“The big deal is we think the power is in us individually…the power is in us collectively. It is in the church.”-John M. Perkins
Enthusiastic about being in the room with many powerful men and women pastors and leaders, I eagerly attended the Black Church Matters Summit. February 29 and March 1, 2016 in Washington, D.C. 300 Pastors from across these United States joined Pastor Jamal Harrison Bryant Pastor of Empowerment Temple AME Church for this dynamic gathering.Over the past several years, two big questions have been posed about the black church: Is the Black Church Dead? And Is the Black Church still Relevant? The convening in D.C. helped to affirm and confirm, what I always felt in my soul... an unequivocal YES!
Pastor Jamal, and his team outlined a clear objective. Pastor Jamal proclaimed "we are not here for a preaching bowl", but we were there to listen, learn and leave with strategies to build the communities where we worship, work, live and lead as Pastors.
To be sure, the #BlackLivesMatter movement was key to this convening. The movement is a Black Church matter and we were there to get clear focus and direction on how to fulfill our apostolic and prophetic role as leaders of the church and in the community.
Over the two days, the four matters discussed in length were: #BlackLivesMatter, #BlackDollarsMatter, #BlackMindsMatter, #BlackVoteMatter. I was honored to moderate the Black Minds Matter panel and discussion. At the conclusion of the matter (pun intended), we listed three strategies from each discussion that we would collectively begin to implement and/or support, depending on our respective church's structure. For future meetings, we are expected to offer a report on what we accomplished and the impact of the strategy on our community. A few of those strategies included:
- Establishing Social Justice Ministries within the local church
- Activating our Youth Departments to be conduits of Activism
- Local school advocacy
- Sharing the new narrative about Historically Black Colleges
- Engage collective banking and bargaining
- and of course revise Voter Registration!!
We closed the summit on that #SuperTuesday with an expectation of the super-natual. At the steps of the Superior Court of The Unites States, where we lifted up signs hand-made by children who desire to see justice in the land. Some lifted their hand, while those of us who are Pastors laid prostrate; and in collective we cried out to God on behalf of the nation.Our prayer was simple: Lord let your will be done. Nothing More. Nothing Less. Nothing Else.
D. Najuma Smith-Pollard
