Author: Dennis Talbert

Pastor Dennis Talbert is a visionary Christian leader and mentor committed to urban youth development and social justice. After nearly 30 years of serving various organizations and my church, he has become reflective about the state of Black America and the African diaspora. Pastor Talbert is compelled to ask, "Where's the progress?" through the lens of a Black Christian leader passionate about people in the African diaspora, locally and globally. This blog is a collection of my thoughts, which could ultimately be fleshed out into a series of white papers or a book. We live during the most significant communication era in the history of the world. Yet, within urban communities worldwide, changing the knowledge deficit could significantly change the trajectory of black lives globally and reshape our values to our advantage. This blog is not designed to be the last or final word on any topic. However, I hope the blog will spark conversations in every segment of our neighborhoods, communities, cities, and worldwide. So, I encourage all readers to think critically and beyond the box. Let's create virtual or in-person conversations to change our world positively. Enjoy and remember "I'm Just Saying!

“The Snake in the Sanctuary” Christianity vs Capitalism

The prosperity gospel has deeply influenced the theology of many Black churches, often distorting biblical truth and historical context. Many clerical leaders have embraced this flawed doctrine, whether knowingly or unknowingly, raising the question of why such a deviation has occurred. One possible explanation lies in the financial struggles faced by Black communities globally, where economic hardship has made the promise of wealth and success through faith especially appealing. This theological shift has had significant implications, shaping the church’s spiritual and social perspectives.

Christianity and capitalism often intersect in the modern world, yet their core values sometimes compete. While both systems have influenced societies across the globe, their fundamental principles raise essential questions about morality, economic justice, and human relationships. Are Christianity and capitalism truly at odds, or can they be reconciled?

Core Principles of Christianity

Christianity is centered on the teachings of Jesus Christ, emphasizing love, compassion, humility, and service to others. Key biblical principles include:

Generosity: “It is more blessed to give than to receive” (Acts 20:35).
Concern for the Poor: “Whoever oppresses the poor shows contempt for their Maker, but whoever is kind to the needy honors God” (Proverbs 14:31).
Community and Equality: The early church in Acts 2:44-45 practiced communal living, sharing resources so that no one was in need.

Core Principles of Capitalism

Capitalism is an economic system built on private ownership, competition, and profit. It thrives on:

Individualism: Success is often determined by personal effort and market dynamics.
Free Markets: Supply and demand drive economic growth.
Profit Motive: Pursuing financial gain is a primary driver of innovation and economic expansion.

Points of Tension

While capitalism encourages innovation and wealth creation, it can also lead to inequality, exploitation, and materialism—issues that Christianity warns against.

Wealth and Greed: The Bible warns against the love of money (1 Timothy 6:10), yet capitalism often promotes accumulation as a sign of success.
Social Responsibility: Christianity teaches care for the marginalized, but capitalism can sometimes prioritize profits over people.
Competition vs. Cooperation: While capitalism thrives on competition, Christianity calls for unity and love for one’s neighbor.

Can They Coexist?

Despite their differences, some argue that capitalism can align with Christian values when tempered by ethical considerations. Concepts like conscious capitalism, fair trade, and corporate social responsibility aim to balance profit with purpose. Many Christian entrepreneurs and businesses strive to operate ethically, ensuring that economic pursuits do not compromise moral values.

A Call for Balance

Rather than rejecting capitalism, the key may be to reshape it in ways that align with Christian principles. Economic systems should serve people, not the other way around. By integrating generosity, fairness, and ethical stewardship into capitalism, we can create a society that upholds both faith and prosperity.

This year, Be-Moor Radio, one of the projects I lead, will explore alternative economic models—such as cooperative and collaborative economics—to build a community-based approach to sustainable wealth creation. When we launched in 2016 with the support of the Ross Business School at the University of Michigan, this was one of our primary goals. From the start, we aimed to create a new economic engine for urban youth while simultaneously developing the next generation of leaders and influencers.

What do you think? Can capitalism be a tool for Christian values, or does it inherently conflict with the teachings of Jesus? What say you?????

https://www.facebook.com/dennis.talbert

How About the Affirming Action Movement

You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives”. Genesis 50:20

Since the inauguration of President Trump on January 20th and his series of presidential declarations, I’ve been looking for the silver lining or God amid these heavy-handed and race-centered actions. Well, I think I may have found it in a concept or idea of building an Affirming Action Plan for Black Children and Youth.

Now you ask, what is an Affirming Action Plan, and how does it differ from the Affirmative Action strategies of the sixties? Here’s the concept: The Black Church has historically played a pivotal role in nurturing, educating, and advocating for the well-being of Black children and youth in response to contemporary challenges. However, under the incoming Trump administration, Black children and youth will probably experience the most significant challenge in decades.

