In a previous episode, Jesse Milan (AIDS United) suggested the Black community was reluctant to talk about some issues. HIV/AIDS and gender identity were among those. We asked some some of our listeners if they agreed that there were issues our community was reluctant to discuss. They agreed and identified several. It took a while, but we finally found a guest to discuss these hot button issues, as they pertain to challenges for today’s Black church.
Our guest for today is the Reverend Benjamin Ledell Reynolds, who is currently the interim Minister at Peoples Congregation United Church of Christ. Reverend Reynolds is a native of Colorado, but before coming to the District of Columbia, he ministered in Chicago, Illinois. He is an established activist and organizes around issues of equality, access, and community dialogue. He served as Director of the LGBTQ Religious Studies Center at Chicago Theological Seminary; Director of Faith Communities for Illinois Unites for Marriage Equality campaign; and lead consultant for the Table to Action Project bringing Chicago’s diverse community of religious, academic and moral leaders together for dialogue and collaboration to build a stronger ecumenical community in the city.
We explore whether Black Churches today are still relevant to our communities’ struggle to achieve justice and full citizenship in this country. And of course we touch on the subject of how our churches responded to HIV/AIDS, the complex relationship with of LGBTQ+ people of faith, and the position of Black women within the church. Hope you enjoy this frank discussion of challenges for today’s Black Church. You can catch the stream of Rev. Reynold’s Sunday services on Peoples Congregation website.