This week the Baptist Ministers Alliance and the Interdenominational Ministers Alliance used their regular Monday meeting as a community forum to hear candidates in the Democratic primary for the 7th Congressional District seat.
About two dozen ministers from predominantly African-American churches met at Galilee Missionary Baptist Church to hear congressional candidates discuss their agenda and goals.
“We have a very important election this year and the Ministers Alliance, which represents churches all over this city, wanted to hear from the candidates so that we can announce who we’re going to support,” said Rev. Fitzhugh Lyons, host pastor of the event and president of the Interdenominational Ministers Alliance.
Lyons noted that since the alliance is a non-profit organization it cannot legally endorse a candidate, but individual ministers can still use information from candidates to decide who they will personally support.
Lyons and Rev. Stephen Clay, pastor of Messiah Missionary Baptist Church, explained that the forum also offered ministers the opportunity to respectfully ask candidates who have little chance of winning to step aside so that African-American strength at the polls won’t be diluted among too many candidates.
“Everyone has a right to run, but we don’t want to muddy the water this election,” said Clay, who had the idea of a candidate forum. “If Pookie is on the ballot this year then cousin Ray Ray and ‘em will want to vote for Pookie. That’s taking away three or four votes that could go to a viable candidate.”
Four of the eight candidates running in the Democratic primary for Congress appeared at the event, including Dr. Woody Myers, state Rep. David Orentlicher, Rev. Dr. Frances Nelson Williams and Larry Lamont Ledford.
Incumbent Congressman Andre Carson, who is running for a full term, did not attend the forum, citing legislative business in Washington.
State Rep. Carolene Mays also was not present, but Lyons explained that Mays had already met with the Baptist Ministers Alliance on several occasions to share her campaign platform. She has already received endorsements from several key pastors.
The four candidates who did attend spoke following introductory remarks by Lyons and Rev. Rayford Brown, pastor of Rock of Faith Missionary Baptist Church and president of the Baptist Ministers Alliance.
Myers reminded the ministers that he is an Indianapolis native who grew up at Trinity C.M.E. Church. He also touted his experience in the public and private sector as former Indiana Health Commissioner, a doctor in private practice and director of large insurance companies.
“My belief is that I have the best experience as someone who has seen government from the local,” said Myers. “I see everybody in this district as my patient and I want to take care of you.”
Ledford, a community activist, mentioned his close relationship with the late civil rights leader Rev. Dr. Andrew J. Brown and pledged to continue the minister’s legacy.
Then suddenly, Ledford announced he would withdraw from the campaign, to the applause of several ministers.
“I would love to be your congressman, but my first goal is to help out my community,” said Ledford. “It’s too much clutter and I’m going to help my community first. This is a sacrifice.”
Orentlicher, who practices internal medicine and teaches law at Indiana University, thanked the ministers for having the forum. He mentioned that as a Jew, faith is also very important to him and praised the ministers for ensuring that faith remains an important part of the community.
He stated that in six years as a state representative he has introduced or sponsored legislation to help small businesses, add more child protection case workers, make insurance more affordable and lower property taxes.
“In many important ways as a state legislator I have stood up and shown leadership,” he said. “I will provide the same leadership as a member of Congress.”
Williams, who servers as a community activist and staff chaplain at Methodist Hospital, stated that she is familiar with problems faced by the common citizen and is seeking to represent those who are looking for change.
“I do not seek this position for fame, only with a willingness to be a public servant,” she said. “I am a person who believes in diversity because it’s going to take all of us to address our social ills. I would like to be a proactive voice for the voiceless.”
After their remarks each candidate departed from the forum, and the ministers continued to discuss various aspects of the election. The forum quickly turned into a debate over whether or not the ministers should support a congressional candidate who is not a Christian or is hostile to the teachings of Christ. Some ministers expressed their hesitancy to support any candidate who vocally opposes Christian teachings but is willing to appear at churches and ask for votes from Christians.
A small minority of opposing pastors stated their belief that Christ teaches tolerance and that endorsements should be based on qualities such as political experience and administrative competence, not religion.
“We need to look at this from the correct perspective,” said Rev. Richard Willoughby pastor of Promised Land Christian Church. “I’m not involved in this election for my religion. If God tells me to support a certain Christian candidate I’ll do that, but I haven’t been told to do so. Any candidate, whether they’re Christian or not, is running for congress to represent a community, not a religion.”
Clay countered that view, saying that Christians can’t be proud to uphold Jesus in some areas of their life but be afraid to embrace him in others.
“Either he is Lord of all your life or he is not Lord of your life,” said Clay. “You can’t make some separation between a person’s spiritual beliefs and their politics; they are one in the same. We have to stand on what we believe as Christians. This is a great time for us to give leadership to our community instead of allowing the wagon to lead the horse.”
Lyons agreed with Clay, saying a congressional candidate who dismissed Christians as “hypocrites” is not worth support from the church.
“How can you insult the preachers of the gospel and ask for our vote? We must stand by what we believe,” said Lyons, his voice rising. “I’m going to stand by Jesus, even if I have to stand with him all by myself. Anybody who preaches the gospel and compromises ought to give their license back.”
Although Lyons said the ministers will decide this week who to support as pastors (not as members of the alliance) disagreement on the issue has made a joint endorsement unlikely.
Rev. Frank Moore, pastor of University United Methodist Church, appealed for calm and unity.
“We must remember that we are all ministers of God, so let us not take this division out on to the streets of our community,” said Moore. “We can disagree without being disagreeable.”
