Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Was a Prophet!

The late Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was not just a civil rights leader, but he was a prophet! On April 4, 2008 scores of people will travel to Memphis,Tennessee to commemorate the 40th Anniversary of his assasination!

Commercial Appeal Article on Black Preaching Styles

The Commercial Appeal, which is the daily newpaper in Memphis,Tennessee, did an article on Black Preaching Styles in wake of the Rev. Jeremiah Wright Furor! I have included an excerpt from the article and a web link where the entire article may be read. Hats off to Lindsay Melvin who was bold enough to write this arrticle!

Wright’s Remarks ‘Ugly Truth’

Minister’s Preaching Style Common in Black Churches

By Linday Melvin 

Nearly three hours into the electrifying Sunday service at Christ Missionary Baptist Church, Pastor Gina Stewart was damp with perspiration.Crammed pews of parishioners were winding down after being taken through a vigorous torrent of jubilation, anger and praise.

But the South Memphis pastor wasn’t done yet.

There was a more earthly issue eating at her — the recent coverage of racially charged remarks made by Rev. Jeremiah Wright of Chicago, longtime pastor of presidential candidate Barack Obama.

There was a more earthly issue eating at her — the recent coverage of racially charged remarks made by Rev. Jeremiah Wright of Chicago, longtime pastor of presidential candidate Barack Obama.

“I am a CNN junkie,” Stewart said to the overwhelmingly black congregation. But she warned them not to put too much stock in the news media’s negative portrayal of the now-retired pastor’s sermons or hold those statements against Obama.Stewart’s sentiments are being echoed in churches across Memphis as local pastors are saying that Wright’s remarks were taken out of context with little understanding for the long tradition of prophetic preaching that goes on in black churches.

“The African-American church has always had a prophetic ministry and prophetic preaching style,” said Mississippi Boulevard Christian Church senior pastor Frank Thomas, who was ordained by Wright in 1982 before coming to the large Memphis church.

Prophetic preaching, or speaking of social injustice to mobilize people for change, is Wright’s preaching style and it was also Dr. Martin Luther King’s, Thomas said.

“The difference is the amount of rage that is being publicly performed.”

Pastor Brandon B. Porter said

Because black people have a history of being oppressed and his congregation is mostly black, Porter says he occasionally speaks to that.

“If you have a predominantly black church you have to deal with black issues,” he said.

Read The Rest of This Article

The Conforming Church!

I read an interesting quote several days ago where it was stated that the church of today was more concerned with conformity than it is with righteousness. Is there more concern for conformity amongst our churches, denominations, fellowships, and reformations than there is for righteousness? Is there a we don’t care about what you do as long as you do it like us attitude in our church organizations? Romans 12 verse 2 states, “Be ye not conformed to this world, but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind”. Are we fashioned after the systems of this world, or are we fashioned after the traditional modes and practices of religion?

Let’s stand for righteousness regardless of the consequences of doing so. Holiness is still right and when one stands for right in some of our organizations there is an overwhelming possibility that one can be painted as a rebel, but where would the church be if over the annals of time there were not rebels? Let’s call the Roll of Prominent Church Rebels-Martin Luther, Dr. Martin Luther King, John Wesley, Bishop Charles Harrison Mason, Bishop Paul S. Morton, Bishop Gilbert E. Patterson, William J. Seymour, The Apostle Paul, The Old Testament Prophets, The Disciples, and Jesus Christ! These great men changed the world and the church, but they were once painted as church rebels. Will we stand for righteousness or will we stand for the way that our church or organization has done things over the years?

Pastor Stephen F. Smith

Sure House Church, Inc.