Bishop Eddie Long and the Mega Church Failure

My faithful reader, Barbara (thanks mom) wrote,

I have a negative opinion of most mega churches. There are so many positive things that they should be doing

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Not to make light of Bishop Eddie Long's sordid affairs and troubles, but it raises the question of the role of the Black Church in an era of high crisis (we all know the statistical data) in the black community.

Instead of using church funds and resources to buy mansions, private jets, exotic vacations, fancy cars (plural) and other extravagant material bling-bling, just maybe the church could use more resources to uplift our community from economic chaos and Depression like conditions.

Or, are we as a people, so vested in materialism and individualism - I got mine, you got to get yours - that we fail to see that collectively we are greater than our individual parts?

Heru Ammen of the Urban Village Blog writes:

The black church is the worst culprit of what I term purveyors of conscious neglect. This institution, which should be standing in the gap for its poor and disenfranchised constituents represents the worst exploiter of the poor and disenfranchised that has ever existed in the African American community. Its raw embrace of individualism and materialism is couched in a feel good message of salvation and prosperity. Unfortunately the message of salvation and prosperity that the black church promotes seems to only apply to a few of its select clergy and members

He goes on to explain:

Their are approximately 70,000 black churches in the United States. Partial statistics show us that the median-average income of black churches is $200,000 annually. With a combined annual income approaching fourteen-billion (or more), the black church has the financial capability to effect change within our urban communities on a scale that is as wide as it is deep

All I can add is, preach on my brother, amen.