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

Former Republican Presidential Candidate Rev. Mike Huckabee Defends Senator Barack Obama in Wake of the Rev. Jeremiah Wright Controversy!

Former Republican Presidential Candidate Rev. Mike Huckabee Defends Senator Barack Obama in Wake of the Rev. Jeremiah Wright Controversy!

Rev. Jeremiah Wright

The Rev. Jeremiah Wright may have many detractors in the media, but he is also supported by many black preachers. We are including several articles where prominent ministers are defending Rev. Jeremiah Wright! Rev. Frederick D. Haynes of Dallas, Texas counts Pastor Jeremiah Wright as one of his mentors. Rev. Haynes is an incredible preacher that is becoming a household name amongst those who study The Black Church!

Star-Telegram Article on Rev. Jeremiah Wright 

Washington Post Article on Rev. Jeremiah Wright 

Dallas News Article Brite Divinity School Still Plans to Honor Rev. Jeremiah Wright

Local Black Clergy Defend Message 

Pastor Otis Moss III-Senator Barack Obama’s Pastor

Pastor Otis Moss III is Senator Barack Obama’s new Pastor! Pastor Moss is a cutting edge messenger of the Word of God! He is respected by many African American Church Leaders, and is not the person that some on Fox News would have you to believe that he is. He is definitely a gifted orator!

Racially Polarizing Race for The Democratic Nomination

Can the race for the Democratic Nomination for President get any more racially polarizing? Being a preacher, I will stay out of the political arena on this blog. However; I definitely have a very strong opinion about this race. Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. is one of the first of many black organizations to denounce the insinuation from Former Congressman Ferraro that Senator Barack Obama’s success is due mainly to his color!Former Congresswoman Ferraro, you just can’t say what you said and not expect to draw some heat for your statements!

Alpha Kappa Alpha Denounces and Rejects Geraldine Ferraro’s Statement

Let’s Pray for the Tennessee’s Tornado Victims and the Loved Ones of Tennessee’s Super Tuesday Tornado Victims!

Preach Stephen.Com is solicting prayer for the Tennessee’s Tornado Victims and the Loved Ones of Tennessee’s Super Tuesday Tornado Victims! While the rest of America was enjoying the Super Tuesday exploits of their presidential candidates namely, Senator Barack Obama, Senator Hilary Clinton, or Senator John McCain, many of the residents of Tennessee had a Super Tuesday that they will not forget anytime soon! The Memphis and Jackson Tennessee areas were hit by a series of tornados that caused loss of life and unbelievable damage in it’s wake.

There are parts of The Hickory Hill Area in Memphis,Tennessee, and the Campus of Union University in Jackson, Tennessee that looks like a war zone! These tornados did so much damage in one part of Memphis that it will threaten the economic infrastructure of the already blighted Hickory Hill area in the city.

Our prayers go out to the victims of these storms and to the families of those who have lost their lives! Material things can be replaced, and after a while one can simply learn to live without some of the trinkets that one may have lost in a horrible storm like this, but nothing surpasses loss of life in this realm. It is our prayer that the prepared people who lost their lives on this week are enjoying the place that God has richly prepared for them.

We will post some video clips others have made about the tornados that hit our city, and eventually some of our own photos of the sheer devastation that these storms caused. In the meantime, we are posting a video of God Has Not Forgot. He doesn’t forget us in times like these, and it’s in times like these that we find out just how awesome our God is! Watch the first video before watching the proceeding video clips of the damage caused by these tornados!

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