Letter from Pastor Hosea Hines

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ:

As preachers of the Gospel and stewards of God’s Church on Earth, we are uniquely positioned to influence the communities we pastor in a direction that best serves them, and God’s greater purpose for our community. As we all know, the Black community is facing deeper divides and more existential challenges than we have in decades. Global forces that we cannot control are rapidly changing humanity faster than we can truly appreciate. And in the midst of such rapid change, the divides within and between our community members, the sense of disconnection, isolation and abandonment that many Black people feel, is reaching crisis levels.

In this context, far too many people in our community are disengaging with the Church, their loved ones, and the community at large. Schisms between Black men and women, that were initiated and fueled by the scourge of slavery and exacerbated by concerted machinations thereafter to keep the Black community divided, have become an existential threat to the survival of our community at the worst possible time. For while we are seeing the unity and mutual support within our community wane, we are simultaneously seeing the forces of racism and inequity grow louder, bolder and more accepted in public discourse.

It is time for those who have received a calling from the Almighty to teach and lead His people to a better purpose, to use their voices and influence to remind our parishioners of who we are, what we have come from, and where we must go, as a unified people. As a brother preacher, I am humbly asking that you reserve one of these SUNDAYS, (OCTOBER 30 or NOVEMBER 6, 2022), to preach to your congregation about the need for the Black community to stick together, to use our political power in the upcoming election, and to support Black candidates who care about the Black community, regardless of personal preferences.

When our ancestors finally won the right to vote, they knew that they wouldn’t be voting for candidates who were good for the Black community. For decades our parents and grandparents showed up to vote for the person who would do the least harm to the Black community, understanding that their political action was their best and most effective tool to keep their children–which means all of us- -safe. We owe our children no less fidelity. They face more, not fewer, threats than we did. And we have the luxury of having candidates to vote for who look like, and care about us. It is critical that those of us who have the ability to influence our community, do so now, to ensure that everything we can do to protect and advance our community through the vote is done, while there is still time.

I emphasize that this is not about preaching politics, even if the rules about politics in church have changed significantly to accommodate those who call themselves “evangelicals,” but instead blatantly campaign from the pulpit. My ask is that you preach about our survival, and our power. Cutting off a half, a third, or even a quarter of the political power of the Black community is suicidal in this day and age. Evil forces have now blatantly shown us who they are. We have no choice but to believe them.

Brothers and Sisters, you know your congregation like no other, and are uniquely qualified to preach as God moves you. I am simply asking that you tailor your SUNDAY, OCTOBER 23 or NOVEMBER 6, 2022, sermon to inspire your flock to rededicate themselves, fully, wholly and enthusiastically to protecting, defending, supporting and elevating the power of the Black community through the vote. If we, each of us, make this commitment, and share this message with every other preacher we know, our collective work will create a mighty wind. Whether it has the desired effect is up to God, but it would please Him for us to do everything in our power to influence our followers to the greater good. I uplift you and yours in prayer, and sincerely appreciate your consideration of this request.

Yours in Christ,

Pastor Hosea Hines
Christ Tabernacle Church
Jackson, MS