Mayor Wilson Goode
Tuesday evening, April 12, 2005
Tonight we have the pleasure of having with us a man who has been a member of the First Baptist church of Paschal (in Philadelphia) for 51 years. He was the first African American member and Chairman of the Philadelphia Public Utility Commission. He later became the first African American Managing Director of City of Philadelphia. He was also the first African American to be elected Mayor of Philadelphia, a position that he held for two terms. He holds a B.A. in History from Morgan State University, a Masters from the University of Pennsylvania, and a Doctor of Ministry from Eastern Baptist Seminary. He is the recipient of 14 honorary doctorates! Best of all, perhaps, he’s been married to his wife, Velma, for 45 years. He has one son, two daughters0 and two granddaughters. Let us welcome the Rev. Dr. W. Wilson Goode Sr.
“He is worthy to be praised!” were Dr. Goode’s first words. He then began with a story:
A young boy asked his father to come out and play with him. The father said, “I’m watching the football game. Come back in five minutes.” The son returned in five minutes. The father said, “They are about to score. Come back in another five minutes.” When the son returned, the father said “They scored, and now the other team is about to score.” The game had gotten good, and the father was not interested in going out to play. So he found a map of the world, tore it up in pieces, and told the son to put it together, saying, “When you are done, I’ll play with you.” The son came back in five minutes with the puzzle put together. “How did you do it?” the surprised father asked. “It was easy,” replied the son. “On the other side of the map was a man, and when I put the man together, the world came together.”
It seems to me that if we are together, the world will come together. Do you know that the folks in this world can change the nation? Look at how twelve men did it – ordinary disciples. Look at where we are today because of them.
My faith journey started on a farm in North Carolina. I’m the son of a sharecropper. I’m a sharecropper. I grew up on a farm. What I remember more than anything else is not how tough things were. I remember how bad things got. But overriding all of that was my mother who believed in the power of prayer. I would hear her early in the morning, at three or four o’clock in the morning, talking to the Lord because there was no food, or because my father had gotten drunk and spent all the money, talking to the Lord because she was concerned that we didn’t have shoes or clothing. She would say to us, “The Lord will make a way somehow.” And do you know what? He always did. Always did. I learned from my mother the power of prayer. I learned from my father the hard work, planting, how to never give up. No matter how bad the year was, they never gave up.
Then I left the farm and went to Philadelphia. At the First Baptist Church I met a pastor and his wife who showed me the love of God. When my high school counselor said I couldn’t go to college, my pastor and his congregation took up money and sent me to Morgan State University. It was those early years that shaped me, shaped my faith, shaped my prayer life, shaped who I am. I spent some time working with local congregations to build houses. But my life has been one of continuous service to others. When my friends at college went off to make money, I remember them coming to Homecoming talking about how much money they made. I would talk about how many houses I helped local churches build, and how many nursing homes were built. They would talk of their stock portfolio. I would talk about how many kids I had in my car last week, taking them to play in a basketball game, and how those efforts were transforming the lives of those young people.
I became interested in public service, not as a way to earn a reputation or position, but because it gave me an opportunity to help people at a high level, on a bigger stage. Becoming Mayor was not an ambition of mine. It was to help people, to serve people. So when I became mayor of Philadelphia -- can you imagine that? Mayor of the 4th largest city in the United States! Only God can do that. Bring me from picking cotton on a farm, high school counselor who said I couldn’t go to college. We serve an awesome God!
So I decided that as Mayor I would have an agenda that would reflect who I was – a Christian. When I first ran for office, a reporter came to me and said, “I want to know who you are going to talk to.” I said I would talk to God. One of the politicians responded “ I don’t know if I want him if he talks to him before he talks to me.”
I wanted to empower people, give them resources, technical assistance. Christ came to give us power. Second, I wanted to provide them access to government, so people from any walk of life could walk into my office, feel me, touch me. That’s the Christian way. Not someone so high up, royalty, but a public servant serving the people of the city. I wanted to level the playing field. Didn’t Christ do that? Level it for those who never had access to government. Those who could never walk into the office of a mayor. Bring about equality and seek justice. I did so by the appointment of people who had never been appointed to government positions before. Can you believe that in l983 they had never had a woman in the cabinet? In l988 I was the first African American to be in the Cabinet. After 300 years of existence in this country. So I had to make appointments to help people be what they could be. And I wanted to uplift people. In 1980s I saw a group of homeless people. I called my health people and said, “What do we do about homeless people?” They said, “let them sleep on the street.” I said, ”Can’t we do something about that?” So I took some cots from a prison and some soup and set up a place for homeless in the basement of a fire station. We built what I believe was a most comprehensive program for the homeless in the country. That was because of who I am.