Gen Z, Generation Alpha, and the Millennials have inherited our failure not to have been razer focused on educational disparities, economic disenfranchisement, systemic injustice, and cultural misrepresentation. Nevertheless, thousands of Black Churches nationwide have an opportunity to regroup and implement a concept we are calling the Affirming Action Plan.

This initiative is designed to uplift and empower Black children and youth through intentional, faith-driven strategies that promote academic excellence, emotional resilience, economic literacy, and spiritual grounding. The Black ecclesia (body of believers in fellowship) could galvanize an army of volunteers, philanthropists, college students, retirees, and others to create an Affirming Action Network to embrace our children and youth who will bear the brunt of the most significant upheaval culturally, academically, and economically in centuries.

Black children and youth face unique structural barriers that hinder their personal and professional growth. While societal affirmative action policies have provided some relief along with justice-centered programs, including diversity, equity, and inclusion commitments by corporations, governments, and universities, they are not enough. Effective January 20, 2025, President Donald J. Trump has declared war on DEI and Affirmative Action programs globally. In the Department of Education, the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights wrote a Dear Colleagues (See the letter at the bottom of the blog) saying they should abandon their DEI programs and activities by February 28, 2025, and risk losing federal funding.

In the end, we need a new approach to ministry that combines faith and works, where our works and faith is our worship. I’m Just Saying….

The loss of federal funding could impact Title One funding, designed to serve underserved children, the Free and Reduced Lunch Program (NLSP), programs that help students with disabilities including autism and emotional and other learning disabilities (IDEA funding) through the Social Security Act, and the lists of programs funded by the federal government could present irreparable harm to Black children, youth and society.

However, the Affirming Action Network group of ministries can fill the gap! This affirming network of Black churches could present a united front against evil and present possibilities of hope. John 17:21. In this passage, Jesus asks God that his followers and others who believe in them through their word may be unified so that the world will believe that God sent Jesus. Isn’t our objective that the world would know and love Him?

Okay, Apostles, Bishops, Pastors, and Evangelists, this potentially is our opportunity to be the church we preach about and be a living epistle through our faith and works. Below, I offer a few examples of where we can be effective, thrive, and witness a biblical revival in our neighborhoods.

Academic Empowerment: Provide tutoring, scholarship opportunities, and mentorship programs through church-based and community partnerships.
Spiritual and Emotional Resilience: Establish faith-based counseling and mentorship programs to support mental health and identity formation.
Economic Literacy and Entrepreneurial Development: Implement financial literacy workshops and entrepreneurship training tailored to Black youth.
Civic Engagement and Leadership Development: Encourage active participation in civic duties and provide leadership training for emerging community advocates.
Cultural Affirmation and Identity Formation: Celebrate and educate Black children on their rich cultural and historical heritage, reinforcing positive self-identity.
Faith-Driven Counseling and Mentorship: Pair youth with mentors from within the church and professional networks to foster positive relationships.
Entrepreneurship Incubators: Develop church-led initiatives that support youth in starting businesses and managing finances.

These are just a few ideas that can represent a silver lining and hope to the hopeless. As I write this blog and share some ideas with the readers, I’m reminded of the civil rights movement in Montgomery during the bus boycott, where every Black church decided it was time to challenge the system of racism, bigotry, and religious disunity. We can do this, what say you?

Letter from U.S. Department of Education:

chrome-extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/https://www.ed.gov/media/document/dear-colleague-letter-sffa-v-harvard-109506.pdf?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email

The Moral Compass – Who is controlling the magnetic needle?

Has the Black church lost its moral compass? Maybe even a different question, what is the role of the Black church in setting the moral compass within the Black community, locally and globally?

For a few years, I have pondered these questions in light of several critical issues, such as the unfettered legalization of marijuana, the fact that one in every three persons of color voted for Donald J. Trump, the crisis of urban education, health care, and yes PALISTINE. All of these issues, at least as I see it, fall under morality. Our moral compass is off! There appears to be a moral compass guide controlled by someone or something outside the Black community.

Historically, Black American leaders, mainly pastors, have been at the forefront of advocating for justice and calling out individuals, systems, and behaviors that harm the Black community. From the days of enslavement to the civil rights movement, the tradition of accountability has been a cornerstone of Black progress. Our global presence in the Black Christian church community had value to the world. Several years ago, our pastor (Rosedale Park Baptist Church) was contacted by a group of Gypsies from Romania to come to their country to discuss reconciliation as they admired the progress of Black Americans as a sign of progress. Our story of resilience in the face of racism was revered, respected, and celebrated by other marginalized ethnic groups worldwide.

