Durham leaders discuss churches' roles in communities

Several community leaders gathered at St. Joseph's AME Church Monday night to discuss the role of religious organizations in influencing public policy. The town meeting was part of the 30th anniversary celebration of Duke's Black Seminarians Union. The discussion-which comes at a time of heightened awareness of the issue just before the presidential elections-focused on preaching and social change, particularly in the black community. "Churches must mobilize people to become actively involved in their communities," said panelist J.T. Robeson, dean of the divinity school at Shaw University.

Panel members commented on the balancing act churches must perform in order to deliver their religious message and take a hands-on roll in the community as well. Specifically, panelists emphasized the role churches must play in giving a voice to poor and disadvantaged citizens.

"We can't let individuals fall through the safety net that is no longer there," stressed Barbara Earls, executive director of Project JUBILEE, an organization that educates faith groups about welfare changes. She said her work is particularly relevant given recent actions by the federal government aimed at balancing the budget.

However, panelists acknowledged that religious groups must use caution when dealing with government contracts and funds, since First Amendment issues could arise. As an example, Earls brought up the Charitable Choice Act, a piece of legislation that allows local social service offices to grant funds to churches for the purpose of keeping people off welfare. Lawsuits have been filed over the legislation because it allows churches to incorporate mandatory religious participation into its aid programs.

"There's a firewall between the church and the government," said panelist Odell Cleveland, executive director of the Welfare Liaison Project, an advocate for prisoners. Odell, also an adjunct chaplain at Greensboro's Moses Cone Hospital, proposed that groups of church members create independent non-profit organizations to perform charity, thereby avoiding legal issues.

The panelists also shared their successes. Cleveland cited his church's Prodigal Son program, where members mentor youths incarcerated for non-violent crimes and assist them with the transition out of prison, for example, by helping them find jobs. The meeting closed on a positive note with a call for more community involvement on the part of churches and their members. "Every church can do something," said Rodney Sadler, co-director of the Divinity School's Office of Black Church Studies.

The panel included other individuals from both the religious and public sector, including Philip Cousin, pastor of St. Joseph's AME Church and former Durham County School Board member; Lou Myers, president and founder of the North Carolina Institute of Minority Economic Development; and Gerald Taylor, regional supervisor of the Industrial Area Foundation and a former state president of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People.