The whole issue of literacy. I became the first Mayor to have an Office of Literacy. 40% of the people can’t read and write. Can’t read their Bibles. We had an AIDS and Disability Commission and Women’s Commission. We began to respond in a special way. And then we made contracts for women and minorities, new ethics laws, standards of conduct. We had town meetings. Jesus went from place to place. I went from neighborhood to neighborhood. So those of us who are serving need to do likewise.
The point I want to make is that when I became Mayor, I did not put my faith on a shelf. I had prayer in my office on a daily basis. I had pastors come in to pray with me and for me. In fact, one of the very first acts as Mayor was to help form the Leadership Foundation and put on a prayer breakfast, now in its 22nd year. I did it because of my relationship with my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. It would be easy to let them co-opt me. The difficult thing was for me to say it was my responsibility as a child of God to bring about transformation in the lives of people, to care for those who were homeless, those who have AIDS, those have been mistreated, to level the playing field. It would have been easy at times to do as other politicians.
So they wrote stories about me, stories that basically said that if Wilson Goode should act more like a board politician than a Baptist deacon. I said, “I’m glad they see who I am.” I’m glad they could see that I wasn’t trying to emulate those who preceded me. Christ calls us to be unique. Our lights must shine. People should know us because our lights shine - by our good works and by the things we do. That’s been part of what I have tried to do as a Mayor.
To go back now and look at the city of Philadelphia. The skyline was changed. What I am most proud of is that the program for the homeless, those with AIDS, children’s programs, have remained strong over these years – two mayors later they are still in place because of an expression of love for people who were the least among us. I had a tough time because people said “Why would you spend 40 million dollars a year to do a comprehensive program for the homeless?” To get them off homelessness, to give them jobs, train them, transform their lives.
So what is my message to you this evening? It’s simply this: Wherever you are, whatever your vocation, be who you are. If you are a child of God, act like His. Not just when you go to church on Sunday or with you friends, or come to City Impact Roundtable. But every day you live, reflect who you are. What I tried to do when I was Mayor was reflect daily who I was. That’s what is important tonight.
I talked to Bob Buford some time ago. I said “Bob, I read your book about going from success to significance. I was there a long time ago. I understood success the day I was elected Mayor. But then I needed to be significant - do something to change the lives of our people, turn things around.” In a sense, as Mayor, I had to be a prophet. What you see is not the way it will always be. Look beyond what is to what can be. Then I had to be a priest, minister to their basic and fundamental needs. So whatever you do in life, be a servant.
Let me close with this before we have some dialog. I always compare us to when Joshua stood before the Jordan River, with the Promised Land before him and the wilderness behind him. God said, “Let the priests lead the way.” Even though it was difficult and sometimes folk wouldn’t listen, the priests stepped into the Jordan River, and the water backed up. The priests led the people of Israel from that wilderness into their Promised Land. Think about the symbolism. As the priests stood in the riverbed, all the children of Israel left the wilderness and went into the Promised Land. It seems that all of us here are priests, standing in the river bed, with people who are in the wilderness of drug addiction, homelessness, a wilderness of hopelessness, of mistrust, of racism – to lead them into their promised land.
One last story: There was in a village a woman who was both wise and blind. Some young folks went to her and one of them said, “We’ve heard you are both wise and blind. In my hand I have a bird. Is it dead or alive?” She knew it was a setup. She knew if she said it was alive, he would crush it in his hands, but if she said it was dead, he would open his hand and the bird would fly away. So she took some time. He repeated it: “Wise old blind lady.” She spoke softly. “Young man, I don’t know if that bird in your hands is dead or alive, but this I know. Whether that bird lives or dies is all in your hands.” So it seems to me that whether or not the work reaches full impact, it is all in our hands. Whether or not you are a decent ordinary citizen or former Mayor, be who you are. Stand tall always for your Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
I always greet people in the name of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. He is worthy of all the praise. He is a worthy God, isn’t He? Look at all the amazing things He has done for us. It’s all in your hands. I’m what you call a scared Christian. I’m scared not to serve Him. Because he’s been so good to me, I’m scared not to serve him. Think of how he took me from being a Mayor to being a preacher. Some would stay that was a step down, but I feel God promoted me. And I like my new boss. I like my new benefit package. It has both grace and mercy. Best of all I like my pension plan. It has eternal salvation. Halleluia! I’m done!
