David Welch

Guest blogger, David Welch, holds various leadership positions at St. Mark’s United Methodist Church in Harlem.  The following is from a presentation he made to a Men’s Breakfast at St. Mark’s on October 29 2011.

This Fellowship Breakfast is the result of the Methodist Men of St. Mark’s asking ourselves: How do we begin to reach the men in our community, to engage them first in a conversation, to be followed up by action? A conversation about taking a leadership role in their respective communities. Those of  us who are members of St. Mark’s believe that God has called us to his purpose. That purpose being making disciples for Jesus Christ.

Now, recognizing that everyone is not a believer, we can all agree, however, that the condition of “ Males” in our community is, for lack of a better word, deplorable. Just walk up and down any major thoroughfare and watch as young men and boys (what sociologist call urban youth) swagger, with their pants half down their behind, accented by a studded belt. All you can do is shake your head. Listen to their language…my, the “N” word is used as a term of endearment. It is considered a sign of respect, which of course is a perversion from its original meaning.

Sadly these are not just fads, I have counted and we are in the fourth year of this culture, with no glimmer of any positive change coming. This past Monday a 15 year old youth was arrested in Queens, accused of two attempted rapes on women much older. While in Brooklyn last Friday afternoon, a mother of thirteen children was senselessly gunned down by stray bullet while trying to protect children exiting the school building. An 18 year old youth according to police has confessed to firing the fatal bullet. I could go on…..

Then we have the opposite paradigm, Grown men Forty and above, highly educated, working, many with high level positions in the corporate world as well as government, literally hiding in their condominiums and brownstones. The only time you see them is when they are going or coming from work. On weekends, you rarely see them. There is no interaction with the community outside of their domain. This includes church and community organizations( such as Community Boards, District School Boards, Police Precinct Councils). They are living in what I call a bubble of what’s left of Middle Class privilege.

I ask God ,” Who is going to do the work of bringing the message of Christ’s salvation to all communities?”

Now the purpose? To Coax, Lure, Challenge Men from both paradigms, urban Hip  Hop culture and urban Middle Class Corporate culture to answer God’s call to service. Who’s going to do the work? I will; I pray that you will also.

The Apostle Paul wrote to the church at Galatia, Chapter.5 vs. 13-15 “For you were called to freedom brothers and sisters, only do not use your freedom for self indulgence, but through love  become slaves to one another, for the whole Law is summed up in a single commandment, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ If however, you bite and devour one another, take care that you are not consumed by one another. (An illustration of this would be” Black on Black crime” black males killing each other over foolishness, then telling themselves they are ‘cool”And “macho.”)

I end with Paul’s exhortation to the church at Galatia, chapter 6 verses 7-10: “Do not be deceived; God is not mocked , for you reap what you sow. If you sow to your own flesh you will reap corruption from the flesh; but if you sow to the Spirit, you will reap eternal life from the Spirit. So let us not grow weary in doing what is right, for we will reap at harvest time, if we do not give up. So then, whenever we have an opportunity, let us work for the good of all,and especially for those of the Family of Faith.”

What do you think?  Share your thoughts and ideas.

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