WASHINGTON — A delegation of 60 Baptist pastors from almost 20 states — including about two dozen from the Mid-Atlantic — participated in a White House briefing March 7, joining administration officials in a four-hour dialogue on policy topics ranging from the environment to immigration to predatory lending.
Although media were not allowed to attend the session to report, participants were allowed to tweet during the briefing and several responded to questions by email after the event.
“I would not define our discussions as liberal, conservative, Republican or Democratic, but rather a faith response from Baptist pastors to moral concerns,” said David Washburn, pastor of First Baptist Church in Waynesboro, Va., “We did not suggest to the White House staff what their policies should be in order to address issues like human trafficking or predatory lending, but told the stories of our people and how they are being affected by these issues.”
Paul Monteiro, associate director of the White House Office of Public Engagement, leads the briefing for Baptist ministers. (Photo by EthicsDaily.com)
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Guy Sayles, pastor of First Baptist Church in Asheville, N.C., said the briefing illustrated “both the complexity of the issues our nation faces … and the necessity of collaboration among people of goodwill across the ideological perspective. “
“I was struck by how often it seems that practical solutions to human problems are difficult to implement, because we live in a climate which overly-politicizes everything,” Sayles said.
Abby Thornton, pastor of Broadneck Baptist Church in Annapolis, Md., said first-hand contact with administration officials humanized the decision-making process.
“Much of the value in this gathering was having face time — time when we could look each other in the eyes and remember that behind all of these hot-button issues are countless human faces, personal stories and real people who will ultimately pay the price of our decisions,” she said.
Connie Stinson, pastor of Luther Rice Memorial Baptist Church in Silver Spring, Md., was discouraged by how politicized key policy issues have become — in particular immigration, an issue “I care deeply about.”
“The briefing left me even more disillusioned as I realized how much more partisan immigration issues have come to be in the last three years,” she said. “… Our immigration problems are in urgent, desperate need of bipartisan attention.”
Don't start in a hole
Leading the briefing was Paul Monteiro, associate director of the White House Office of Public Engagement, who welcomed the group as part of the White House’s outreach to the faith community.
Monteiro was quoted as saying a part “of my job is to break the churches out of the silos that they’ve been put in.”
He urged this involvement because “[w]hen you’re talking about policy issues and you leave out the church, you’re starting in a hole.”
White House officials wanted to hear from Baptists because “[w]e don’t have a monopoly on good ideas,” Monteiro was quoted as saying.
Other speakers included:
- Rohan Patel, associate director of the Council on Environmental Quality, who spoke about the administration’s environmental efforts and how they relate to the faith community.
- Julie Rodriguez, associate director of the Office of Public Engagement, who focused on Latino communities.
- Chris Vaeth, advisor for the Office of Community Affairs for the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, who offered a critique of payday and car-title lenders, which many in the Christian community regard as predatory.
- Felicia Escobar, senior policy advisor for the Domestic Policy Council, who discussed immigration issues.
- Jannah Scott, deputy director for the Center for Faith-based and Neighborhood Partnership, who noted that President Obama’s spiritual values help frame his policy decisions. She specifically focused on disaster relief efforts, say, “Disaster response is a spiritual imperative.”
- Three officials from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development — B.J. Douglas, Engram Lloyd and Paula Lincoln — who discussed efforts to prevent foreclosures.
Addressing the group as the briefing began were Robert Parham, executive director of the Nashville, Tenn.-based EthicsDaily.com, and Ricky Creech, executive director of the District of Columbia Baptist Convention.
“We say let justice roll down like waters. It is the government’s task to build an irrigation system,” Parham was quoted as saying.
Creech echoed Parham’s hopes that the group could push the government to implement goodwill, moral policies. He urged the Baptist leaders to “get their hands dirty.”
Creech reported the group would present the Domestic Policy Council’s Escobar with a copy of the new Common English Bible (which uses the word “immigrant” instead of “stranger” or “alien”) and a copy of the “Gospel Without Borders” DVD, an immigration documentary created by EthicsDaily.com.
“My personal feeling is that in order to get the church back on track with the New Testament imperatives we have got to get over ourselves, join hearts and hands with other stakeholders in our communities that are trying to make a difference and focus less on the campus of the church and more on the community surrounding the church,” Creech said after the event.
Future dialogue
Other participants said they hope the briefing is the begnning of continued dialogue between the administration and Baptist groups.
“Because of the number of presenters, we were limited on actual dialogue,” said Tim Marsh pastor of First Baptist Church in Taylorsville, N.C. “But it left me feeling that Baptists have a foot in the door for more conversation.”
And more conversation is necessary, Marsh said.
“I serve a rural town in which our issue is poverty due to jobs leaving the United States,” he said. “Several of our furniture factories have closed. In Alexander County, one out of three children is classified as ‘food insecure.’ We have problems with drugs and alcoholism, domestic violence and unemployment that contribute to these issues.
“We have many Christians of goodwill who work to solve these issues. But without jobs, our community continues to sink. I did not hear anything on employment, rural poverty and hunger. I would love to hear what the current administration would have to say about poverty and job creation in rural areas.”
Michael Cheuk, pastor of Farmville (Va.) Baptist Church, agreed time restrictions were frustrating.
“One four-hour meeting is probably not going to influence the administration’s policies or raise the profile of Baptists,” he said. “But I'd like to think that our presence and participation demonstrate a willingness among Baptists to partner with the administration to work toward a common good.”
That potential partnership was enhanced as a result of the briefing, said Elizabeth Hagan, pastor of Washington Plaza Baptist Church in Reston, Va.
“Doors were opened for ongoing relationship, especially with the warm welcome we received from Paul Monterio,” she said. “If we as the Baptist family desire ongoing dialogue with those in earshot of the President, it is now up to us to continue to reach out.”
Other Mid-Atlantic leaders participating in the briefing were Lynn Bergfalk, pastor of Wisconsin Avenue Baptist Church, Washington; Amy Butler, pastor of Calvary Baptist Church, Washington; Leslie Copeland-Tune, managing editor of the Capital Baptist; Kendrick Curry, pastor of Pennylvania Avenue Baptist Church, Washington, and president of the D.C. Baptist Convention; Amy Dean, pastor of Park Road Baptist Church, Charlotte, N.C.; Larry Hovis, executive coordinator of the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship of North Carolina; Yvonne Lamb, director of women at DaySpring Community Church, Lanham, Md.; Essentino Lewis, pastor of Clifton Park Baptist Church, Lanham, Md.; Joe Lewis, pastor of Second Baptist Church, Petersburg, Va.; Joseph Lyles, pastor of Fort Foote Baptist Church, Fort Washington, Md.; Starlette McNeill, a member of Enon Baptist Church, Washington; Bruce Powers, pastor of Westhaven Baptist Church, Portsmouth, Va., and his wife, Traci; and Ella Redfield, pastor of New Creation Baptist Church, Wheaton, Md.
Brian Kaylor ([email protected]) is assistant professor of communication studies at James Madison University in Harrisonburg, Va., and a contributing editor for EthicsDaily.com. Robert Dilday ([email protected]), managing editor of the Religious Herald, contributed to this story.