Q & A
Phil Miglioratti, Chicago: What was more difficult in your role as Mayor – prejudice against your openness of faith or prejudice as an African American. Goode: I think it was the former. People become uncomfortable in your presence when you say it’s all in the hands of God. Politicians don’t talk that way. When they would meet with me, I would say, “Let’s pray.” They would say, “You can’t pray.” I would say, “Who will stop me? I can pray in my office.” They become uncomfortable when you don’t smoke, don’t drink, don’t hang out with politicians, go to church every Sunday. I make them uncomfortable today – sometimes on purpose. Sometimes I just go around them to make them uncomfortable. Not in a mean spirit, but in a way that says “these are standards you are to live by.” My wife got upset when I introduced her as my wife of forty years. I said we have to model that – celebrating. The more difficult part: race is always a factor, on both sides, for both black folks and whites. I work today for a research organization, and I wear my cross every day. A lady said she was offended by my cross. I said, “I’m offended that you are offended. I’m going to keep wearing this. Get used to it.” Let folks know who you are. Don’t hide it.
Questioner: In your openness with your faith, how did you handle those who objected about separation of church and state. Goode: My interpretation is simply this: I would never as Mayor tell someone what to believe. I would never prevent them from worshipping them as they see fit. I believe that’s the separation clause. I’m not a lawyer, but I believe I have a right to express who I am. That is a fulfillment as an American citizen.
Questioner: Did you have a gang problem in Philadelphia? If so, what were some things you did? Goode: We had a big gang problem. We took one of the gang members and established a program around him. It was basically developing him, and for 10-15 years he ran the crisis intervention network. He was able to reduce it greatly over four to five years, and after ten years it literally disappeared for a time. It was very successful. It has not re-emerged as a gang problem. It is a drug problem. Another thing we did was get the churches involved. That’s another speech.
Bishop Porter, Denver: As you look back, what do you wish you could have done, and how. Goode: I wish I had the foresight and ability to better influence the educational system. I wish I could have at that time restructured it. It pains me greatly that even today, 40% of students in some neighborhoods are dropping out without graduating. As I go into prisons, I see some of the same young people there. There is a direct correlation between high school dropouts and prison population. I wish I could have reformed education, and especially had enough money to do an early childhood program. If I could catch them when they are 4 and 5, I think that could work.
Dave Gehrlsm Omaha: As Mayor, do you face almost daily situations that seem to have no possible human answer? Did you have a situation when in prayer you found an answer? Goode: In 1986 I had a sanitation strike. I went to prayer, and God spoke specifically. I came back and told my attorney to take the case to Court. The attorney said, “That doesn’t work.” After 2 days the sanitation workers were ordered back to work by the court. Early in my administration, the biggest problem was graffiti. God said, “Take one of the neighborhood people who do this and make them come in. Bring all of those who write graffiti into your reception room. 400 came in. I offered amnesty if they would turn in their writing materials. I had lots of spray paint cans. Last Sunday night I went to the 21st anniversary of that program. Two of the most notorious wall writers went on to paint murals. We have 300 murals in the city. Some of those have gone to college. They talked of the experience of having someone believing them, trusting them, loving them, telling them they didn’t have to be a wall writer to be an artist.
Goode: Bob Buford interviewed me about finishing well. He said, “Why are you still working?” I said, “Because I want to sprint across the finish line. I don’t want to be in a rocking chair to meet my maker. I may be, but I want to be running fast, so engaged, that I sprint right into heaven.”
Keep on running. God has said clearly to me, I didn’t give you all those experiences for you to simply go to the sidelines. I want you to use that Mayor stuff, PUC stuff, all the opportunities to help my people. My wife said, “Retire.” I said, “God didn’t tell me to retire yet.” I’ll go till I drop because God has blessed me so much. Tomorrow I will talk about a program God blessed me with, what preachers and churches can do. I’ll save that for tomorrow.
