Church leaders welcome Obama, urge prayers
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More than 125,000 people crowd Grant Park in Chicago
on the evening of Nov. 4 to cheer President-elect Barack Obama
following his election as the 44th
president of the United States. A UMNS photo by Aaron Cooper.
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A UMNS Report
By Marta W. Aldrich*
Nov. 5, 2008
The Rev. Gilbert H. Caldwell remembers a childhood in which his
family gathered around a kitchen radio in their Texas home to cheer on
Joe Louis as the African-American heavyweight champion took on white
competitors in the boxing ring.
On election night on Nov. 4, the 75-year-old Caldwell and his wife,
Grace, sat in front of his living room TV in Asbury Park, N.J., to cheer
on another black man as Barack Obama sought to win the most powerful
government office in the United States, perhaps in the world.
"I could not have imagined I'd live long enough to see this," said
Caldwell, one day after Obama's election as the 44th president of the
United States. "The right to vote has been so important in the struggle
for civil rights."
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The Rev. Gilbert Caldwell
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A retired United Methodist pastor, Caldwell was a foot soldier in the
civil rights movement and founding member of Black Methodists for Church
Renewal. He emphasized the need to remember the struggles and
sacrifices of the past as the church and the world look ahead with hope
under a new leader in the White House. "When an event happens like the
election of Barack Obama, we cannot help but recall what brought us to
this moment," he said.
Across The United Methodist Church, leaders hailed Obama as an agent of
change, a friend of the disenfranchised, a "gift" to the world and a
bridge-builder among cultures, social orders and national ideologies.
Others urged United Methodists to commit to pray regularly for the
incoming president as he faces the daunting challenges of two wars, a
stumbling economy and a battered international reputation under the
administration of George W. Bush, who is United Methodist.
"A new page in history has been turned," said Jim Winkler, chief
executive of the United Methodist Board of Church and Society, the
church's social advocacy agency. "Virtually the entire world is grateful
for and approves of the election results."
Erin Hawkins, chief executive of the United Methodist Commission on
Religion and Race, said the election of the first African-American
president signals an important step toward restoration in the world. "It
means truly, in the poet's words, that the arc of history is long but
it bends toward justice. It means that this nation is ready to chart a
new, bold future of fundamental change," Hawkins said.
An African American herself, Hawkins said the historic election is more
significant than anyone can adequately express. "A truly
African-American leader and his African-American family will soon occupy
the White House, which was built by slaves more than two centuries ago;
and together they will lead this nation into a world and a 21st century
full of hope and transformation," she said.
Beyond a black and white world
The Rev. James Lawson, a civil rights leader and retired United
Methodist pastor who helped organize the sanitation strike in Memphis in
1968, said the election of Obama is transformational.
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The Rev. James Lawson
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"… The election of Barack Obama for the United States at this time and
for the world is a gift," said Lawson, speaking from Nashville, Tenn.,
where he organized nonviolent sit-ins at segregated lunch counters in
1960. "… It has to be understood that this is the way in which the
spirit of God works in human circles."
The Rev. Adam Hamilton, United Methodist pastor of the Church of the
Resurrection near Kansas City, said Obama's election signals to the
world "a new approach to foreign policy and a new opportunity for
America to improve our standing and influence in the world arena.
"On the continent of Africa where China is gaining increasing influence,
Barack Obama's election was hailed with great enthusiasm. In Asia, in
Muslim countries, in Europe, Barack Obama is seen as a bridge-builder
and a new kind of leader—one that inspires hope while leading America
with a greater humility on the world stage," said Hamilton, author of Seeing Gray in a World of Black & White: Thoughts on Religion, Morality and Politics.
Hamilton said Obama's election demonstrates "the desire of millions of
voters for a president who can see the gray in a world that is often
painted in black and white terms.
"He is comfortable dealing with paradox and complexity. He has the
ability to pursue a conjunctive approach to faith and politics—one that
brings together concerns of both the left and the right into a powerful
third way," said Hamilton, noting that that approach strikes a chord
with Methodists who historically have held together the concerns of both
liberals and conservatives and preached both evangelical and social
gospels.
