FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Dec. 4, 2007
Renowned Faith Leaders Come Together to Support Obama
Unprecedented group of nation’s top Black religious leaders unveiled
CHARLESTON, S.C. –U.S. Sen. Barack Obama’s campaign today unveiled its African American Religious Leadership Committee at both the national and statewide levels. Together, they represent two groups of key national and South Carolina religious leaders who are supporting Obama’s bid for the Democratic nomination.
These groups are truly without equal and reflect the belief among clergy that Obama has dedicated his public life to living the values of his faith outside of his house of worship. The national leadership committee is made up of presidents of two of the largest national Baptist conventions; the most senior Bishop of the African Methodist Episcopal Church, some of the most well-known African American women religious leaders and living legends of the Civil Rights movement, Rev. Dr. Joseph E. Lowery and Dr. C.T. Vivian; and many others.
Bishop Walter Scott Thomas and Lowery joined Vivian in Charleston to unveil the list. South Carolina ministers attending the event included Rev. Ralph Canty of Savannah Grove Baptist in Effingham, Rev. Dr. Charles Heyward of St. James Presbyterian on James Island and Revs. Alanza Washington of Wallingford Presbyterian in Charleston and Julius McDowell of Big Wesley United Methodist in Hollywood.
The South Carolina leadership committee includes nearly 130 senior pastors from some of the largest and most important churches across the state. Both groups represent Senator Obama’s support among thousands of Black clergy and religious leaders across America, leaders who have come to recognize that Obama represents change they can believe in.
“This is an unprecedented group for an unprecedented candidate,” said National African American Religious Committee Co-Chair Rev. Otis Moss, Jr., a civil rights legend and former president of the Morehouse University Board of Trustees. “As a lifelong advocate for the less fortunate and the forgotten, Senator Obama lives his faith everyday. He continues to talk about a faith that works to unite and not divide people.”
Obama often speaks about the role his faith plays in his public and family life and how it influences his approach to the great issues that face the country -- healthcare, education and poverty. The National African American Religious Leadership Committee meets on regular conference calls to support Senator Obama.
The South Carolina campaign has held Obama Faith Forums across the state, launched the “40 Days of Faith & Family” effort, and reached out to people of faith to help them organize within their own networks to spread the word about Obama. So far, the Obama campaign has recruited more than 200 Faith Community Contacts – grassroots church leaders who are identifying and educating voters in advance of the primary election – in 27 counties.
“Americans need a leader whose values are rooted in the belief that we must care for the least of these, that we have a responsibility to our fellow man and that if one of us is not succeeding, then all of us are not succeeding,” Canty said. “We believe that Senator Obama is that leader.”
A list of national and South Carolina ministers supporting Obama can be viewed by clicking the following links: South Carolina and national.
*Endorsements from religious leaders are extended in their personal
capacity, and not on behalf of any house of worship, organization or denomination.
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Contact: Kevin
Griffis Amaya Smith
SOUTH CAROLINA
Rev. A.C. Robinson
Pleasant Grove Baptist Church
Rev. A.R. Kollock
Greater Target Church
Rev. Aaron Bishop
Grace Church
Rev. Adrian McIlwain Cornerstone Baptist
Church
Rev. Alanza Washington
Wallingford Presbyterian Church
Rev. Alfred Jefferson
Garden of Prayer Church
Rev. Allen Robinson Mt. Pleasant
Missionary Baptist Church
Rev. Alvin Murdock
Christ Deliverance Church
Rev. Andrew Jordan
Biggers A.M.E. Church
Rev. Angelin Simmons Johns Island Parish
Rev. Anna Miller
St. James United Methodist Church
Rev. Anthony Campbell
Folly Road Church of Christ
Rev. Anthony McCallum
Bethlehem Baptist Church
Rev. Audrey Deas
St. Paul's Presbyterian Church
Rev. Benjamin Graham Mt. Zion United
Methodist Church
Rev. Bernard Brown
Jerusalem A.M.E. Church
Rev. Bertha Jean Burroughs
Gospel Tabernacle Church
Rev. Bill Stringfellow (ret.)
Cornerstone Baptist Church
Rev. Michael Blue
Door of Hope Church
Rev. Boykin Jordan
Living Word Baptist Church
Rev. Brown St. Beulah
Baptist Church
Rev. Caesar Richburg Williams Chapel
A.M.E. Church
Rev. Charles B. Jackson, Jr. New Laurel Street
Baptist
Rev. Charles Heyward St. James Presbyterian
Church
Rev. Charles Pee
Friendship Baptist Church
Rev. Charlie Howard (ret.)
Mt. Pleasant A.M.E. Church
Rev. Clifford Gaymon Zion Hill Baptist
Church
Rev. Clifford Levine Bethel A.M.E. Church
Pastor Corey J. Williams
Giants 4 Christ Ministries
Rev. Daniel McCowan Maxwell Baptist
Church
Rev. Deleon McRae Mt.
Tema Missionary Baptist Church
Pastor Donald Goodwine St. Paul's Baptist Church
Rev. Donna Jacobs
Insight Ministries
Rev. Doris Haynes
Faithworks International
Rev. Drusilla Harvin Trinity A.M.E.