Questioner: There is a deep fear that when blacks get in power, they will turn the tables on the dominant culture. As Mayor, how did you allay those fears, and how did you build relationships with the white community? Goode: There is an expectation in the black community that (as a black Mayor) you will favor them. They did it for their community, so you do it for yours. My slogan was I’m the mayor of all the people. I campaigned in every neighborhood of the city. I was told some would never vote for me, but I said I had to ask them. There will always be some fears. You allay fears by being fair. If you talk about the issue of fairness, white or black, they will say I was fair. I put people in positions based on qualifications. I did, however, equalize the system. Equalizing the system is not stacking the deck. People of all cultures and backgrounds were involved in my administration.
I’m going to finish well. Thank you all so much.
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What Mayors Want to See Churches Do
Rev. Dr. Wilson Goode
April 13, 2005 Morning Session
Mayors want the church to be the church. Often church leaders want to be politicians – emulate what politicians do, give political advice.
The second thing mayors want the church to be is a lighthouse in their neighborhoods, not a clubhouse. They want churches to be concerned for the community, not a drive in from outside. The church can be a lighthouse. Many have money, but more important, the mandate and the mission to be a lighthouse.
Mayors want pastors and leaders to be a prophetic voice, to speak out on what is right and what is wrong, to speak out in a loud and clear voice against wrongdoing. To speak the truth. To be the priests within the community. To combat the suffering.
Pray for mayors. Often I found that when I needed pastors to be pastors and leaders, they wanted to be board – tell me what I should do rather than what they were praying about for me. When they asked what they could do, I would tell them to pray for me.
I’ve been out of office now for thirteen years, but even now they come to me and tell me in no uncertain terms: We need to go and talk to the current Mayor and tell him how he’s wrong. We don’t like some of his decisions. I tell them if you’re going to do that, sound a prophetic voice. But I suggest that a group of us call him and say we’re coming down to pray for him. We did, and the Mayor had tears in his eyes. He said he never expected this. Instead of coming in to ask for things, we went to pray for him.
When I was mayor, there was a group of white pastors who were in the northeast. I know that none of them voted for me. But they came in regularly and prayed for me. That is the most memorable part of my tenure in office – that folks who didn’t know me or even vote for me would come in and offer prayer.
Mayors want churches and pastors to take positions on issues, i.e. education. The two institutions that remain in most communities are the schools and the churches. Businesses are gone, but they remain. Somehow if the congregations can have before school and after school programs, safe quarter programs. Churches can become involved in economic development. Mayors need non-profit groups formed by local congregations to do redevelopment. There are areas where private investment will not go, but a congregation can develop a shopping center or new housing. The whole issue of homelessness – I’m on this crusade. If every congregation in every city would adopt one homeless person, the problem would be taken care of. If they could help a person find a job, mentor them, work with them for 6 months. The area of drugs and alcohol – many congregations already have AA groups. Beyond that education programs for the community to help people understand the problems of alcohol and drug use. Have someone come in three times a year to educate people on the problems. AIDS is a big problem. Mayors need to have churches involved in education re: those issues – health and education.
Essentially what the mayors look to the church for is to be the church. Be who they are called to be, that strong prophetic voice standing up for what is right. And then begin to partner with government to alleviate suffering. Redevelop neighborhoods and shopping centers, be the lighthouse and not the clubhouse.
I found a marvelous example of that. Four years ago I decided to adopt the Amachi program. Amachi is a Nigerian word. In Alaska I learned that amachi in Upic means to carry more than two children on your back. People of faith mentor children of promise. Big brother and big sister agencies, churches adopt children – so many have one or both parents in jail. I went to a prison not far from Philadelphia; I saw a grandfather, father and son all in prison at the same time. Generation to generation. They met for the first time in prison. The grandson came over and told me he had a son he had never seen. It is possible, Christian friends, to have four generations of the same family in jail at the same time. Many of these children live in the zip codes where churches are located. I decided that based on my call to the ministry, I would spend the rest of my life finding people of faith to help these children of promise. Who knows what God can do through these children – what talents and abilities they may have.
We know that 2/3 of a Philadelphia group improved their attendance and behavior – even an hour or two weekly can change the direction of a life. I know from personal experience that a pastor and his wife mentored me to become Mayor and now a preacher. Who knows what God can bring us through these incredible children? Without our intervention and support, they may end up in jail. The best indicator of whether or not a child will go to jail is whether they have a parent in jail. We challenge people to do something with people that don’t look or act like them to become involved.
A woman went to a doctor with a tumor on her jaw. It left her face twisted. For a while after the operation the family and doctor just looked at one another. Finally the wife said, “Will I always be this way?” The answer was yes. The husband tried to make the best of it and said, “It’s cute.” He reached over to kiss her and found it didn’t work as it used to because of her twisted lips. To accommodate her lips, he had to twist his lips. For some time, in order to work with people with twisted lips, we need to have twisted lips. Did not Jesus go to Calvary with twisted lips?
