A.M.E. Church leaders call for protests across from White House

By Bishop Reginald Jackson

President of the Bishops Council of the African Methodist Episcopal Church

This is a challenging time in the life of our nation, a time which demands the church of Jesus Christ, to live up to what it is called to do, to represent Jesus in His world, to be about the work of His kingdom on earth.

Historically, the Black Church has been “the conscience of the nation.” It was the Black Church which called and moved the nation to live up to its words and creeds, to genuinely seek, “to be one nation under God, with liberty and justice for all.”

Today the Black Church is again called to be “the conscience of the nation.” To speak to the nation about the rightness or wrongness of its policies and behavior. This is particularly important when the so called, “Evangelical Christians” appear to be the dominant voice for people of faith in this nation, supporting the nation’s leader who spouts racism, sexism, and repeatedly lies to the nation. They appear to be the dominant voice of people of faith in the nation, because the Black Church has largely been silent.

It is time for the Black Church to speak our congregations and the nation needs to hear us. Therefore, Black denominational and faith leaders have scheduled a “Call to Conscience – Day of Action” for Sept. 5 and 6 in Washington DC. It is not only time for us to say something, we must do something. We must fight against, “spiritual wickedness in high places.”

In a word, we are at war. We are at war against racism, when the president pits and divides the nation according to race in – order to govern, and declares there are “some really good people among White supremacist, nationalist and the Ku Klux Klan.” We are at war against anti-immigration efforts, which is a disguised effort to set back and deport people of color in-order to maintain white privilege and the status quo. We are at war against efforts to pervert the criminal justice system in the name of “law and order” to profile and target Blacks, and fill the courts with judges who will turn back gains made during the Civil Rights Movement in the name of “Making America Great Again.”

Our priority will be to register, educate, organize and mobilize our people to vote in November. If Blacks turn out in large numbers, we will determine the outcome in a large number of races.

Additionally, Sunday, Sept. 2 is designated as Social Justice Sunday. We are asking every pastor to preach a sermon related to “social justice.”

For further information please call 770-220-1770.