(UNDERGROUNDSITE) Different perspectives of faith in black churches, as highlighted by Christian religious leaders in an ongoing television series, reveal the widespread influence of Christianity on the personal and communal lives of African Americans.
CNN, through their series “The Black Pulpit,” featured five distinguished church leaders who said that Christianity is a large part of African-American tradition, by citing the role it played in the areas of courage, fortitude, education, finances and freedom.
Courage, fortitude despite odds
Dr. C. Vanessa White, a Catholic lay leader, heads a program that grooms African-American Catholics for lay church ministry. According to White, the church is a source of courage amid great odds, CNN said.
White said, “What has helped black Catholics survive in the midst of almost insurmountable odds is a spirituality that bridges both our African-American experience and our Catholic faith,” according to CNN.
Another CNN documentary, “Almighty Debt,” featured Rev. DeForest “Buster” Soaries Jr., senior pastor of First Baptist Church of Lincoln Gardens in New Jersey, who said faith has given African-Americans the fortitude to succeed.
Soaries told CNN, “What is irrefutable is that without a deep and authentic faith and a passion for the institutional development of that faith, African-Americans could have never sustained the fortitude necessary to survive and succeed in the American experience.”
The CNN documentary noted that beyond slavery, African Americans have been through history denied loans, prevented from purchasing real estate in some locations and undergone other forms of discrimination, according to the Daily News.
CNN’s Soledad O’Brien said, “The black church is different. It’s always offered something different to its churchgoers. It’s always offered leadership, it’s offered jobs, food and clothing. I think people go to church expecting a message that looks toward – not just spiritually – bettering themselves,” the Daily News reported.
Benefits all, regardless of race
The church also played a leading role in furthering the education of African Americans, with ripple effects that benefited all Americans regardless of race, Michael Lomax, CEO of the United Negro College Fund told CNN.
CNN quoted Lomax saying, “I vividly remember being introduced to the historic role churches played in black education. … The churches’ investment in black education paid dividends, not only to the students, but also for America.”
Bishop T.D. Jakes of The Potter’s House in Dallas said one should be both spiritual and practical. A bestselling author, entrepreneur, philanthropist and senior pastor of the 30,000-member church, Jakes said, “I’ve always had one foot in both the practical and the spiritual worlds. Prayer is good, but you also have to be able to manage your checkbook.”
Rev. Jesse Jackson noted the church’s leadership role in issues of rights and freedom among the African-American community, telling CNN, “My faith tradition has always been inextricably bound with the tradition of the civil rights movement. The blood, sweat and tears of ‘the movement’ have run through my life; they touched and entangled me with an indelible spirit of never giving up, always trying to serve.”
