I have heard their cry: Sharing a God who understands
Evangelism and Social Justice
Presenter: Rev. Dr. Malcolm J. Byrd, Pastor
Mother AME Zion Church, New York, New York
Chief Operating O cer
National Action Network
And the Lord said, I have surely seen the a liction of my people which are in Egypt, and have heard their cry by reason of their taskmasters; for I know their sorrows;
And I am come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians, and to bring them up out of that land unto a good land and a large, unto a land flowing with milk and honey
Exodus 3:7-8a
We are the Freedom Church. Our spiritual DNA includes justice and advocacy for the oppressed. What happened to our prophetic and social justice edge?
Before we discuss tips and tools on how to grow your church from a social justice perspective, we must first ask a few pressing questions:
1.
How prone is your church to speak up and speak out?
2.
How many times was voting referenced from the pulpit prior to this last election?
3.
How many meals were distributed to hungry people outside of your church?
4.
How many community issues were raised and addressed from within your church?
5.
If your church mysteriously disappeared from its current location, would the marginalized and disinherited in your community know it was gone?
God is always on the side of the oppressed! If this be the case, which side is the church on?
In order to grow your church or ministry from a social justice perspective, your church must:
1.
Approach justice issues as God would.
2. Remember that in 2024, people don’t join churches for the sake of simply being a member, they join active movements that are clear about changing the world.
3. Address the pressing community issues that other churches or ministries have neglected to address.
4. Use Zion’s liberation legacy as a foundation to establish a new Freedom Church movement in the present.
People want to be part of something that is alive and vibrant. They may come to Jesus after seeing the followers j of Jesus actively involved in fights and e orts that will improve their human condition! Your community will never forget the church that stood up and spoke out for them