, Connecticut

Patrick Carolan has been the Executive Director of the Franciscan Action Network (FAN) for five years. He has made climate change a core issue at FAN, and has built relationships with other faith and secular organizations in that role. Patrick co-founded the Global Catholic Climate Movement (GCCM), a coalition of Catholic leaders and organizations from across the globe that have come together to raise awareness about the urgency of climate action in light of Catholic social and environmental teachings. Prior to coming to FAN, Patrick was involved in faith rooted social justice organizing. During the 1980’s and early 1990’s he served as a state employee union official, serving two terms as president. He and his wife Stella have been foster parents and have adopted two children in addition to having two children.

Nana Firman, Riverside, California

Nana Firman has been involved in developing urban community garden in Southern California and encouraging the American Muslim community to practice an eco-lifestyle, which has led her to become a member of the Green Mosque Initiative for Islamic Society of North America. Nana previously worked with the World Wildlife Fund in Indonesia for several years, directing their recovery efforts in the wake of natural disasters, and has also worked with Muslim leaders in Indonesia to create climate resiliency plans. Climate change is not just an environmental problem, but for the people of faith like her, it is also a moral and ethical issue that has already affected many vulnerable communities globally. She is currently coordinating Muslim outreach for OurVoices, a global faith and spiritual climate action network.

Rachel Lamb, Silver Spring, Maryland

Rachel L. Lamb, is Chair of the Steering Committee for Young Evangelicals for Climate Action (Y.E.C.A.), and has served with the organization since its inception. Over the past three years, Y.E.C.A. has grown into an active national organization with members from a diverse array of church denominations. Under Rachel’s leadership, Y.E.C.A. has developed a successful Climate Leadership Fellows program that extends to college campuses throughout the United States and across international borders to the Christian Bilingual University of Congo in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. While studying at Wheaton College (IL), Rachel was the recipient of the EPA’s Greater Research Opportunities (GRO) Fellowship for Undergraduate Environmental Study. Through this Fellowship, Rachel worked with Tribes in Alaska and the Pacific Northwest to produce a collection of best practices for climate change adaptation in the region. In 2015, Rachel received her Master of Public Policy and Master of Science in Sustainable Development and Conservation Biology from the University of Maryland, College Park. Currently, Rachel also serves as an Assistant Professor at the Au Sable Institute of Environmental Studies in Michigan.

Reverend Kim Morrow, Lincoln, Nebraska

Reverend Kim Morrow is a religious environmental leader who is passionate about helping people respond to the environmental urgencies of our time in ways that are community-based, theologically motivated, and hopeful. She serves as Executive Director of Nebraska Interfaith Power & Light, a non-profit whose mission is to facilitate the faith community’s response to climate change. For the last five years, she has also served as Minister of Sustainability at First-Plymouth Church in Lincoln, and now serves as a climate change resource specialist at the School of Natural Resources at the University of Nebraska, Lincoln. Kim presents at churches regularly on the link between faith and climate change, and her work has fostered a host of programs including ecologically-themed worship services, conferences on faith and climate, and church farmer’s markets, She is ordained in the United Church of Christ and lives in Lincoln with her two daughters.

Rabbi Marc Soloway, Boulder, Colorado

Rabbi Marc Soloway serves as the spiritual leader of Congregation Bonai Shalom in Boulder, Colorado and is president of Haver, Boulder’s Rabbinic Fellowship.  He chairs the Rabbinic Advisory Board for Hazon, a leading faith-based environmental organization in the United States and is also on the national board, and has co-chaired two national Jewish food conferences.  Marc also serves on the board of Ramah in the Rockies, a Jewish Outdoor Adventure camp, with a mission of sustainability.  In his Jewish community, Marc has been central to the creation of an interfaith Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) program and the development of community farming.  Marc’s synagogue was the first to be a zero waste facility, supports local food initiative with a mission to produce much of the food served, and powers its ner tamid (eternal light above the ark in the sanctuary) through a solar panel, as a symbol of sustainable spirituality.

Reverend Lennox Yearwood Jr., Hyattsville, Maryland

Reverend Lennox Yearwood Jr., President and CEO of the Hip Hop Caucus, is a Church of God in Christ Elder and community activist. The Hip Hop Caucus is a national non-profit and has been building support for the climate movement among cultural influencers and celebrities. This work led to the launch of People’s Climate Music and the first ever climate album called HOME (Heal Our Mother Earth). After Hurricane Katrina in 2005, Reverend Yearwood established the award winning Gulf Coast Renewal Campaign where he led a coalition of national and grassroots organizations to advocate for the rights of Katrina survivors.  A national leader within the green movement, Lennox has been successfully bridging the gap between communities of color and environmental issue advocacy for the past decade.

Sunita Viswanath, Brooklyn, New York

Sunita Viswanath has worked in women’s and human rights organizations for almost three decades. She is co-founder and active board member of the 14-year-old front-line women’s human rights organization, Women for Afghan Women.  Sunita is also co-founder and board member of Sadhana: Coalition of Progressive Hindus, living and building a Hinduism that prioritizes social justice, and upholding the Hindu principles of ekatva (oneness), ahimsa (non-violence) and sadhana (faith in action). Sunita is being honored for her work with Sadhana to encourage Hindus to live out these principles by taking care of the environment.

