From Sacred to Secular: The Hijacking of the Black Church
New Birth Missionary Baptist Church in Atlanta, currently led by Pastor Jamal Bryant, has long been surrounded by controversy. Before Bryant took over, the church was under the pastoral leadership of Eddie Long, a man who presented himself as a moral authority while secretly concealing his true identity. Though condemning homosexuality from the pulpit, Long was privately engaging in sexual relationships with young Black men. This duplicity eventually came to light, and though he was shunned by many, he remained in the pulpit at New Birth until his death from cancer.
Jamal Bryant’s personal life is no less scandalous. Known for his extramarital affairs and fathering children out of wedlock, Bryant still managed to land the leadership position at New Birth after Long’s departure. Despite his flawed character, Bryant became the face of a church that had already suffered through scandal. What’s troubling is not just Bryant’s past, but his doctrine—at one point, Bryant claimed that half of Jesus’s life was spent outside of God’s will. Such statements directly conflict with core Christian teachings and verge on blasphemy. How can anyone claim that God, who knows no sin and hates sin, would take on the form of man and then sin? That would nullify His entire purpose for coming to Earth. Yet, Bryant continues to hold influence over many in the Black church.
Bryant’s influence becomes even more troubling when his actions and beliefs reflect deeper contradictions. Most recently, Bryant reached out to apologize to LGBTQ Black pastors on behalf of the Black church, condemning what he called homophobia among those who follow biblical teachings. He is the same pastor who endorses abortion, making headlines when he performed a baby dedication ceremony shortly after Roe v. Wade was overturned. These contradictions raise a critical question: What responsibility does the Black church have when its leaders stray so far from scripture and endorse tradition and culture?
As I get older, I’ve noticed how much more liberal America has become, especially in its moral compass. There’s nothing wrong with a culture recognizing gay rights or defending personal freedoms, but when pastors like Bryant mix secular liberalism with sacred doctrine, we must question where the church stands. The Bible calls us to love our neighbor, yes, but the first commandment is that we love God with all our heart, soul, and mind. When the teachings of the church bend to fit the culture, there will inevitably be a divide.
This tension between politics and religion came to a head this past Sunday when Kamala Harris made an appearance at New Birth. To say she is exploiting the Black church for political purposes is an understatement. I felt like asking her, "Harris, have you no shame?" Harris stood in the pulpit, attempting to galvanize the Black vote by aligning herself with faith.
Her hypocrisy is staggering, especially after calling out two students the day before for being at “the wrong rally.” After her overplayed spiel on women’s rights and access to healthcare (read: abortion), two kids in the crowd shouted, “Jesus is Lord,” to which she dismissed them, claiming, “You’re at the wrong rally,” and laughed. The implication was clear: Jesus had no place at her rally. But what does politics have to do with Jesus? Jesus is King—He has nothing to do with abortion, LGBTQ rights, or Kamala Harris. These issues belong to the government.
To think that Jesus would have said to the woman at the well, or the woman with the issue of blood, “You have a right to do what you want with your body,” is blasphemous. To think Jesus would have no connection with the unborn is sacrilegious. Yet, not long after this incident, Harris walked into New Birth and delivered a distorted version of the Good Samaritan parable. In her narrative, Harris cast herself and the Democratic Party as the Good Samaritans. They are the compassionate figures, the ones who help the downtrodden. "You who are uneducated, unknowing—you Black parishioners will get us there." In the name of Jesus, Harris is selling abortions to Black women and marijuana to Black men, while others receive tax breaks and purchasing power.
The real lesson of the Good Samaritan isn’t about political parties or social programs; it’s about God’s love for humanity. In the parable, we should see ourselves in one of two roles: either we are the ones who pass by the beaten man on the road, indifferent to his suffering, or we are the man lying on the ground, broken and in need of healing. The Good Samaritan, in this case, is God Himself—He lifts us up, pays our debt, and sets us on the path to recovery. No politician or preacher has the power to do that.
The strength of the Black church has always been spiritual liberation and moral clarity. But we have drifted so far off course. Pastors justify gay marriage as if it will bring life, but it only sets up further moral and illicit behavior. When pastors like Jamal Bryant and politicians like Kamala Harris use the church as a stage to promote the killing of babies for votes, it betrays the true purpose of the faith. Those teachings oppose the Bible and even distort the story of the Good Samaritan. The Samaritan saved someone living in sin but cleansed him—meaning he was clean and repentant. At the end of the day, no earthly leader can save us—only Christ can.
There’s something deeply immoral about our nation, and it is manifesting itself in many ways. Evil and wickedness are spreading around the world, and we pretend not to see it. Yet we continuously use the Bible as a weapon for our own agendas. From the United Nations to little churches in America, we try to twist the Word to fit our cultural beliefs. Harris walks into the pulpit unafraid, as if God doesn’t see her heart and intentions, as if God has no right or reason to judge. It is indeed sickening.
I am not saying Donald Trump is blameless. Trump has used the Christian message and the Bible to solidify his evangelical base. Who could forget when he walked across the park outside the White House and stood in front of a church with a Bible in hand? Trump is no savior, and if you truly believe in God, you understand that. However, Trump has not dared to step into a church and pollute the pulpit. President Obama and Harris, on the other hand, have no such boundaries. They are willing to stand in the pulpit and declare the Dobbs decision unfortunate, calling for the reinstatement of Roe v. Wade, without a single thought for the countless unborn children who have never seen the light of day.
Harris proclaims herself to be the “Good” Samaritan—a woman who has never birthed a life—telling other women, “If you conceive and it interferes in any way with your ambitions, it’s okay to terminate the pregnancy.” It doesn’t matter to that Samaritan where you’ve been or what you’ve done. It is as if humanity has missed something when they speak about love and justice: God is the Judge—not Kamala, not Jamal, and not the Democratic Party. No Good Samaritan would ever tell a healthy woman to get rid of her child because she made an unfortunate mistake that may impact her success in this world. It is sick to believe otherwise.
In the end, the true message of Christianity has nothing to do with political parties or policies. It is about God’s unwavering love for us, His call for repentance, and His offer of salvation through Jesus Christ. No pastor, politician, or social program can provide the healing and redemption that only God can give. As a nation, we must return to these core truths. The church must once again stand as a beacon of moral clarity, pointing to Christ, not bending to the whims of culture. If we continue to blur the lines between sacred and secular, we risk losing not only the church but our very souls.
