Last week this video started to spread through social media like a wildfire as many praised its leading man–Ryan Leak–for surprising his girlfriend Amanda Roman with a proposal and wedding that happened on the same day. How did he do this? First he overheard her telling some friends that it would be cool to get engaged and married on the same day and then, when he knew it was time, he accessed her Pinterest account and planned her dream wedding. Major news outlets and everyday people declared it a sweet feat because of the recon that Leak did via Roman’s Pinterest account. But it turns out that Leak’s use of Pinterest was the least interesting thing about the proposal and wedding. The most interesting and inspiring thing about the lead up to Leak and Roman’s big day was their love of and trust in God.
Throughout the video, viewers get small hints that Leak and Roman are people of faith who were brought together by God. Leak sought Roman after his brother, a worship pastor in Atlanta, saw her walking into the church toward a discipleship class. “I found your wife,” his brother said, and with that Ryan Leak started his journey toward Amanda Roman. Their journey/relationship was five years before they reached the big day that would touch hearts around the world. Five years during which Leak didn’t tell Roman he loved her because, he says, “I didn’t want to use that phrase until I could back it up with every fiber of my being.” I imagine this is five years in which Roman trusted God and the security of her relationship with Leak without hearing the three words upon which most people require for relationship security. It is a great responsibility to utter those three words and back them up with every fiber of your being and a great risk to go forward without ever hearing those words but trusting in God that they are operative in your relationship. That is faith. Though I don’t know what their relationship looked like throughout those five years, I think they have communicated an important message to those who are single, in a relationship, or married and that message is that the act of love is just as significant as the word of love. That too is evidence of God’s work and mirrors the way in which God’s word was made flesh to humanity in Jesus who showed love not just spoke of love.
Indeed Leak’s use of Roman’s Pinterest was resourceful in creating a dream day for his bride, but it was hardly as significant as what both of them showed us about love and God. It appears that their lives were so tied up in seeking, waiting, and trusting in God that they were able to find one another. For Leak it was in allowing his life plan and even his proposal and wedding plans to be interrupted for a bigger, better plan. For Roman it was in trusting in the love that she could discern from Leak and in ultimately trusting God. Long story short, I believe they showed us something special, more special than one man’s ingenuity and one woman’s interest in pinning her wedding dreams. What they showed us is summed up in this quote, one of the concluding quotes from the video,
“We know why we work, and it’s not because we share the same moral values, and it’s not because we’re just attracted to each other, and we have fun on dates and we enjoy each other’s company. What’s makes us tick, what makes us go, is Jesus Christ, there’s no doubt about it. And so, whenever we thought about our day, whenever we thought about a wedding, the thing that was most important to us is that whoever was doing our wedding, whoever was at our wedding, they would just sense something special and that something special would be the presence of God.”
The pulpit. A sacred space. The preacher’s domain.
I am a young, Black, Christian male seminary graduate—a dangerous thing to say these days. The evolution of the African American pastor has caused many black churches sit in two different camps—prosperity or social justice. There’s no in-between. The comments I get from others about my seminary education help buttress the point. So, when are you going to start your church or become a megachurch pastor? What do you think about rising unemployment rates or our education system? Two camps. Same ethnicity. Both pointing the fingers. The prosperity camp criticizing social justice adherents for being stuck in the past. The social justice camp denouncing the prosperity camp, making claims they are preaching “another gospel.” And here I am. Stuck in the middle. Between pulpits, pimps, and progress.