Our struggle and our voice mattered! During slavery, abolitionist pastors such as Henry Highland Garnet boldly used their pulpits to denounce not only the horrors of slavery but also the complicity of White Christians and institutions perpetuating it. Garnet’s famous 1843 “Call to Rebellion” sermon challenged enslaved people to resist their oppressions, marking one of the first examples of Black pastors directly confronting both internal and external challenges of Black liberation. A model championed by Christ ( read Luke 4: 18-19 Matthew 10:34).

During the Reconstruction era, where men and women like Frederick Douglass and Ida B. Wells were unrelenting in exposing the betrayals of political leaders, bible-based churches, and other institutions that claimed to support Black progress while enabling racial violence and disenfranchisement.

The Civil Rights Movement in the mid-20th century embodied Christians, setting a moral compass for not just the United States but also the world. Even though many of the old guard associated with the National Baptist Convention didn’t join the movement at first, eventually, they jumped on board. They followed in the leadership example of Christian leaders like Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., who called out structural racism embedded in American society and church.

In his “Letter from Birmingham Jail”, King emphasized the danger of inaction, criticizing white moderates and complacent Black Christian leaders alike for their unwillingness to confront injustice. But it wasn’t just Christian faith leaders who followed a moral compass; men like Malcolm X (a Black Muslim) challenged Black Americans to reject self-destructive behaviors and embrace empowerment.

One of my favorite stories from the Civil Rights Movement is the 381-day Montgomery bus boycott. In his compilation of sermons, Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr talks about the struggle of preaching every Sunday to encourage Montgomery residents to boycott and walk or rideshare. For 52 Sundays, Black church leaders throughout Montgomery used every Sunday to preach a message of encouragement and a biblically centered sermon for justice.

I can only imagine what the state of Black children and youth in America would be if we took 52 Sundays across every urban city to emphasize education, loving our neighbor, and encouraging the congregants to mentor and adopt children who are orphaned because of circumstances outside of their doing or tutor a Black child.

But today, another force is at play, guiding the moral compass and setting the agenda and, ultimately, the course of action for our prophetic community. They are outsiders who beat us over the head with spiritual concepts on being biblically centered or adhering to a moral majority. Unfortunately, we have fallen prey to their demagoguery and are now victims of their version of truth and their moral compasses. There are even some who have discounted the legacy of our faith giants like Richard Allen, Martin Luther King, Jr, and Frederick Douglass for a new framework labeled evangelical. Can’t we decide what the moral code is or should be for our neighborhoods and community and follow a compass to discover our Northstar?

We have made their truth the definitive truth without other options. This is why we need Black theology, Black critical thinking, or what I am now labeling Black Christian excellence (You will hear more about the concept of Black Christian Excellence in my future blogs, magazine, and newspaper articles, and potentially a book).

As a community, we can’t allow our sacred institutions, biblical scholars, families, and moral compass to be driven by outside perspectives, including capitalism and the evangelical church. At some point, we must tell ourselves it’s not working or beneficial to our community. I’m concerned about urban youth development when we’ve made it our number one goal to produce entrepreneurs and career-based servants, not scholars, thinkers, and influencers. What we are perpetuating is pure self-centered trash that is both an impediment and disgraceful to our progress as a people, locally and globally.

We need our prophetic voices. I can truly appreciate those prophetic voices who were willing to call out the destructive elements of our society and resolve not to be conformists. Sisters like Dr. Helen Moore, JD, one of Detroit’s greatest champions for Black education, and C. Delores Tucker, former Pennsylvania Secretary of State who called out gangster rap before it was popular. Each of these sisters led by example.

We’ve got to rediscover our Moral Compass quickly, or we will become like the other lost tribes that are extinct, and we will be a few hundred years from now. I’m Just Saying….

Welcome Aboard Denzel (No Greater Calling)

Welcome Aboard! I read recently that actor Denzel Washington was baptized and received a Certificate of Ministry from Kelly Temple Church of God in Christ in New York City. But I must ask, does the Black church need another hooping brother in the pulpit?

May I suggest a more rewarding calling in the world of Christan Youth Development. Here’s the truth here: no one cares about black children and youth, including the Black church. But before you condemn my statement, why don’t you look at the budgets associated with your church? Jesus said in Matthew 6:21,” For where your treasure is there, your heart will be also.”

It is estimated that the Black church collects more than 11.5 Billion dollars annually. Yet the average amount set aside for Black children and youth through our children’s and youth ministry is less than 5 million annually. It’s disgraceful, but the statistical truth is that nearly 75% of those attending or calling Jesus Christ Lord do so before age of 18. How we spend our money doesn’t make a good investment.