I would say, in closing, that Mayors need congregations and churches to be a part of what I call the riverbed ministry - to stand in the riverbed as the priests did in Joshua’s day, to help those people with problems leave their wilderness and enter their promised land – to leave the wilderness of killing, drugs, homelessness and go into their promised land. It seems to me that across America we should be able to find enough people with twisted lips to stand in the riverbed and help people with social needs become all they can.
If the church is the church with a loud and clear prophetic voice from people of faith, we can turn these cities upside down. I believe that. I’ve seen it happen. Do you believe that? When I ran for office, I always closed my speeches with a challenge: Will you help? Will you help where you are? Halleluia! Halleluia! Halleluia! He closed with this prayer:
“I didn’t know why you sent me here, I didn’t always have the right words formulated, but thank you for sending your anointing, that I could say a word of hope, a word that will help people see beyond where they are to where they can be, to share some information that may not have been known before, and Lord, to show them the hope that all have in you as Christ Jesus. Thank you, Lord, for that hope that you gave us through your son, Jesus, who died on a lonely cross, but rose to live that we may live. We praise you because you are worthy. I love you, Lord. I adore you. I want to magnify your name. I want to give glory to your name. Halleluia! In the precious name of Jesus, Amen.
The website he mentioned is: www.amachimentoring.org Amachi Mentoring - “People of Faith Mentoring Children of Promise”
Q&A
Questioner: In government scenarios as mayor, is it possible for a Mayor’s office to have a fulltime staff person paid by people of faith in the business community?
Goode: I appointed a pastor on my staff to be a liaison with the community. He became an interpreter of what was happening in the community to us, and an interpreter to the community of what was happening in the Mayor’s office. It would not be a problem for the city to accept money for that – IF the businessmen expected nothing in return. If there is an expectation you have an ethical problem. Money given must be given with no strings attached. Philadelphia has formed a separate non-profit foundation that can receive money to do special projects. I chair the library foundation in Philadelphia. We hire a liaison.
Barney Field: In El Paso we have had success by focusing on a particular topic for a year. Last year was year of marriage. Another year of the Bible, encouraging the community to read the Bible. Next year will be year of the father. If you did year of the father in Philadelphia, what would you do?
Goode: The first thing I would do is talk about basic issues of fatherhood today. Many fathers, especially in inner city neighborhoods, are not in the home with the family. Many are in jail. They (minorities) compose 6% of the general pop, but 60% of the prison population. Many fathers who are in jail have no communication with their children. Many have multiple families. Many have been estranged for so long they have lost contact. If you talk about fathering, include all fathers and all families, keeping in mind this special issue with African American and Hispanic fathers, who disproportionately represent the prison population. I would also highlight successful fathers, Christian fathers where the whole family goes to church. Point out the ideal as well. That’s why my wife and I, every chance we get, take the opportunity to talk about how long we have been married, talk about what our family means, talk about our children and grandchildren.
Denny Westover, Charleston, WV: I believe I heard you say it doesn’t help when pastors become ward politicians but it does help when the church takes a strong stand on issues.
Goode: The biggest challenge I had was finding elected officials who sincerely wanted to solve problems, rather than those who merely wanted to profile and be on stage. I found it difficult when people I helped elect on a reform ticket said you can have my vote, but I’m going to need a couple of jobs for my people. It’s difficult when pastors act the same way.
Westover: What about when a pastor who is effective considers transitioning to a politician?
Goode: I have no problem with that. “I is one.” The problem is when we get elected and then start to act like those we pushed out. If you think about running for office, don’t be like them. Be like Christ in all the ways possible, and God will bless you and bless you. Even when you leave office, people respect you because you stand up. The people who fought me hard, the current mayor of Philadelphia was my biggest critic. He was City Councilman. But in my programs, I find no problem in standing with him and praying for him because he’s my brother in that sense.
St. Louis Questioner: On the St. Louis north side – it’s hard to get unity re: political effort and development. How can the church unite the north side politically?
Goode: Is the problem the politicians or the churches? Answer: Both. Goode: People come together over compelling issues. I believe they will come together over a compelling issue. People will gravitate to the issue, but if you just try to get them together, it won’t work. You need to show them what it could be like if they came together to solve these problems. Be succinct in your message. Tell them that a child of an incarcerated parent may end up there unless we do something, and that one hour every week can make the difference.