Sacred Space
The pulpit has always been sacred space for the African American community. I recount days as a young boy being admonished for using the pulpit as a shortcut were I running late for my Sunday School class. Son, don’t ever do that again. Walk around. That’s holy ground. The pulpit was reserved for the pastor. A sacred space for someone who recognized the sacred duty. Like Moses’ encounter at the burning bush, a preacher was to recognize they were standing on holy ground. As God’s mouthpiece, the preacher would deliver a message that was to deliver the people of God from bondage and sin. Recognizing this, the preacher’s accompanying humility-laden approach to sermonizing would cause others to grow deeper in their faith. As John Wesley puts it, the preacher’s duty was to “catch on fire” so “others will love to come and watch you burn.” Have we doused the fire in the Black church? Have we grabbed our extinguishers labeled “prosperity,” “tradition,” and “justice,” and forgotten about the Gospel? Do we just run across the pulpit as a shortcut to our next destination? Have preachers forgotten about that sacred space? I don’t believe we have. If we know anything about fires, it’s that they can start back up again, even if they appear to be out. It only takes a spark. There are so many faithful men and women of God today who are faithful to this sacred space and duty. I am confident that God continues to preserve a remnant who somberly and reverently approach the task. But culture doesn’t see or recognize that remnant. Instead, we’re constantly inundated with a few different caricatures of ministry in the Black church.
Mink Coats and Cadillacs
By now, we’ve all seen the promo videos (and, for some, at least the first episode). We’ve covered it here on Urban Faith. Preachers of L.A., Oxygen’s new reality show, has been a hot topic over the past several weeks. And rightfully so. Rarely does the general public get a glimpse into the everyday life of preachers. So producers for the show decided to gather a group of the most prominent preachers in Southern California and film their lives. All the branding and marketing surrounding the project make a point to detail their lavish lifestyles. The pastors involved have it all—cars, entourages, and homes that rival celebrity dwellings—which has led many Christians to have a candid discussion of the prosperity gospel. I ran across a website years ago that put a lot of time and effort into “outing” pastors who proclaimed the prosperity gospel. The site was exasperatingly set on making sure people knew the prosperity gospel wasn’t the Gospel. The author went as far as calling the pastors “Pulpit Pimps,” including photoshopped images of pastors in mink coats and riding in Cadillacs. I hear it all the time, too. That’s why I don’t go to church. Too many preachers are corrupt. But then I turn around and others are measuring my success in ministry by whether or not I aspire to pastor a megachurch. I’ve been getting Duboisian double consciousness from some in the Black community when it comes to prosperity and the Gospel. Here’s the reality. About 90% of churches today have 200 or fewer members. Of the top ten megachurch pastors in the United States—as far as attendance goes—only one of them is African American. Since large church pastors are on television and prominently featured in media, many think that’s what the church experience should reflect. In their eyes, Jesus would have failed miserably as a pastor (He had only 12—or 11 if you exclude Judas—faithful “members” of His ragtag band). People, I beg you, please stop creating boxes for leaders to fit nicely into. Notwithstanding the fact that it’s unbiblical, there’s no reason a small church pastor in a small town should emulate the lavish lifestyle of a larger church pastor. It’s an affront to the very Gospel we proclaim. There’s only one model for ministry we should imitate. And for Jesus, smaller was better.
We Shall Did Overcome
I love the African American community. There’s so much diversity present, even in our own culture. Baby Boomers are trying to get Generation Y’ers and Millennials to understand the struggle. Generation Y’ers and Millennials are trying to get Baby Boomers to understand that the struggle has morphed. And it plays out on Sunday mornings every week in many congregations. Some congregations are “yet holding on” to how things have been done. Trying to engage a younger generation with the same methods. Or even worse, using old methods on newer platforms. Just because a church has a Facebook page doesn’t mean they are appropriately engaging a younger demographic. How can these churches properly do so? Repent. Recognize. Reflect. Repent of condescending and supercilious behavior. This applies to both the older and younger generations. Recognize the struggle has morphed. If older saints continue to couch the struggle in terms of water fountains and sit-ins, they may just lose the younger generation. Because most younger people are tired of singing “We Shall Overcome” because they feel like “We Did Overcome.” It’s just a matter of recalibration. There’s a new Jim Crow and it plays out in the prison system—where a disproportionate number of African Americans are currently incarcerated. Finally, churches can reflect on ways the African American church can effect real social change without honoring it over and above the Gospel.
