As the service appeared to be formally beginning, a
video was played in which a physician, Dr. Andre Graham, advertised his
professional services. This was followed
by an advertisement for an upcoming conference that was taking place that week
and which would be discussed further in the service. In fact, a large number of
visitors prominently seated near the front would be playing leadership roles in
that conference. Other advertisements played, as well.
This was followed by another video of roughly five
minutes length featuring a black woman describing various forms of racial
injustice that she had experienced throughout her life, going back to her birth
in Temple, Texas, for which her parents had relied on the services of a midwife
because doctors refused to see blacks in that area. She described numerous experiences of
discrimination, both in employment and as a would be consumer of services.
Explaining that she had lived in other states, she added that the worst of her
discrimination had occurred in Texas. As the taped testimony concluded, she
exhorted the congregation that education was something that could not be taken
away.
This was followed by a long, vibrant prayer by a
female minister of the church.
An energetic song leader, assisted by a band, praise
team, and full choir, led the musical part of the service, which began with
songs declaring “It’s all about Jesus” and “When You Call upon Jesus, Something
Happens.” The music was repetitive and emotional, consistent with black church
traditions extending back throughout American history. Interestingly, an organ
was not heard during most of the congregational and other singing, but it did
play in accompaniment to persons speaking.
Pastor Frederick B. Haynes, III, who, it was noted,
had just celebrated his 31st anniversary as the pastor of the
church, welcomed those in attendance.
During these opening remarks, he made mention of “nonsense in Florida
last night.” As I had not seen the news that morning, I was uncertain as to
what he was speaking about, but as it became clear that this subject would be a
significant point of discussion in the service – Pastor Haynes indicated that
he had changed his sermon plans in light of the news -- I quickly scanned the
news on my smart phone and learned that a jury had returned a verdict of guilty
in 4 of 5 counts in a case involving a white man shooting into the truck of a
group of black teenagers. The fact that the not guilty count involved the most
serious charge enraged the minister, and he would discuss the nature of his
anger through the course of much of the sermon later in the morning.
At this time, he mentioned that many guests were in
attendance for the upcoming Proctor Conference, an annual event encouraging
political activism on the part of the black church. Attendees included a
representative from the World Council of Churches. The minister also worked in
a reference to Fox News, who he identified as Fake News while expressing unhappiness
that a story critical of a black minister had appeared on the network in the
previous week.
The pastor then used a portion of the service for the
purpose of introducing the congregation to members of the church who would be
up for election in primaries to be held the following week. The candidates had
completed cards about their candidacy that were read by the pastor, who
expressed his approval of them to the congregation – he took care not to
actually endorse anyone, but wanted the congregation to be aware of their presence
on this Sunday. In addition to individuals who would be on the ballot, Rev.
Haynes also asked controversial, but popular, Dallas County Commissioner John
Wiley Price to come to the platform. At the time of this service, it had been
widely reported that Commissioner Price was under investigation from the
Justice Department for various crimes associated with his position (he has
since been indicted and is awaiting trial), but Pastor Haynes provided his
enthusiastic endorsement for Commissioner Price’s work to the applause of the
congregation. For the remainder of the service, Commissioner Price would be
seated prominently near the front of the congregation, enthusiastically raising
his hand or standing to show approval for many of the pastor’s most controversial
statements.
Pastor Haynes additionally spoke about his work along
with Pastor Jeremiah Wright, the controversial former pastor of President
Barack Obama, in encouraging churches to combine an emphasis on individual
salvation and social justice in the same manner as Wright’s Trinity United
Church of Christ and Hayne’s Friendship West Baptist.
After an announcement by Dr. Iva Carothers promoting
the Proctor Conference, the congregation was treated to a violin solo by Daniel
Davis. Only in his early 20’s, Mr. Davis showed considerable talent and poise,
continuing to work flawlessly after the microphone on the violin failed and
required changing. This was followed by an offering, which essentially required
everyone in attendance to file to the front. This enormous undertaking for a
large crowd was handled in an organized and expeditious manner. The choir then
performed “Guide Me, O Thou Great Jehovah.”
The text for Dr. Hayne’s sermon was from Matthew 2,
the text recounting Herod’s murder of the innocents following the birth of
Jesus in Bethlehem. He criticized Christian groups that claim to be pro-life
while cutting funding for government programs and otherwise displaying a
failure to value black life. Along those lines, he suggested that the jury verdict
in Florida furthered an attitude explicit in American culture, as revealed by
provisions in the U.S. Constitution as originally ratified that counted blacks
as 3/5 of a person.
Dr. Haynes sharply criticized ministers that failed to
address these issues, saying that “Herod always has some preachers on payroll
that he can pimp.” In particular, he resented those ministers that preached
prosperity instead of prophetically speaking truth to power. The church needs more preachers like Moses
and Nathan, he urged, and, in that vein, he offered criticisms of President
Obama for his drone policy, suggesting in the process that the President had
been duped by the Jewish lobby. Nonetheless, he urged that God’s people also
have the faith to see beyond the troubles of right now to a better not yet.
Returning to the Matthew 2 text, the pastor pointed
out that Joseph found safety in Egypt, argued that Egyptians were black
Africans, and contended that the fact that Jesus could be hidden there proved
that the Messiah was also black. He
expressed disdain for white depictions of Jesus, but instead of opposing images
of Jesus as violations of the second commandment against the use of images as
aids to worship, he insisted that depictions of Jesus should be of a black
person.
He used those thoughts as a further springboard
calling on blacks to rediscover the achievements of African culture, including
medicine and the building of the pyramids.
He then returned to the subject of the Florida trial, complaining that
other preachers “will not say one damn word about what happened last night.”
Anticipating criticism for the use of the curse word in that statement, he
expressed outrage that there is no controversy around damning black children.
While continuing to express anger toward the verdict, he offered hope that God
has the last word regarding all injustice.
Following a prayer addressed to God, who was described
as “our Father and Mother,” he offered an invitation for those who need “to
give your life to the Lord.” This was followed by a video promoting the work of
St. Jude’s hospital, for which the church received an offering, and a
benediction based on the Aaronic blessing.
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