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.

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