A Third Way
I believe there is a third way. A way that recaptures the heart of the Gospel and can help fan the flame some have tried to extinguish by making other stuff the main thing. That’s one thing I always appreciate about the early church. Especially when it comes to Paul’s writings and letters. The Gospel was always center. All other church-related matters submitted to the supremacy of the Gospel. This removes the man-glory of the prosperity gospel and replaces it with God-centered preaching that says we were created for His glory. This removes the racist-worn stains of bitterness and hatred and moves us toward reconciliation. The Gospel bridges the generational gap and finds us all at the foot of the Cross. That’s the third way. Not every pastor wants to be famous. There are those who want to make Jesus’ name famous. Not every pastor waters down the Gospel for the sake of political affiliation. There are those who care more deeply about people’s souls than what they check on a ballot. And this third way, this Gospel way, has burned incessantly for centuries. And although I lament, I’m encouraged by the grace-fueled flame flickering in the darkness. And I echo John’s words in Revelation: Come, Lord Jesus.
By Kevin Eckstrom, Cathy Lynn Grossman, Sarah Pulliam Bailey, David Gibson, Adelle M. Banks and Katherine Burgess c. 2013 Religion News Service
The Washington National Cathedral’s west center tympanum, bishop’s garden, bishop’s lawn, south side, south facade and central tower. (August 10, 2012) (Photo Credit: Craig Stapert courtesy Washington National Cathedral)
WASHINGTON (RNS) As the government shutdown enters its second week, some religious groups are starting to feel the pinch, and they’re also finding ways to reach out.
More than 90 Catholic, evangelical and Protestant leaders have signed a statement rebuking “pro-life” lawmakers for the shutdown, saying they are “appalled that elected officials are pursuing an extreme ideological agenda at the expense of the working poor and vulnerable families” who won’t receive government benefits.
Starting Wednesday, evangelical, Catholic and mainline Protestant leaders will hold a daily “Faithful Filibuster” on Capitol Hill with Bible verses on the poor “to remind Congress that its dysfunction hurts struggling families and low-income people.”
Here’s how the shutdown is impacting religious groups in ways large and small:
Rescheduled weddings
The national parks closure has prompted a blessing for some couples locked out of their planned wedding venues. Churches are opening their gardens and doors to shutdown refugees.
First, Washington Episcopal Bishop Mariann Budde invited displaced couples to wed at the Bishop’s Garden at the Washington National Cathedral. There are at least 11 weddings booked during the next two weeks, diocesan spokesman Jim Naughton said. Three have been held so far.
Then, a small church near Cincinnati, Church of Our Saviour/La Iglesia de Nuestro Salvador in Mount Auburn, Ohio, followed the cathedral’s lead.
“We have a small garden, but it’s really nice,” the Rev. Paula Jackson told a local website. “We don’t know how long this shutdown is going to last … This is one thing we can do for people, who have a very important moment in their lives planned.”
For couples whose Grand Teton National Park wedding dreams were dashed, there’s hope: St. John’s Church in Jackson Hole, Wyo., is offering shut-out sweethearts the spacious community green in front of the main sanctuary.
St. John’s Rector Ken Asel said he will put out the word that the biggest private green space in Jackson Hole will be available for the couples. Unfortunately, St. John’s most famous chapel, the Chapel of the Transfiguration with its window view of Grand Teton, will not be available because it is surrounded by the national park.
Workmen who needed to winterize the building for the season had to outrun park rangers once the roads through the park to the chapel were locked down.
D.C. sites shuttered
The play “The Laramie Project,” about gay rights icon Matthew Shepard, was scheduled to be performed at the historic Ford’s Theatre in Washington, but several of its October dates have shifted to the nearby First Congregational United Church of Christ. The theater, where President Lincoln was shot in 1865, is operated through a partnership between Ford’s Theatre Society and the National Park Service.
Church bus accident
The National Transportation Safety Board might have investigated the Oct. 2 church bus accident in which eight people died in eastern Tennessee. But all of its highway investigators were furloughed.
“In this particular case I think it’s highly likely that we would have responded to it, but again, with our investigators furloughed, it’s impossible to do that,” Sharon Bryson, the NTSB’s deputy director of communications, told NBC News.
Charitable funds dry up
The government shutdown also threatens to reduce or shutter charitable services operated by faith-based groups that use federal funds.
