The Black Christian Church is beginning to look more like a Cult than Christ

This is a hard statement to make about an institution that I have loved and served nearly all of my life. But the black church appears to have lost its way, and we have become more entrepreneurial and business-centered and less Christ-centered, mission-driven, evangelistic, and social justice-oriented.

I grew up in the AME Zion church, where we were taught the principles of Christ in the New Testament, but with a sense of being my brother’s keeper. My AME Zion pastors and bishops were not perfect men, but they were committed men of God. They clearly understood that salvation was from the Lord and righteousness was bestowed upon them. Bishop Stephen Gill Spotswood would regularly visit and share the responsibilities of black Christians to shift the culture of not just our community but the world. Pastor William Hillard and his wife, who served as my first pastor, were elected Bishop and moved to serve God on the continent of Africa as full-time missionaries and church planters. The church (St. Paul AME Zion) had a tremendous commitment to education through its financial and academic support of its HBCUs, Livingston and Paine Colleges.

My family shifted to the CME church in my teen years, where I met Dr. Isaiah Sciptio, MD, DMin. Dr. Scipio, who was 6’8 and played college basketball at UCLA and attended medical school at UCLA. While completing medical school at UCLA, he sensed a call from God to full-time Christian ministry, shifted his focus after graduating, and received his doctorate in ministry. Dr. Scipio was perhaps one of the most eclectic brothers, who was like a chameleon that could fit in both a boardroom and a hood. He served on several corporate and non-profit boards of directors, including that of Monstono Corporation, a global corporation, as a voice of corporate responsibility. Needless to say, one of my Sunday School teachers was “Reperation Ray,” Detroit’s Ray Jenkins, a Detroit real estate broker who was committed to the reparations movement.

I mention all of the above to lay out my background and inspiration for ministry, as well as my reference points and expectations for the Black church. After 30 years of serving within the Black evangelical church, it has been a unique experience participating in a community of believers who sought acceptance from White Christians to affirm their existence and reaffirm their value and work.

Rediscovering Our North Star: A Call to the Black Church

Something about the current state of the Black church feels… off. Almost cultic. It seems we have lost our North Star — the guiding light of Christ that once anchored our identity and mission.

Take, for example, the elevation of the senior pastor to a celebrity status and the designation as the sole prophetic voice of God. In Acts 17:11, we see the Berean ministry leaders collectively diligently study the scriptures. Or the rise of the prosperity gospel, which promises wealth and blessings without demanding the cross or sacrifice. We have forgotten that Christianity is foundational to sacrificial living. Even more troubling is the lack of collaboration among Black churches to collectively advance both the Gospel of Christ and the upliftment of Black people — especially our youth.

How is it that in major cities across America, there can be over 3,000 Black-led churches, and yet the conditions in our communities remain so dire? How is it that Black children continue to suffer in broken systems, and the church — the very institution historically known for liberation and justice — seems paralyzed? Either our light is dimming, or we’ve been seduced by a system that has worked against us as a people.

And here’s what’s even more perplexing: every Sunday, thousands of sincere, loving men and women gather for spirited worship, dynamic preaching, and passionate praise — yet nothing seems to change. Our neighborhoods remain in crisis. Our children are still being left behind. Our prophetic voice has been muffled.

Years ago, I remember when a white worship ministry from Alabama introduced a simplistic three-line model for worship music. Slowly, the Black church began to conform. Traditional “Songs of Zion” and rich Gospel anthems were quietly pushed aside. In their place came two new categories: Worship and Praise music, Christian music — as if Black Gospel was somehow neither worship, nor praise, nor even Christian. That reclassification was more than a musical shift; it was a cultural dislocation. It was another sign that we were drifting from our roots — from our North Star.

I can’t tell you how many battles I’ve fought just to preserve Gospel music in Black church spaces. Not because I’m nostalgic, but because I believe our tradition holds a powerful theology that speaks to suffering, struggle, hope, and redemption — all wrapped in the lived experience of Black people in America.

This blog is a call — a plea — for the Black church to rediscover its mission and its first love. As the Spirit says in Revelation 2:4 5:

“Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken the love you had at first. Consider how far you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first. If you do not repent, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place.”