St. Louis Questioner: How would Mayors like to hear and receive intended programs?
Goode: I would like to see a group come in with their stuff together, the problem clearly defined in succinct terms. Here is the problem we are trying to solve. A drug problem on this corner, x number of people involved; here’s a way we believe this problem can be solved. What always got my attention was when they said they were willing to walk shoulder to shoulder with you in solving the problem, not just dumping the problem for me to solve. Mayors don’t have a lot of time. I loved 5-minute meetings. I would stand – not sit down, and they would stand. Then you know it will be 5 minutes. In fact, I had one office with no chair. I got a drafting table. I don’t sense I missed anything at all by not having chairs. What I sense is that people came in, got to the point, told me what they wanted me to do and left. It doesn’t take all day to do that. What is difficult is when people come in with their laptop and want to give me a Power Point presentation in my office. Give me a half page – define the problem so we can solve it.
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2005 National CIR Plenary Session
Minh Chau
Tom White introduced Minh Chau from Washington, D.C., commending SPOT - Serious Place of Transformation.
Minh began with prayer, and expressed appreciation to the group, and especially to two young men from St. Louis who helped pick up participants at the airport.
Hip hop culture invades every other culture. If you want to reach the coming generation, you have to get a grip on it. If you can reach the hip hop culture, you can reach the popular youth culture. You see it everywhere, overseas. People will drive for hours to come.
I came out of a gang, black guys. D.C. started cracking down on gangs in the 80s. I lived in Manassas, a Georgetown /South neighborhood. The mob did their thing there, selling drugs, etc. As a little Asian kid, I started hanging out. My nickname became Foo-Foo. I got into smoking and selling crack. I went to a party where a high school kid had $300 worth of crack and said he’d split the profits if I sold it. When I returned, a lady was yelling. The crack I had received from my friend was fake (jerkers). Rackheads will kill for that mistake.
I got invited to a COGIC church. The first Sunday nothing happened. On the second Sunday , the pastor asked everyone to come forward and stay until they got the Holy Ghost. I didn’t want to be left out, so I went forward. Elders were talking to me, so I got in a competitive mode, competing with my friends in gyrations. Obviously nothing happened, cause I wasn’t saved. But then it was testimony time. One by one, my friends went up, and I went up. A tall black pastor held the mike up, and I didn’t know what to say, but I opened my mouth and said “Today the Lord saved me.” I hadn’t prayed the sinner’s prayer, but when I said the word saved, something happened.
In 1998 I began to seek the Lord, and in 1999 when I graduated from high school, I went into fulltime vocational ministry, under the wings of a black pastor who led Gospel Invasions Worldwide. He taught me.
When you talk about cityreaching, you are talking about collaborative cityreaching. Anyone can evangelize, but we would pull together churches and resources, especially churches working in the compassion area, getting the business community involved, not even believers only. Lynn Heatly said to look for those who have love. Nonbelievers have love for their community, too.
I mentioned Gary Bergel and what he’s doing in Africa. They held a peace meal banquet – bringing together voodoo priests and tribal leaders, saying “we know you love your community, and we do too.” Voodoo priests love their community and are doing what they know to do. Love is a powerful thing.
What I really want to mention is this: Who are those who will rise up for the next generation? What you expose people to they will become. With the rising generation, there are a lot who are leaders and shakers. If you don’t hook up with them, they will go and do their thing. You leaders in place now, if you aren’t intentional about exposing those you are raising up to intentional things, they won’t get the vision. What we see, what we take in, what we grab hold of is what we will become. Unless they are exposed to the potential of collaborative ministry they won’t walk into it.
In 1999 my pastor trained me. I didn’t have skills, but I had a heart for the Lord. He took a risk on me. I was first generation. I came in 1990, saved in ’97. My parents were Buddhists, and I went into full time ministry without pay. My parents thought I was crazy. They wanted me to get a college education. This pastor took me under his wing. He couldn’t pay me, but he allowed me to sit in meetings. I went to youth group, always looked up to the leaders. I sat in pastors meetings, thinking WOW. Look how they are talking. I soaked it in at a local level.
