Christian Pastors Focus Group
Feedback
Christian Pastors Focus Group
Feedback
• You know , one of the things that we have done minister in our church and the young adult ministry and Mount Olive Baptist church have been hosting a joint zoom call with their with young adults on like a they ’ ve been on Thursday nights . They did them for , I don ’ t know , once a month is kind of how the rotation has been and I actually have not been on one of those calls but the but the people who been on it , have told me how much they ’ ve appreciated . You know the conversation to help you know , like for example one of supposedly in one of those conversations , one of our young adults said that they were afraid to say black lives matter because they felt like it was promoting a I Don ’ t know an ideology or whatever . Evidently the organization . I guess is what I ’ m talking about . And , and one of the members of Mount Olive said back to the young adult in our church , “ well , we want to give you permission to say Black Lives Matter without thinking it signs you up for some kind of Cult . You know , we would just like to hear you say it in .” So supposedly what happened that night was one of our adults said , “ Well , I just want to say that black lives matter .” So just that dialogue that ’ s been happening . I think has been beneficial , but we need more of it . I mean , that ’ s just a small , isolated . Thing but it ’ s been beneficial .
• Something that we are grateful for is that we have a relationship with our leadership . I know , Jennifer , you ’ ve seen that for a long time here in that - it doesn ’ t feel forced to me . I think is pretty genuine and so I think that ’ s very helpful . So if there is an issue that comes up in our community . You know , we can convene a meeting and have a conversation . When the situation happened with George Floyd , Kennedy Jones and I ended up having a conversation where he wanted to have a pretty significant official meeting with the leaders of the city . In other words , he didn ’ t want to just have a meeting and us all sit around and talk . He wanted Mayor Jeff Williams there . He wanted the acting police chief there . I told him I said , “ candidly , I think it needs to happen .” Well , the good news is we were able to do that and the city leaders were willing to listen to the concerns .
• I would say to just piggyback on . I thought I think one thing I ’ d want the Unity Council know is In addition to our gratitude for being included [ in this focus group ] we would be willing to lead in this and not just to have to follow . We ’ ve historically trying to be good supporters of what the city is doing , and by God ’ s grace , the pastors in the city have a really profound amount of influence over a lot of the people just because they come to our churches . And they listened to share God ’ s word week after week . And that ’ s a critical resource for any single leader who ’ s trying to make something happen . How do you engage the masses ? How do you speak to them in a way that doesn ’ t feel political or doesn ’ t feel forced or as an outsider coming in ? Going to the leaders of the flocks and speaking with them and engaging with them and utilizing their leadership to get their congregation included in this conversation is something that we offer .
Unity Council Report 108