Op-Ed: A Letter to Black Pastors
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(G3) In his letter from a Birmingham Jail, Martin Luther King Jr. addressed black pastors attempting to understand the civil rights movement. King understood that his rhetorical arguments would impact a much larger audience and help those foreign to the movement understand its goals.
After the Supreme Court overturned Roe, as black pastors grappled with its implications, it was clear that there was a growing need for clarity on the issue of abortion. However, in the current cultural climate, few would dare to write such a letter.
Many white pastors fear being criticized or attacked, and many black pastors find it difficult to openly criticize a fellow brother, especially one who shares his complexion. Insofar as the “black church” is concerned, evangelicals fear holding it accountable for missing the mark.
Conversely, the senior pastor of Progressive Baptist Church in Chicago, Charlie Dates, has written many critiques aimed squarely at the “White Church.” Furthermore, media outlets rush to publish many of his hot takes on everything from gun control to why America needs the black church.
In his article for the Washington Post, Dates writes, “America needs the Black church for its own survival because the Black church remains the prophetic and priestly conscience of the land.”
If Dates is correct, we must ask a question. As America’s priestly conscience, what is the black church saying in light of the Supreme Court decision regarding the reversal of Roe?
Like many black pastors, Dates is woefully silent on abortion these days. However, during the…
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