Church
Rev. Ed McClain
Calvary A.M.E. Church
Rev. Elaine Harvey
Gethsemane Baptist Church
Bishop Finas Bush
Crown Christian Center
Rev. Frankie Thomas Manning Baptist
Church
Rev. Freda Bonner
St.Paul MBC
Rev. Freddie Thomas Mt. Bethel
Baptist Church
Rev. Garfield Capers God's
Heart Ministries
Rev. George West
Royal Baptist
Rev. George Windley Ebenezer Baptist
Assoc. Pastor Gollie Walker Ebenzer
Baptist
Bishop Harold Sawyer Greater Zion Tabernacle
Dr. Harris Church
Macedonia Missionary Baptist
Rev. Hayes Gainey
Edisto Fork United Methodist
Rev. Henry Badie
Pentecostal Temple
Rev. Henry Cook
Friendship Baptist
Rev. Henry McGill, Jr.
Mt. Pisgah Baptist
Pastor Herbert Harvey Gethsemane Baptist
Rev. Jack Peterson New Bethlehem
Baptist
Rev. Jacqueline Aiken
New Life Mansion
Rev. James Abraham Bethlehem
Baptist
Rev. James Elbert Williams
Mt. Beulah/New Hope U.M.C.
Rev. James Holiday
Bushy Pond Baptist
Rev. James J. Robinson (ret.)
Bethel Grove A.M.E.
Rev. James Lane
Canaan/Sand Hill
Rev. Jarvis Brown
Agape Christian Outreach Ministries
Rev. Jeanette Cooper-Dicks
Cumberland United Methodist
Rev. Jerry Corbett
Pee Dee Union Baptist
Rev. Jerry Edwards
Tabernacle Baptist
Rev. John Berry
New Jerusalem MBC
Rev. John Davis
Berea Association
Rev. John Elliott
Shady Grove United Methodist
Pastor John Smalls
Greater Friendship A.M.E.
Minister Johnny Jenkins Maxwell-Pamlico Baptist
Rev. Joseph Mason
Glover's Chapel
Rev. Joseph Williams, Jr.
Mt. Nebo Baptist
Assoc. Pastor Josephine Richardson
Payne RMUE
Rev. Julius Barnes
St. Luke
Rev. Julius McDowell Wesley UMC
Rev. Kay Colleton
Manna Life Center
Rev. Keith Hunter
Wesley United Methodist
Rev. Kenneth Doe
St. Joseph's Baptist
Rev. Larry Fowler
Mt. Sinai Baptist
Rev. Leo Woodbury Bethlehem
A.M.E.
Rev. Leon Winn
Rock Hill Missionary Baptist
Rev. Leonard Huggins New Covenant United
Methodist
Rev. Leroy Cannon
New Bethel
Rev. Lewis Duckett
Shiloh Baptist
Rev. Lonnie Jones
Millway Baptist
Rev. Lowman L. Jamison
Antioch Baptist (ret.)
Rev. Marvin Kelty
Centerville Baptist
Rev. Matthew Furness Poplar A.M.E. Church
Rev. Michael Barr
Snow Hill Baptist
Rev. Michael Peppers Fairfield
Baptist Church
Rev. Minnie Chapman Pee Dee Union
Baptist
Pastor Monroe Bush, Jr.
Smyrna Baptist
Rev. Norman Gamble New Ebenezer
Baptist
Rev. Norman Jenkins Grays Hill
Assoc. Pastor Norman Kithcart Living
Word Baptist
Rev. Norman Pearson First Baptist
Rev. Odonald Dingle Shiloh
Missionary Baptist
Rev. Otis Scott, Jr. Camden First
U.M.C.
Rev. Ralph Canty
Savannah Grove Baptist
Rev. Randolph Scipio Bula Land
Rev. Reggie McLeod, Sr.
Kay Branch
Rev. Rev. Graves
Mill Branch A.M.E.
Rev. Rickey Syndab
Morris Chapel
Rev. Robert Capers
Salem & Bethel Presbyterian
Rev. Robert Deas
Lovely Hill Baptist
Rev. Robert Dennis Cedar
Grove
Rev. Robin Dease
Wesley United Methodist
Rev. Rodney James
Mt. Hermon Baptist
Rev. Sam Whack, Jr. Chaney
Grove Baptist
Rev. Samuel Burgess St. Stephen's
Baptist
Rev. Sandra Harrison Macedonia
Baptist
Rev. Sandra Muldrow New Ebenezer
Baptist
Rev. Sean Dogan
Long Branch Baptist
Rev. Steven Singleton
Mother Emanuel
Pastor Telley Gadson St. Mark's
United Methodist
Rev. Thomas Sims
Mt. Zion United Methodist
Minister Verneda Temoney Savannah Grove Baptist
Rev. Victor Wilson
United A.M.E.
Rev. Virgil Johnson New Revelations
Rev. Waymen Coleman Flat Rock A.M.E.
Church
Rev. William Pee
Pleasant Grove Baptist
Rev. William Swinton Ebenezer A.M.E.
Rev. William Thompson
Mt. Claire Baptist
Rev. Willie Dennis
Union Baptist
Rev. Willie Fant
Miracle COGIC
Pastor Winnifa Clark Shephard's
Outreach
Rev. Winston Olithant