In 2000, there was the big call to The Mall in D.C. 350,000 young people and leaders came to the Mall to pray - national ministries and local ministries. It became a national movement that went on, and ended last year in Dallas. A year before, I was in Kansas City, Missouri. I saw an Asian guy on the cover of Charisma magazine. I thought that was awesome. A year later I was under my spiritual father. He brought me to a boardroom of leaders. Don Mowen was there, they talked about Michael W. Smith coming. I didn’t know who he was. I had no clue who Rebecca St. James was. But I saw leaders of different ministries and denominations collaborating. We are transformed into the same image by the Spirit of the Lord. Give me the exposure I need and God will bring me up to what He wants me to be.
I became a new breed. In urban culture and black churches, if you talk to a kid in the inner city and start talking about the world they have no clue and don’t really care. They only see what is close. It takes extra effort to get the urban culture out there. A good thing evangelicals are doing is getting out and intentionally making it happen. We in black churches have to come out of the ownership mentality. Here I’m a Vietnamese saying that! I still like Vietnamese food, but I like fried chicken better.
The more you expose the younger generation to collaborative things the more they will get involved. They need to be brought to the table. It’s going to come out of your pocket. You’ll need to pay their airfare. It means risking and releasing. You might get embarrassed, but it’s a risk you need to take. There were other leaders who brought their spiritual sons and daughters. They sent a group of young people to Colorado Springs to discuss what D.C. might look like. They paid our way. Bring them to the table as potential city reachers.
Gary Bergel would put me into those rooms. He trusted the grace of God in me to meet what is required when I go to national meetings. He put me into the Operation Starting Line Task Force. It is a national to local collaboration. As a young person I was able to contribute to the Task Force. This was because a couple of years earlier, someone took a risk on me.
We are working to make SPOT a citywide young church from different ministries to bring about entertaining events that are power packed. Lot of times when we try to reach hip hop it is entertaining but not power packed.
We learned a lesson. We had some leaders who were moving along. We would see God’s power in healing, see young people coming much like I did, letting God’s power hit them and then praying the prayer. Things were moving along, and then hit a bump in the road. We were thinking of having a nontraditional service for young people on Sunday afternoon, to entertain and hit them with power. We told them talk to their senior pastor, asking him to release them. They had a meeting with the senior pastor, told him about it. He asked who was leading it all. I said I was, and explained who my spiritual pastor was, and the pastor said no. The others were angry. There had been a misunderstanding concerning my pastor and this pastor, who were friends in ministry. Because of rumors and miscommunication there was a beef between them. We couldn’t move on – we didn’t know what to do. My pastor had tried to reconcile, but this pastor wouldn’t hear of it. Finally we sat down with this pastor and said something needs to be done. My pastor wrote a letter of apology, even though the rumors weren’t true. From that came reconciliation, and now everything’s cool. To have unity, someone has to take the hit.
When we were in Africa, one of the pastors came to a conference and said he was glad he came because there had been lots of rumors about the church and pastor and he learned they weren’t true. Someone has to take the hit for unity. We have a right to be treated right, to not be mistreated. But sometimes for the greater good of the kingdom, we have to take the hit. The other person may not be willing to do it. If there isn’t unity among leaders in place now, the emerging generation will have trouble achieving it. There is more variety in backgrounds in the emerging generation, and they really don’t care, but we’ll have a problem if those over us care. If you don’t get younger leaders involved, there is going to be a chasm between generations. A decade from now, things could be worse than they are now because we aren’t bringing them to the table. You’ve been through movements, seen division. What happens when you bring the young people in and they take your mailing list? You have to tell them what’s wrong; you may have to let them go, but let them know they can always come back. Warn them about the pitfalls, but be there for them.
Cityreaching – the next generation. We have our own business (music and media)– I learned it from my spiritual father. Bring sons and daughters to the table, even though they may hurt you. Bring them not trainees, but as sons and daughters. Open up opportunities for others to come to the table. It will take those in ministry with the funding to pay the way. More women need to come. Something needs to be done soon. I’m getting older – I need to look for the 15-17 year olds to bring to the table.
One more thought. In Africa I was sharing that my goal is to become unimportant. We see divine healings take place. My mission in ministry is accomplished the day I become unimportant. Look for the day you can stay at home and your son or daughter is serving.
Those of “the younger generation” were invited forward for special prayer led by Brother Bruce Purnell and Lynn Heatley.
David Claybrook asked prayer for “the father generation”, noting that many of the older generation were not fathered. Minh suggested a book by G. Edwards, Three Kings, and then prayed for this generation on whose shoulders the younger stand.