As Catholic News Service reports, the Diocese of Wichita (Kansas) is covering the costs of programs for homeless families and battered women run by the local branch of Catholic Charities. In Washington, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops said it would be able to continue assisting immigrants through its Migration and Refugee Services for a couple of months if necessary.
But officials also made it clear that these are only stopgap measures that still leave the poor and vulnerable at greater risk.
“It is hypocritical and shameful for those who tout their commitment to family values to show such callous indifference,” said an Oct. 2 statement released by Faith in Public Life and signed by a range of Catholic and other Christian leaders.
Contraception mandate lawsuits
Justice Department lawyers are asking for more time in a case challenging the Obama administration’s contraception mandate, which has drawn strong opposition from a number of religious groups and institutions, including a suit filed by Geneva College in western Pennsylvania.
During the shutdown, government attorneys “are prohibited from working, even on a voluntary basis, except in very limited circumstances, including ‘emergencies involving the safety of human life or the protection of property,’” federal attorneys told a federal court in Pittsburgh, according to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
Military chaplains
The shutdown caused some initial confusion about whether military chaplains would be able to perform religious services. The House passed a resolution Saturday (Oct. 5) urging the secretary of defense to not allow the government shutdown to reduce religious services on military bases. The Senate has not yet voted on the bill.
Military chaplains continue to work during the shutdown, but the resolution was aimed at contract chaplains involved in performing religious services or conducting religious activities, according to Military Times. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel said he would reinstate almost all of the 350,000 civilian employees of the Defense Department, which was expected to allow contract priests to say Mass.
Still, the Roman Catholic Archdiocese for the Military Services says the shutdown is threatening Catholic service members’ religious rights. “Priests who minister to Catholics on military bases worldwide are not permitted to work — not even to volunteer. During the shutdown, it is illegal for them to minister on base and they risk being arrested if they attempt to do so,” warned John Schlageter, general counsel for the military archdiocese.
Fun for furloughed federal employees
A short walk from the Capitol sits Sixth & I, a restored synagogue that is now part synagogue and part cultural center and that has proven especially popular with younger Jewish adults. During the shutdown, Sixth & I sponsors “Shutdown Central” under the motto “A shutdown shouldn’t mean putting your mind to rest. Let’s make something out of this nothing.”
On any given day, that means a roster of programming that can include improv classes with local comedians, a class on government transparency and a knitting circle. But every day there’s “Political Ping Pong,” board games and the constant streaming of “The West Wing.”
In Vernal, Utah, St. Paul’s Episcopal Church offered free lunch to furloughed employees on Sunday (Oct. 6): “We recognize that those who are employed by the Federal Government are an integral part of what makes our community work and that their loss of wages is through no fault of their own.”
On an early Saturday morning, Bishop L.W. Francisco stood before a group of about 50 men and male teens of his Calvary Community Church and reflected on how long it had taken for the scene to materialize.
Seven years ago he received the vision that his predominantly black congregation in Hampton, Va. needed to do a better job mentoring African-American males. Presiding over too many young men’s funerals and consoling their loved ones, Francisco had seen from the frontlines the high homicides and incarceration rates of young urban black men. Over the years, men at his church who meant well would begin to work with the teens, but then, for one reason or another, the effort would fizzle. But in late 2012, Francisco issued a special call from the pulpit for committed men to step up. He sensed that something was different, that the chemistry was finally right.
“This is a vision that the Lord has given me and I’ve been carrying it and carrying it and carrying it,” Francisco said to the group, which had gathered at 8 a.m. “These 12 men (the core leaders) are sold out to this program. They are running with it. They have a passion for it.”
Calvary (known as C3) launched its Man Training program in February 2013, its theme being “Ambition to Transition.” The 10-week program helps boys become men through the training of their minds, bodies and souls. I am a member of C3, but attended the gathering as a writer. The program kicked off with a weekend “boot camp” at the Williamsburg Christian Retreat Center, where each man worked with two teens—there were 24 teens in all. The teens, all members of the church, had physical training activities and classes on issues such as prayer, peer pressure and having a quality relationship with God. The young men graduated in June.
