Black Church Summit Highlights
13 Mar 07 12:00 AM EDT
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2nd Annual
Black Church Summit Highlights!! |
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NBJC's Blog and Website Picks
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 The Sights & Sounds of the 2nd Annual Black Church Summit
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Over two hundred people from across the country converged upon the historic Mother Bethel AME Church in Philadelphia this past weekend to attend the 2nd Annual Black Church Summit.
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The two days were filled with spiritual celebration and enlightenment which began on Friday when newly out-as-gay, former NBA player, John Amaechi addressed a standing room only crowd at the Holiday Inn host hotel. |
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Pam Spaulding of Pam's House Blend Blog and John Amaechi
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The affable Amaechi spoke about his closeted years in the NBA and also about the spiritual walk by which he is guided today.
Amaechi also strongly encouraged audience members that in lieu of purchasing his book, Man in the Middle to instead make a financial contribution to NBJC.
This act would firmly ensure the continued LGBT civil rights work that the organization has done for the past three years. |
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Rev. Dr. Michael Eric Dyson |
Rev. Deborah L. Johnson
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Dr. Sylvia Rhue (L) and
H. Alexander Robinson (R)
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Bishop Yvette Flunder |
The next morning, the 2nd Annual Black Church Summit officially convened with the Rev. Dr. Michael Eric Dyson and the Rev. Deborah L. Johnson who both gave dynamically intense, LGBT affirming, and forward moving keynote addresses.
The speeches were then followed by a debate between Dyson and Bishop Harry Jackson, of the High Impact Leadership Coalition. From there attendees participated in several workshops ranging from creating affirming congregations, interpreting scripture, and building effective HIV ministries.
H. Alexander Robinson and Bishop Harry Jackson
In between these events, there was a spiritual fiesta of music from the contemporary Christian sounds of New Metropolitan Community Church with Greg Satorie, the angelic sound of Bishop Yvette Flunder and the traditional foot stomping sound of Lavender Light Choir.
Dr. Sylvia Rhue, Director of Religious Affairs and Black Church Summit National Coordinator:
"The keynote speakers left the audience in awe and stunned by their radiant, blazing intellect. The debate/discussion was a classic teaching experience on how to answer the tough questions on sexuality and theology. It will be used extensively in the future as we proceed and continue the discussion on sexuality and religion.
The 2nd Annual Black Church Summit was definitely the place to be as participants expressed a wide range of emotions. Several participants were quoted as saying This renewed my faith in God... know longer feel homeless...This is a turning point in my life."
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H. Alexander Robinson, NBJC Executive Director/CEO:
The Summit was a complete success. We made history in a historic church. I could feel the spirit of the freedom fighters who had come before us.
The music, the message and the congregation all affirmed the spiritual value and contributions of Black LGBT people of faith." |
Finally, a special thanks to Pam Spaulding of Pam's House Blends for extensively blogging live from the event and podcasting, webcasting and blogging reports from on her site!!!
Plans are already underway for the 2008 3rd Annual Black Church Summit un Baltimore, MD. Email srhue@nbjc.org if you would like to volunteer for this event.
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The NBJC Board
Also Met in Philly
Prior to the start of the 2nd Annual Black Church Summit, the NBJC Board met to continue the strategic planning for the organization. In addition, a large amount of discussion focused on how NBJC will position itself in response to the Centers for Disease Control's recent report that over half of newly diagnosed HIV infections between the years 2001 and 2005 were African American men and women.
In response to the alarming recent reports of homeless of LGBT youth the NBJC Board expanded its primary target population to include young people between the ages of 14-25
H. Alexander Robinson, NBJC Executive Director/CEO:
One of the greatest stumbling blocks to our efforts to ending the AIDS epidemic among Black gay men is the shallow understanding of what it will take to do so. Add to this the continued failure of well meaning agencies and institutions to invest in comprehensive prevention efforts and the result is the lethal mix that these numbers represent.
Black communities must step up and take more direct action against this injustice. We cannot continue to wait or plead for these agencies to take action. In reality if our survival and freedom from this pandemic is to be achieved we must assume the primary responsibility for making it so."
In the upcoming weeks NBJC will unveil its strategic HIV prevention initiative as it directly affects the Black LGBT/SGL community.
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Upcoming Events
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| Power of Us DC Event |
Thursday April, 26, 2007 |
More here... |
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The National Black Justice Coalition |
202-349-3755 |
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