Any thoughts?

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Seven Scriptures to Show the Emanuel AME Church Shooting Victims’ Families Were Right to Forgive Murderer Dylan Roof

Hello World,  emanuel 9

Much has been said about the unmerited forgiveness that some of the family members of the victims’ of the Emanuel AME Church shooting offered to Dylan Roof to his face at his first court appearance in South Carolina about a week ago.  Some praised the families’ stance while others have criticized their stance such as Stacey Patton who wrote The Washington Post article “Black America Should Stop Forgiving White Racists.” Most recently, President Obama added his thoughts on their forgiveness, praising the families’ stance in his eulogy of the slain Pastor Clementa Pinckney on Friday…

He didn’t know he was being used by God.  Blinded by hatred, the alleged killer could not see the grace surrounding Reverend Pinckney and that Bible study group — the light of love that shone as they opened the church doors and invited a stranger to join in their prayer circle.  The alleged killer could have never anticipated the way the families of the fallen would respond when they saw him in court — in the midst of unspeakable grief, with words of forgiveness.  He couldn’t imagine that.

The alleged killer could not imagine how the city of Charleston, under the good and wise leadership of Mayor Riley  how the state of South Carolina, how the United States of America would respond — not merely with revulsion at his evil act, but with big-hearted generosity and, more importantly, with a thoughtful introspection and self-examination that we so rarely see in public life.

I agree with President Obama. Forgiveness is a powerful stance, and below are seven Scriptures that back up what I believe…

1. First of all, forgiveness, when graciously extended to the offender, is healing to the person who offers it…I’ve heard that resentment is like drinking poison expecting the other person to die…The same is true of unforgiveness…To not forgive is setting yourself to be forever tied to poisonous negativity…Forgiveness is the beginning of healing as is said in James 5:16 “Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.”

2. Also, when you choose to forgive, you are opening yourself up to God’s blessings. But when you choose to not forgive, you are blocking your blessings…Read Mark 11: 24-25 “For this reason I am telling you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe (trust and be confident) that it is granted to you, and you will [get it]. And whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him and let it drop (leave it, let it go), in order that your Father Who is in heaven may also forgive you your [own] failings and shortcomings and let them drop.”

3. In her article, Patton said, “Historically, black churches have nurtured the politics of forgiveness so that black people can anticipate divine justice and liberation in the next life. This sentiment shaped non-violent protest during the civil rights movement. A belief that displays of morality rooted in forgiveness would force white America to leave behind its racist assumptions. But Christian or non-Christian, black people are not allowed to express unbridled grief or rage, even under the most horrific circumstances.” I get where she is coming from, but I disagree. Choosing to forgive is not repressing grief nor rage. As we all know, emotions change from day to day. But when we make the choice to forgive even if our emotions contradict that decision from time to time, God rather than the evil one will see us through through emotions as is noted in 2 Corinthians 2: 10-11. “If you forgive anyone anything, I too forgive that one; and what I have forgiven, if I have forgiven anything, has been for your sakes in the presence [and with the approval] of Christ (the Messiah). To keep Satan from getting the advantage over us; for we are not ignorant of his wiles and intentions.”

4. Patton mentioned non-violence and how it shaped the Civil Rights Movement…I believe that without the tool of non-violence, the world over would haven’t been drawn to support Dr. King and others who, in the face of unspeakable violence, chose to not respond in kind…The same is true of forgiveness…As President Obama noted in his eulogy of Pastor Pinckney, the families’ forgiveness has forced America to take a fresh look at racism and all of the symbols that support it….This is the sentiment of Romans 12: 17. “Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all.”

5. Also, choosing to forgive someone does not mean the person will not get what is coming to the person…But it is not our responsibility to get revenge…He or she will get what is coming to him or her…God will see to it as is noted in Romans 12:19 “Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: ‘It is mine to avenge; I will repay,’ says the Lord.“

6. And please know that forgiveness does not mean that we don’t seek justice. Read Isaiah 1:17 “Learn to do good; seek justice, correct oppression; bring justice to the fatherless, plead the widow’s cause. “

7. And lastly, forgiveness does not give white racists a pass…The Confederate flag is a symbol of hatred not heritage…As President Obama said in his eulogy, “Removing the flag from this state’s capitol would not be an act of political correctness; it would not be an insult to the valor of Confederate soldiers.  It would simply be an acknowledgment that the cause for which they fought — the cause of slavery — was wrong  — the imposition of Jim Crow after the Civil War, the resistance to civil rights for all people was wrong.  It would be one step in an honest accounting of America’s history; a modest but meaningful balm for so many unhealed wounds.  It would be an expression of the amazing changes that have transformed this state and this country for the better, because of the work of so many people of goodwill, people of all races striving to form a more perfect union.” Shout out to Bree Newsome!  As is stated in the Bible in Romans 10:12 “For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, bestowing his riches on all who call on Him. “

In response to the Emanuel AME Church shooting, The Balm In Gilead has added Church Emergency Preparedness to its roster of plenaries and workshops for faith leaders, health directors, doctors, nurses and all those involved in congregational-based Health Ministries at Healthy Churches 2020 Conference, (www.healthychurhces2020.org) November 4-6, 2015 located at the Hilton Charlotte University Place in Charlotte, NC.  

Any thoughts?