Throughout the week in between meetings, the men would contact the boys and try to recap things that they learned to keep them encouraged, said Sylvester Taylor who heads the program. Moral and spiritual values, respect for authority, academic excellence, camaraderie and being an extension of the family are what the program emphasizes. “Repetition produces retention. This is a discipline program,” Sylvester said. “We’re really trying to instill that in them with the word of God and applying it throughout their lives.”
Located in Southeast Virginia, Hampton Roads has 11 military facilities, the highest concentration in the nation. As a result, many of the men are connected with the military in some way. The men did not aim to necessarily steer the teens toward joining the armed forces, but the teens benefited from the military-style discipline, such as being prompt and working as a unit. “We’re trying to teach them life-long lessons that they can apply across the board,” said Taylor, who is married and has young child. “We can connect and use our experience, but we’re not a replacement for the family.”
Taylor said that the more than 100 applications from families outside of the church confirmed Francisco’s vision that the training program should serve the wider community. They opted to start in-house first to get the program’s structure solid.
Young black males too often lack fathers in the home, leaving teens to be raised often by struggling single moms. This is typically cited as a key reason too many young black males are killing each other. They’re sucked in by the “street mentality.” But for teens such as Steven Scales and Joshua Moore, whose fathers are very involved in their lives, hearing from other strong men makes a huge impression too.
Steven said he was “a little nervous” at first, but then began enjoying the camaraderie of the other teens and the men. Joshua said the mentors reinforced his father’s voice. “When it’s the same things that my father is saying, it impacts me more,” he said.
As the focus on the young black male crisis has increased in the aftermath of the Trayvon Martin tragedy, many have been asking what can be done. Others have questioned whether the black church is doing enough. Many black churches across the country have long had successful mentoring programs, but are often not given credit, i.e. The Black Male mentoring program in South Florida and a mentoring program in Silver Springs, MD which has mentored black male teens for the last decade.
Youth mentoring is difficult to do well. Men who are considered morally upright and successful in their careers are typically ideal mentors but these men got that way by being hard-working, dedicated and thus, very, very busy. They are also often tending to their own families. As a married father who has reared two sons and a daughter, while navigating a demanding career, I can relate. I’ve mentored as a member of 100 Black Men, my fraternity, Phi Beta Sigma, my churches and as a sports coach. I could only pull it off by having my children involved in the programs. Still, it was a tough juggling act. Rearing your own kids can be more than a notion.
I still mentor. Doing nothing as a generation of young men ends up in prison or in the grave is not an option. Men like those at C3 understand this. They looked in the mirror and manned up.
The Affordable Care Act will help make health insurance coverage more affordable and accessible for millions of Americans. For African Americans, like other racial and ethnic minorities, the law will address inequities and will increase access to quality, affordable health coverage, invest in prevention and wellness, and give individuals and families more control over their care.
African Americans suffer from obesity, heart disease, and diabetes at higher levels than the general population. For example, in 2010, 37 percent of African Americans were obese, compared to 26% of whites. Expanding opportunities for coverage can improve health outcomes for African Americans.
Already, the Affordable Care Act has benefitted the nearly 85% of Americans who already have insurance:
3.1 million young adults have gained coverage through the parents’ plans
6.6 million seniors are paying less for prescription drugs
105 million Americans are paying less for preventative care & no longer face lifetime coverage limits
13.1 million Americans have received rebates from insurance companies
17 million children with pre-existing conditions no longer denied coverage or charged extra
Beginning in 2014, the Affordable Care Act will provide 6.8 million uninsured African Americans an opportunity to get affordable health insurance coverage. The following provides an overview of the coverage and benefits available to African Americans today and those made possible by the Health Insurance Marketplace.
Happening Now:
An estimated 7.3 million African Americans with private insurance now have access to expanded preventive services with no cost sharing. These services include well-child visits, blood pressure and cholesterol screenings, Pap tests and mammograms for women, and flu shots for children and adults.