We are not just another religious group. The Black church has a unique calling — to embody the life, love, and liberation of Christ in a broken world. We are meant to be a living witness to the transformative power of the Gospel — not just within our sanctuaries, but in every school, street corner, and system where our people cry out for justice and hope and beyond.

It’s time to return. To repent. To reclaim the mantle of mission. If we truly believe in the power of the Holy Spirit, then we must reflect it — not only in praise breaks, but in broken neighborhoods. Not only in sermons, but in systems change. Not only in church growth, but in community transformation.

We have wandered. But it’s not too late to find our way back.

Pastor Dennis Talbert, a Social Justice Pastor from Detroit, Michigan – What Say You…..

Should the Church Be Taxed? A Conversation worth having

by: Dennis Talbert

Let me be clear from the start: I am not advocating for churches or religious organizations to be taxed. But I am saying this — we need to have a serious conversation about the tax-exempt status of religious institutions, their role in philanthropy, their involvement in community economic development, and their responsibility as stewards of the communities they serve.

This is a weighty topic, with layers upon layers of complexity. It may be impossible to fully unpack it all in a single blog, but I will attempt to raise some key points that I’ve been sitting with for decades.

A Concern That Started in the ’70s

I began questioning the implications of church proliferation during the 1970s when I worked as a city employee in Detroit, responsible for community and economic development. It wasn’t the growth of churches that troubled me—it was the way zoning laws and city codes affected them. At that time, businesses were restricted from operating within a certain distance of religious institutions. I began to notice how the influx of small storefront churches impacted the economic vitality of Detroit’s commercial corridors.

Fast forward over 40 years, and I recently drove down Puritan Avenue — from 12th Street for nearly four miles — and to my dismay. What used to be a bustling commercial district has become a corridor dotted with closed church buildings, abandoned lots, and shuttered storefronts. What happened?

While there are theological layers to this, which I’ll set aside for now, it was hard not to conclude that the unchecked proliferation and eventual closure of tax-exempt churches had decimated a once-viable commercial zone.

These local observations reminded me of conversations in various African countries with young ministers seeking to become lead pastors. We discussed launching churches in new regions and often looked to the Apostle Paul as the biblical model for church planting.

Paul’s efforts were transformative. His churches not only spread the Gospel but also created vibrant, empowered communities. So I began to wonder: Is this the model of church planting we’re following today? And more importantly, is this the model Christ intended?

There’s a growing trend in the U.S. called the church planter movement, where individuals, groups and denominations — often sincerely- believe God calls them to start churches. However, many churches, especially in urban communities, shut their doors within a few years. That raises a spiritual and practical question: What happened to the call?

A Brief History of Church Tax Exemption

Let’s step back for a moment. During the colonial era, churches like the Anglicans and Congregationalists were state-sponsored, particularly in Virginia and Massachusetts. This created tensions within the Christian community over state involvement in religious life.

Most states moved away from government-established churches after the American Revolution, influenced by Enlightenment ideals and a desire for religious freedom. By the 20th century, the Revenue Act of 1913 formally exempted churches from federal income tax, and Section 501(c)(3) was created for charitable organizations. Lawmakers seemed to assume that these entities would act in the public good, and for a time, many did.

But 112 years later, is it time to revisit those assumptions?

The Black Church: Mission, Vision, and Stewardship

Let me be clear: we need the Black church. Its historical contributions to education, liberation, and civil rights are unmatched. The mission to love, serve, and advance Christ has not changed.

Consider this: estimates suggest that the Black church in America collects between $100–$250 million every Sunday, more than $7.8 billion annually. That’s more than the annual GDP of Liberia, Haiti, Kosovo, Sierra Leone, Gambia, Burundi, and several other small nations combined.

According to Pew Research, over 85% of Black philanthropy in some neighborhoods flows through the church. That’s a staggering number.

Despite the presence of hundreds of churches in Detroit and cities like it, far too many of our children, families, and neighborhoods continue to struggle with poverty, violence, educational gaps, and broken systems. A few years ago, a philanthropic foundation in Detroit attempted to mobilize Black churches to engage children in after-school programs. Despite the city’s high concentration of churches, the outcomes were limited.

