{"id":1015,"date":"2013-12-12T12:27:00","date_gmt":"2013-12-12T12:27:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/admin.patheos.com\/blogs\/rhetoricraceandreligion\/2013\/12\/a-letter-from-the-brothers-we-support-women-period.html"},"modified":"2013-12-12T12:27:00","modified_gmt":"2013-12-12T12:27:00","slug":"a-letter-from-the-brothers-we-support-women-period","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/rhetoricraceandreligion\/2013\/12\/a-letter-from-the-brothers-we-support-women-period.html","title":{"rendered":"A Letter From the Brothers: We Support Women Period"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<\/head>
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Bishop Joseph Walker and the Full Gospel Baptist Church Fellowship International (FGBCF) launched a\u00a0<\/span>\u201cnew kingdom initiative and ministry paradigm\u201d<\/span><\/a>\u00a0<\/span>that focused on a \u201cprogressive agenda to promote church, social and political reform\u201d via a \u201cfive point platform.\u201d \u00a0This historic gathering was by \u201c<\/span><\/span>invitation only\u201d and featured \u201cprominent, new generation pastors and leaders\u201d that came to Miami, Florida to \u201cinteract and to integrate their ideas on bold, powerful and world changing topics.\u201d<\/span><\/p><\/div>\n


<\/span><\/span>However, not lost on many was the omission of women at this \u201chistorical gathering.\u201d \u00a0This sparked an intense and trending tweet chat on December 10, 2013 <\/span>(#R3nowomen)<\/a> and an open letter <\/a>inistatied by Woman Preach CEO and President Dr. Valerie Bridgman,<\/a> to Bishop Walker and the\u00a0a<\/span>ttendees of the inaugural meeting of the \u201cSHIFT.\u201d\u00a0<\/span>Many criticized the\u00a0initiative\u00a0as \u201cbackwards and wondered how can a group talk about the future of the church and have no women present. Others felt like we have learned nothing from the work of womanists feminists, and activists in both the Civil Rights and Black Power Movements.\u00a0<\/span><\/div>\n
We are not questioning the motives of Bishop Walker and the FGBCF for they can speak and indeed have <\/span>spoken for themselves<\/a>. We, the undersigned, \u00a0just wanted simply to say that as men<\/b>,\u00a0<\/span>we<\/b> support women period!<\/b> We feel that this is important for us as men to say and to say loudly. We acknowledge that we benefit from <\/span>Black Male Privilege<\/a> (BMP) in the church and that sometimes that can blind us from recognizing and realizing how we benefit from such a system.\u00a0<\/span><\/span>

<\/span><\/span>Therefore, as ministers of the gospel, church leaders, and people who love and support women, we promise to speak up, speak out, stand up and stand with our sisters in ministry. We promise to listen better, learn better live better and love better. In short, we respect and affirm our sisters in ministry and our desire is to become even better allies at standing up to this <\/span>ecclesiastical apartheid<\/i> that continues seemly\u00a0<\/span>unabated in our churches<\/span>. Therefore, we say again\u00a0and say loudly\u2014we support and love our sisters in ministry! <\/b><\/span><\/span>

<\/span><\/i>*We invite others to sign our letter as well. If you would like to be included, please just send your name and how you would want us to list you to: rhetoricraceandreligion@gmail.com<\/span><\/i><\/div>\n
Rev. Andre E. Johnson, PhD<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n
Pastor, Gifts of Life Ministries, Memphis, Tennessee<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n
Dr. James L. Netters Associate Professor of Rhetoric & Religion and <\/span><\/span><\/div>\n
African American Studies, Memphis Theological Seminary<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n

<\/span><\/div>\n
Rev. Earle J. Fisher<\/span><\/div>\n
Senior Pastor, Abyssinian Baptist Church, Memphis, Tennessee <\/span><\/div>\n
Adjunct Instructor of Contemporary Theology, Rhodes College, Memphis, Tennessee<\/span><\/div>\n

<\/span><\/div>\n
Rev. Rashad D. Grove<\/span><\/div>\n
Pastor, First Baptist Church of Wayne<\/span><\/div>\n
Wayne, Pennsylvania <\/span>

<\/span>\n
Bishop W. James Thomas, II, M.Div.<\/span><\/div>\n
Senior Pastor, Shiloh Church of Memphis \u2013 \u201cThe Place of Praise\u201d<\/span><\/div>\n
Presidin
\ng Prelate, The Apostolic Covenant of Churches Int\u2019l, Inc.<\/span><\/div>\n

<\/span><\/div>\n
\n
Rev. Timothy Jones<\/span><\/div>\n
Senior Pastor, Community Baptist Church, New Haven, CT<\/span><\/div>\n
PhD Candidate in Practical Theology, Boston University School of Theology<\/span><\/div>\n

