Tuesday, February 13, 2007
Black Churches Must Embrace Urban Regional Power by Akindele Akinyemi
Many times you often hear me talk about how the Black church is the catalyst of revitalizing our community from within. As we begin breaking ground on urban regional power in in areas like Benton harbor and Inkster we need to fully understand how the faith based community will play an critical role of redevelopment and begin a revolution to reestablish cultural values in our community.
The biggest obstacle facing our community is ourselves. Not the Democratic or Republican parties, not the TV or Radio, and not government. We need to re-evaluate ourselves as the Black community. After 40 years of liberal policies in urban communities across Michigan we are still stuck at square one.
Fighting the "white" power structure is far from the answer and due to this false pretense we have lost not just one but two generations of leaders due to keeping them stuck in a mindset of where hey might not never pull themselves out of mental poverty. Part to blame for this is our churches.
The African American church is the most powerful institution in our community. It will play an important role in building urban regional power on an economic and educational level.
However, we must redefine the role of the church in 2007.
The Black church must begin to organize on true Christian principles. Far too often (and I have said this many times) that it is a crime to turn the church into a fashion zone, a political derby for liberal or conservatives, a bling-bling for those with money or wealth, Black Theology that is rooted in communism/socialism or Marxism, or old membership that is ready to die off.
The root of ANY church should be its children/youth ministry. This is where we should be establishing legacies. What I mean by that is developing leadership based on God, accountability, integrity and trust. We should be exposing our children to free market enterprises, investments and wealth creation.
We should be teaching the spiritual side of sex to our young people. Sex should be explained as a mental and spiritual development first before physical. Of course, explain the dangers of sex as well as developing a healthy spiritual lifestyle.
The other thing we should be teaching our young adults who are eligible to vote is to vote their values. If we are teaching our children that abortion is wrong in the church and then vote for Jennifer Granholm (a governor who supports abortion) then that is sending a mixed message. Our community is confused because we want to be liberal politicians who preach about Black this and Black that but want to teach our children conservative values. This will not cut it as we build urban regional power in our community.
The Black church also should stress the importance of spiritual prosperity FIRST before economic prosperity. We have some churches that will not engage in either and teach our young people to have a hand-out mentality. This is the problem in Benton Harbor, MI. We have religious leaders begging Whirlpool Corporation to build the Black community when they should have already established an urban regional network with Berrien, Kalamazoo, Van Buren and Calhoun Counties. The Black Chamber of Commerce should already be in place. Economic development should already be in motion. Thanks to liberal policies and hatred for other people that do not look like us we hinder our social, economic and political development.
The Black Church should stop giving social programs (where our people become dependent) and begin to develop educational and wealth creation programs (which will give them a sense of self-determination) we will begin to fully appreciate what God has in store for us. Social programs are riddled with scandals, political jockeying and embezzlement. We need to educate our families within the church structure on how to conserve their money, invest for their children's future and most importantly live comfortably. Churches that are fighting the system only to receive the crumbs that fall from the table of the "White Power Structure" for a few social programs is keeping us enslaved.
Free market economics is the key to transforming Inkster, Benton Harbor and Ecorse.
Black churches finally should embrace and invest in educational choice. We are responsible for expanding charters in our own community. We have the prime opportunity to compete with traditional school systems to prepare our children for a 21st century global job market.
If the Black church revolutionize themselves in 2007 with fully embracing conservative technology then we will succeed in building urban regional power in small urban communities in Michigan.
http://onedetroitnetwork.blogspot.com/2007/02/black-churches-must-embrace-urban.html
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