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….