If you’re reading this blog, you know I’ve spent nearly 40 years advocating and serving urban youth in Detroit, both nationally and globally. It’s been my privilege to converse with bishops, apostles, cardinals, and pastors from almost every denomination, including Bishop Blake, the former prelude for the Church of God in Christ, advocating for increased spending for Urban Christian youth development in Black churches.

Sir Denzel Washington, you are in a unique position with fame, fortune, and favor. As a potential champion or minister to Black children and youth, you can change the trajectory of Black Christian Youth Development by simply saying yes to advocating and ministering to Black youth occupying space in the Black churches. There is no question in my mind that you have witnessed the deficit of services to Black children and youth in all of your Black church experiences. Even the Black mega churches miss the mark in creating culturally relevant lessons and experiences for children and youth. Imagine what the Black church Christian experience could have been like for the Washington children back in the day.

There are only a few faithful brothers and sisters have dedicated their lives to presenting a relevant and comprehensive gospel of Jesus Christ to our children without respect or honor in the congregation or by those in senior leadership. As I sit here writing this blog, I am thinking of many of my fellow servants in the field of urban Christian youth ministry who sacrificed their houses and families for the sake of trying to present a relevant message of Christ to the next generation. They believed Black children and youth needed more than preaching and choir music. They believed Black children and youth were essential assets to Christ’s larger body and the world.

Dream with me for a moment, Mr. Washington, you can produce movies that offer a creative approach to understanding the Gospel, loving, and serving Christ. Here’s our harsh reality. If we were trying to reach and serve White children and youth, there are hundreds of ministries and billions of dollars designated and functioning prosperously to serve them. This is not to make this a conversation about disparities, but the reality is that creative Black Christian ministry to Black children and youth has many critical voids. If we are trying to engage in the 21st-century ministry, we need to kick up our approach over one hundred notches.

Here’s an example just in sports, there are many outreaches/ministries, such as Athletes in Action and Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA), to name only two, that have thousands of volunteers and millions of dollars to help their young people grow as Christ athletes, but not just athletes but scholar/Christian athletes In 2022, FCA served nearly 85,000 athletes and less than 500 were Black where 51% of D1 players are Black and AIA serves over 200 campuses with fewer than five HBCU’s.

Brother Denzel, you can bring a glimmer of hope to a generation who, for years, have followed you as an actor. God has given you a voice and a desire (your words) to represent and declare His Word and change lives. Black children and youth are hurting, even in the Black church!

Several years ago when, I said yes to the Lord and resolved that I wanted to serve Black children and youth through the lens of Christ and His church. I was astonished to discover that we (the Black Church) don’t love Black children and youth. We love our individual birthed children and youth, but as it relates to the community, the love doesn’t exist. We are great at singing songs like the one expressed by the late Whitney Houston, “The Greatest Love of All,” but as one of our leading academic professors said, that is just classic American BS.

There is not one indicator that Black children are both essential and loved. Black children and youth are at the bottom of academic scores, and urban schools are horrendous regardless of where you are in the world. Yet we have millions of adults who every Sunday appear in our churches and volunteer for all kinds of activities that exclude Black Children and youth. We’ve allowed the base elements of society to direct the values that young people adopt. The Black prophetic voice on values is missing. So, our young people come to church and hear messages or preachings irrelevant to their culture and areas of interest.

I have no problem being critical because I am of and in the church (in other words,I’m one of those in the church.). Lately, I have often been that voice of one crying out in the wilderness (Isaiah 40:3). Brother Denzel Washington, you have options that very few men and women in the world of ministry have. It’s not just financial, but it’s creativity, it’s favor, and perhaps a chance to feel the pulse of the pain in the lives of Black children and youth globally.

Who am I to interfere with the call on your life? I celebrate you for the call and the fantastic accomplishments on the stage, on television, and in movies. Your career has been an entertaining blessing to me and multiple million. On a personal note, I’ve made it a challenge to travel to New York City to see you, Julius Ceasar, Fences, A Rasin in the Sun, and Checkmates, written by my dear friend, the late Ron Milner (Detroit).

This blog or message to you is a prophetic call to expand your options and offer you an opportunity to join a rare and small group of men and women around the world who have responded to the unique call of Christian youth development through the lens of Christ within the framework of the Black Church.

In Isaiah 6:8, The Lord asked, “Who will go for us?” and I (Isaiah) said I, here am I send me.” This blog is not to burden you with the great expectation of the Black hope award, it is simply asking you to consider another critical ministry in the Black church serving Black children and youth.

Welcome, Aborad Brother Denzel Washington, and wherever The Lord calls you, may you produce biblical fruit (John 15:4-5). We are thankful for your lineage, which includes your father and others. But if I can say this right, we are more thankful for Sister Ruth Green for speaking a word of life into your life, and for your wife Paulette holding it down for you, and to that, I’m just saying….