The 4.5 million elderly and disabled African Americans who receive health coverage from Medicare also have access to many preventive services with no cost-sharing, including annual wellness visits with personalized prevention plans, diabetes and colorectal cancer screening, bone mass measurement and mammograms.
More than 500,000 young African-American adults between ages 19 and 25 who would otherwise have been uninsured now have coverage under their parent’s employer-sponsored or individually purchased health plan.
Major federal investments to improve quality of care are improving management of chronic diseases more prevalent among African Americans.
The health care workforce will be more diverse due to a near tripling of the National Health Service Corps. African-American physicians make up about 17 percent of Corps physicians, a percentage that greatly exceeds their 6 percent share of the national physician workforce.
Investments in data collection and research will help us better understand the causes of health care disparities and develop effective programs to eliminate them.
Targeted interventions, such as Community Transformation Grants, will promote healthy lifestyles, lower health care costs, and reduce health disparities.
Increased funding available to more than 1,100 community health centers will increase the number of patients served. One of every five patients at a health center is African American.
Coming Soon:
6.8 million uninsured African Americans will have new opportunities for coverage through the Health Insurance Marketplace. Of the 6.8 million uninsured African Americans who are eligible for coverage through the Marketplace, 56 percent are men.
The Marketplace is a destination where consumers can compare insurance options in simple, easy to understand language. At the Marketplace, consumers will be able to compare insurance options based on price, benefits, quality and other factors with a clear picture of premiums and cost-sharing amounts to help them choose the insurance that best fits their needs.
Consumers may be eligible for free or low cost coverage, or advance premium tax credits that lower monthly premiums right away. Individuals with higher incomes (up to 400 percent of the federal poverty level, or $94,200 for a family of four) will be eligible to purchase subsidized coverage from the Health Insurance Marketplace.
States have new opportunities to expand Medicaid coverage to include Americans with family incomes at or below 133 percent of the federal poverty level (generally $31,322 for a family of four in 2013). This expansion includes adults without dependent children living at home, who have not previously been eligible in most states.
New Report from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) on lower than expected premiums available in the new Health Insurance Marketplace:
A new report released by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) finds that in state after state, consumers will see increased competition in the Health Insurance Marketplace, leading to new and affordable choices for consumers. According to the report, consumers will be able to choose from an average of 53 health plans in the Marketplace, and the vast majority of consumers will have a choice of at least two different health insurance companies – usually more. Premiums nationwide will also be around 16 percent lower than originally expected – with about 95 percent of eligible uninsured live in states with lower than expected premiums – before taking into account financial assistance.
To read the report on health insurance rates, visit: http://aspe.hhs.gov/health/reports/2013/MarketplacePremiums/ib_marketplace_premiums.cfm.
To view the data on rates, visit: http://aspe.hhs.gov/health/reports/2013/MarketplacePremiums/datasheet_home.cfm.
Visit HERE for helpful resources to get more information on the Affordable Care Act and the Health Insurance Marketplace.
Information provided by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
Evelyn Lowery, wife of Civil Rights activist Joseph Lowery, passed away due to a stroke.
She was 88.
Lowery was the daughter of activists. Her father, a Methodist preacher, was the president of the Memphis chapter of the NAACP and her mother was actively involved in community organizing. She inherited her parents activist spirit and participated in the Selma to Montgomery March in 1965. In 1979 she founded the SCLC/WOMEN–Women’s Organizational Movement for Equality Now–an organization that was created to “champion the rights of women, children and families, and respond to the problems of the disenfranchised regardless of ethnicity, gender, age, or religion.” This organization gave a voice to women during the Civil Rights Movement and Lowery formed alliances with other women’s organization to fulfill SCLC/WOMEN’s goals. She also created the “Drum Major for Justice” award named in memory of the work of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr and is awarded to those who contribute to the cause of freedom, equality, and achievement in their professional field.
Lowery was a woman of substance in her civic and social justice involvement on top of being a wife and a mother to three children. She is survived by her husband Joseph Lowery, three daughters, a sister, and a grandchild.
The Urban Ministries family sends their condolences to the Lowery family during this difficult time.