Prayers for a new president
In St. Simons Island, S.C., the United Methodist Council of Bishops
paused during their semiannual meeting to offer up hymns and prayers for
Obama, the nation and the world on the day following Election Day.
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President-elect Barack Obama
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"We are praying that God will grant you wisdom, courage and protection
in your presidential leadership," the council wrote in a Nov. 5 letter
to the president-elect. "We are also praying for all the leaders of the
world's nations, who will collaborate with you in the arena of common
concerns that impact the global community."
James V. Heidinger II, president and publisher of Good News, an
evangelical caucus of United Methodists, said everyone should pray for
Obama as he prepares to take office in January. "The pressures,
challenge and responsibilities of the presidency must be overwhelming.
Christians everywhere should remember to lift him before the Lord daily
for wisdom, strength and guidance as he leads the nation," Heidinger
said.
Faye Short, president of Renew Network, an evangelical group focused on
United Methodist women, had a similar message. "The people have spoken,"
she said. "It is incumbent upon all Christians to pray for our leaders
as we are enjoined to do in Scripture. We urge all within the church to
pray for our new president-elect, just as we have for all of our
presidents."
Crossing barriers
According to exit polls, Obama handily won the vote of women, Hispanics, African Americans and the nation's youth.
Raúl Alegría, president of the United Methodist caucus of Hispanics and
Latinos, noted that the nation's Hispanic population is not monolithic
in its voting but that Obama's message transcended cultural and
ethnic lines.
"The messages he conveyed regarding transforming the systems that affect
persons—particularly in their pocketbooks and issues of economics—are
issues that resonated with people who are Hispanic and Latino, just as
they did with other groups," he said. "The message I heard with respect
to matters of justice and wanting to bring a sense of unity into our
country resonated personally with me because I feel like our country has
had some division, and we are at the point in our nation's life where
we can look forward to working together in common purpose."
Michelle Brooks, a 30-year-old staff member with the United Methodist
Board of Church and Society, said Obama's message and style effectively
engaged young people in the political process.
"It wasn't just about saying young people are the future. It was saying
they are here and now and they can participate and add voice to the
entire political process," she said, adding that she was impressed that
Obama asked individuals to take personal responsibility in improving
their neighborhoods, communities and beyond.
Julie O’Neal, a staff member with the denomination's Young People’s
Ministries, believes youthful voters were drawn to Obama's "humility and
honesty and desire for leaders to be transparent."
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Jim Winkler
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"I think young people were so energized and vocal because this election
captured something within them that had never been spoken directly to or
about them before. I think they saw themselves in this election,"
O'Neal said.
Others said matters of faith were a factor. Both Obama and opponent John McCain are professing Christians.
"Barack Obama is a person of deep faith," Winkler said. "I was reminded
of that fact last night when he made sure the (election night)
festivities in Grant Park began with an invocation. I fully expect The
United Methodist Church, for the first time in many years, will be
welcomed in the White House."
In Arizona, McCain's home state, the Rev. Karen Vannoy praised McCain's "incredibly healing concession speech."
"His reminder—that what we share as Americans is so much greater than
what divides us—is even more true for us as Christians," said Vannoy,
pastor of First United Methodist Church in Phoenix. "Because we share
Jesus as Lord, we share common ground much broader and more important
than any of the kingdoms of this world. We share the faith that our
future ultimately is not dependent on any president, and that we must
work together as a voice for the last, the least and the lost."
*Aldrich is news editor of United Methodist News Service. Contributing
to this report were UMNS staff members Kathy L. Gilbert, Linda Green,
Linda Bloom, Fran Walsh and Mike Hickcox.
News media contact: Marta Aldrich, Nashville, Tenn., (615) 742-5470 or newsdesk@umcom.org.
Audio
Michelle Brooks: “Obama really, really asked individuals to take personal responsibility.”
The Rev. Adam Hamilton: “He articulates a personal Christian faith and a desire to follow Jesus Christ.”
The Rev. Jim Lawson: “…the way in which the spirit of God works in human circles.”
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Resources
Council of Bishops Letter to Barack Obama
Board of Church and Society
Commission on Religion and Race
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