By By Beth Reese Cravey
In a rousing message that frequently had his Prime Osborn Convention Center audience on its feet and cheering, Bishop T.D. Jakes challenged Jacksonville’s interfaith community to step up and help save a generation of at-risk youth.
As the keynote speaker Monday at Mayor Alvin Brown’s annual Interfaith Breakfast, the famed Dallas pastor said that it will take the public, private and spiritual sectors working together to accomplish the goals of an increased high school graduation rate, strong families and decreased crime and unemployment rates.
“We need to fight the good fight of faith,” Jakes said. “Our job is daunting. A generation of people don’t have job skills, don’t know how to parent. ... We have a real job to do today.”
For the effort to be successful, political polarization and other cultural divisions must be overcome, he said.
“Rise up and support what unifies us. We don’t have to agree about everything to be united about something,” he said. “I still believe there is hope for our society. ... America needs a healing today. We’ve got to start to right, here and now.”
Fairly shouting, Jakes had the audience shouting affirmations.
“We are the people we have been waiting for. I am the ‘they’ that I hope for. If you see Goliath, tell him here I am,” he said. “We’re going to throw our rock today.”
Jakes, who has been preaching 37 years, is senior pastor of The Potter’s House, a 30,000-member church in Dallas and an author and commentator. His charitable programs provided medical screenings and dental help for Dallas area residents and disaster relief in Haiti, among other things.
When he introduced Jakes, Brown said his message of unity and “stubborn faith” was one the breakfast crowd needed to hear.
“I believe there is tremendous power when people of God work together,” Brown said, “I am sick and tired of our young people being locked up. Let’s take this city back.”
After his speech, Jakes told reporters that Brown and Jacksonville are “trendsetters” for including the faith community in citywide initiatives. He said he has seen some of that in other cities, but “not to the degree that we need to see it.”
The Rev. Garry Wiggins of Evangel Temple on Ramona Boulevard in Jacksonville, who issued the “call to action” that concluded the event, said there are 1,400 churches in the Jacksonville area. He challenged them to heed Jakes’ “compelling message to do something” by joining the Mayor’s Mentors program or by helping the city’s veterans and homeless.
“We can do better,” he said.
As the keynote speaker Monday at Mayor Alvin Brown’s annual Interfaith Breakfast, the famed Dallas pastor said that it will take the public, private and spiritual sectors working together to accomplish the goals of an increased high school graduation rate, strong families and decreased crime and unemployment rates.
“We need to fight the good fight of faith,” Jakes said. “Our job is daunting. A generation of people don’t have job skills, don’t know how to parent. ... We have a real job to do today.”
For the effort to be successful, political polarization and other cultural divisions must be overcome, he said.
“Rise up and support what unifies us. We don’t have to agree about everything to be united about something,” he said. “I still believe there is hope for our society. ... America needs a healing today. We’ve got to start to right, here and now.”
Fairly shouting, Jakes had the audience shouting affirmations.
“We are the people we have been waiting for. I am the ‘they’ that I hope for. If you see Goliath, tell him here I am,” he said. “We’re going to throw our rock today.”
Jakes, who has been preaching 37 years, is senior pastor of The Potter’s House, a 30,000-member church in Dallas and an author and commentator. His charitable programs provided medical screenings and dental help for Dallas area residents and disaster relief in Haiti, among other things.
When he introduced Jakes, Brown said his message of unity and “stubborn faith” was one the breakfast crowd needed to hear.
“I believe there is tremendous power when people of God work together,” Brown said, “I am sick and tired of our young people being locked up. Let’s take this city back.”
After his speech, Jakes told reporters that Brown and Jacksonville are “trendsetters” for including the faith community in citywide initiatives. He said he has seen some of that in other cities, but “not to the degree that we need to see it.”
The Rev. Garry Wiggins of Evangel Temple on Ramona Boulevard in Jacksonville, who issued the “call to action” that concluded the event, said there are 1,400 churches in the Jacksonville area. He challenged them to heed Jakes’ “compelling message to do something” by joining the Mayor’s Mentors program or by helping the city’s veterans and homeless.
“We can do better,” he said.
We need help here in Boston with our youth....
ReplyDelete