<\/span><\/div>\n
The Reverend Asa J. Lee<\/span>
Assistant Pastor\/Minister of Christian Education<\/span>
Mount Olive Baptist Church, Arlington, VA<\/span>
<\/span>\n

<\/span>Rev. Quincy James Rineheart, M.Div., S.T.M.<\/span><\/div>\n
Member of Victory for the World Church UCC, Stone Mountain, Georgia<\/span>

<\/span>\n
Min. Brandon J. Van Horn\u00a0<\/span><\/div>\n
Senior Servant, Anointed Youth Ministries,<\/span><\/div>\n
Memphis, Tennessee<\/span>

<\/span>Pastor Joshua Harper\u00a0<\/span>
Second Congregational UCC Church, Memphis TN<\/span>

<\/span>\n
Pastor D\u2019Arcy A. Deveaux, Sr.<\/span><\/div>\n
Senior Pastor\/Teacher<\/span><\/div>\n
Emmanuel Missionary Baptist Church<\/span><\/div>\n
Director of Senior Pastors Network<\/span><\/div>\n
The Apostolic Covenant of Churches Int\u2019l, Inc.<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n

<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n
Rev. Brian Foulks<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n
Lexington, South Carolina<\/span><\/span>

<\/span><\/span>\n
Min. Brandon J. Perkins, M.A.<\/span><\/div>\n

M.Div Candidate at Columbia Theological Seminary<\/span>
Providence Missionary Baptist Church-Christian Education Intern<\/span>
Atlanta, GA<\/span><\/span>

<\/span><\/span>Matthew Wesley Williams<\/span><\/span>
Lithonia, Georgia<\/span><\/span>

<\/span><\/span>Rev. L. Andrew Turner<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n
Rev. John Gilmore<\/span><\/div>\n
Open Heart Spiritual Center<\/span><\/div>\n
Memphis, TN<\/span>\n

Darnell L. Moore <\/span><\/span>
Writer and Co-managing Editor <\/span><\/span>
The Feminist Wire\u00a0<\/span><\/span>

<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\n
\n
\n
Minister Louis J. Mitchell<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n
South Congregational Church<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n
Springfield, MA<\/span><\/span>

<\/span><\/span>\n
Rev. Torey T. Wilson<\/u><\/u><\/span><\/div>\n
Associate Pastor<\/u><\/u><\/span><\/div>\n
Friendship Baptist Church<\/u><\/u><\/span><\/div>\n
Trenton, NJ<\/span>\n

Rev. Justin M. Shamell, M. Div.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Stone\u00a0Mountain, GA 30088<\/span><\/span>

<\/span><\/span>The Rev. J. Lee Hill, Jr., Senior Pastor
Christian Fellowship Congregational Church (UCC)
San Diego, California<\/span>

<\/span>\n
Kenneth L. Whitehurst, M. Ed.\u00a0<\/span><\/div>\n
Elder, Trinity PC(USA)<\/span><\/div>\n
Decatur, GA<\/span>

<\/span>Gerald I. Parks II
Pastoral Intern.
Church of the Master Presbteri
\nan Church (PCUSA)
Senior at the Interdenominational Theological Center<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
<\/div>\n
Rev. David Israel Madison, MDiv<\/span><\/div>\n
Pastor,\u00a0Greater Ward African Methodist Episcopal Church<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n
Houston, TX<\/span><\/span>\n
Rev. Thomas Grinter, Th.M.,<\/span><\/div>\n
Ph.D. Student at Chicago Theological Seminary<\/span>

<\/span>Pastor Yeshua A. Holiday
National Liaison for TransSaints Ministry of the Fellowship of Affirming Ministries
Tabernacle of Love Ministries, Founder<\/span>

<\/span>Dr. Jawanza Eric Clark
Assistant Professor of Global Christianity
Manhattan College<\/span>

<\/span>Ewuare X. Osayande<\/span>
Editor \u2013\u00a0<\/span>Stand Our Ground: Poems for Trayvon Martin and Marissa Alexander<\/i><\/div>\n
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Bishop Joseph Walker and the Full Gospel Baptist Church Fellowship International (FGBCF) launched a\u00a0\u201cnew kingdom initiative and ministry paradigm\u201d\u00a0that focused on a \u201cprogressive agenda to promote church, social and political reform\u201d via a \u201cfive point platform.\u201d \u00a0This historic gathering was by \u201cinvitation only\u201d and featured \u201cprominent, new generation pastors and leaders\u201d that came to Miami, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1015","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"yoast_head":"\nA Letter From the Brothers: We Support Women Period<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Bishop Joseph Walker and the Full Gospel Baptist Church Fellowship International (FGBCF) launched 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