We cannot afford to ignore these questions any longer. Are we truly being good stewards of the resources entrusted to us? Are we investing enough in the long-term success and transformation of Black children, youth, and families? Are we aligning our methods with our mission?

This conversation isn’t just about tax codes — it’s about Kingdom purpose. The moral and spiritual decline we see in America cannot be reversed by government programs or legislation alone. It demands a revitalized church — one that is committed to economic justice, social transformation, spiritual renewal, and community accountability.

We have the intellectual, theological, and moral capacity to explore these questions honestly and constructively. It’s time for the church — especially the Black church — to reimagine its role, revisit its vision, and renew its commitment to the cause of Christ in the 21st century. We can reimagine a tax code that reflects the economic and social justice issues of the 21st century, that creates a matrix that advances God’s kingdom-building agenda on earth, and fulfills the philanthropic needs of our communities and their residents.

I’m just saying. What say you? Let’s get the conversation going,,,,

Everybody Needs a Pastor

This has been a traumatic week.

Death and grief have visited our community through the tragic, accidental loss of a loving husband and wife, faithful urban missionaries serving in the Brightmoor neighborhood of Detroit. Their sudden departure has left five boys under the age of 15 without their parents, and a host of family members and friends drowning in sorrow.

Many Christians are quietly (or not quietly) asking: “Why, God?”

Because in the end, everybody needs a pastor.
Not just a preacher. Not just a leader. A pastor with the heart of Christ.

As I’ve sat with the weight of this trauma—both the personal grief and the collective grief of our believing community—it hit me deeply: we are like sheep without a shepherd. The same words that described the crowds in Matthew 9:36 and Mark 6:34 now describe the ache I feel for our city.

I remember during the height of the pandemic sensing this same void. And once again, the Spirit whispers: Lord, as pastors, we must have a resolve—mixed with a Word, connected to an action—for the people.

We need pastors in the spirit of Galatians 4:19, where Paul doesn’t speak of position or prestige, but of laboring in love “until Christ is formed in you.” That’s the heartbeat of faithful pastoral ministry. Yet, somewhere along the way, we’ve drifted.

Today, many pastors have become church administrators, strategic planners, authors, influencers, bible scholars, and church planters. There’s nothing inherently wrong with any of those roles—but when the art and love of pastoring God’s sheep falls out of fashion, we’re in trouble.

Revelation 2:4 echoes in my spirit: “You have forsaken the love you had at first.”

There’s a powerful little book called They Smell Like Sheep. Its message is clear: real pastors live among their people. Real shepherds carry the scent of the sheep. These past few days, after attending several homegoing celebrations and sitting with grieving souls, one truth rang loudly in my spirit:

Everybody needs a pastor.

Not one perched above the people, but one who walks with them. Through the mess. Through the pain. Through the grief. A shepherd, like the one described in Psalm 23, who leads, restores, comforts, and remains present in the valley of the shadow of death.

And here’s another truth that pierced me this weekend:

Even pastors need a pastor.

As someone who has launched mentoring programs and worked with youth for years, I’ve often said, “Everyone needs a mentor.” The same is true in ministry: everyone needs a pastor.

A real pastor doesn’t lead with control, but with care. They don’t see people as numbers, but as souls. They are teachable, humble, and submissive. They don’t isolate themselves in pride or burnout because they know—they’re sheep too.

We don’t need to be Superman or Superwoman. We just need to be servants of Christ, not with pessimism, but with hope. Trusting Christ to be Christ and to do what only He can do: transform lives.

True pastors give more than inspiration.
They give biblical direction—even when it’s hard.
They preach truth, not trends.
Their goal is not to entertain, but to equip.

We must return to our first love—not the platform or programs, but the pastoral vocation—to love people deeply, walk with them patiently, correct them biblically, and carry their burdens when life becomes too heavy for them to bear alone.

As They Smell Like Sheep reminds us, ministry isn’t clean.
It’s relational. It’s gritty. It’s deeply personal.

This week has reminded me:
The world is full of people silently crying out for care.
Let us not forget our call.

Everybody needs a pastor.

I’m just saying… what do you think?

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:

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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….