Indianapolis Recorder, Indianapolis, Marion County, 2 January 2004 — Page 14

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THE INDIANAPOLIS RECORDER

FRIDAY, JANUARY 2, 2004

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Riverside Church's charismatic minister speaks with a loving, liberal voice

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By JERRY SCHWARTZ NEW YORK (AP) - Bill Moyers begins his look at the charismatic leader of Manhattan's Riverside Church by setting up a straw Christian - then knocking it down. He opens with a montage of fundamentalist invective in the wake of the Sept. 11 attacks: the Revs. Jem’ Falwell (“the pagans, and the abortionists, and the gays and the lesbians” helped bring on the tragedy); Pat Robertson (Islam is “just not" a peaceful religion); and Jerry Vines (“all religions are not equally true”). But then “Now with Bill Moyers” - which airs Friday night on PBS - shifts to the awe-inspir-ing confines of Riverside Church, the soaring house of worship built overlooking the Hudson River by John D. Rockefeller Jr. “Jesus revealed the capacity to affirm your own tradition, and at the same time, to reach out to those of other traditions," the Rev. James Forbes Jr. tells his congregation, five days after the attacks. “His first sermon said, ‘Be careful living with nationalistic narrowness. Because that does not discern the broadness of the heart of God.’” The point is that not all evangelical Christian voices are so angry, that a spiritual leader has

arisen who speaks with a loving, liberal voice for all those devout Christians who are not represented by the Falwells and the Robertsons. Forbes, says Moyers, has gained “growing influence on the national stage.” Moyers does not offer any evidence of that newfound influence. In fact, earlier this year, when Forbes approached Vice President Dick Cheney with the idea of opening a dialogue to discuss his flock’s differences with the administration, the vice president did not respond. But in a way, Forbes’ influence is beside the point of this admiring portrait of a man of faith and the unusual institution he leads. Moyers follows Forbes’ path, from Raleigh, N.C., where his father, a minister, worked as a candy salesman to support his eight kids. The son studied to be a doctor, but he recalls a moment nearly 50 years ago when he was a Howard University student, listening to a recording of Tchaikovsky’s Symphony in F Minor. “1 thought I heard, ‘Jim Forbes, don’t you know I have called you. J im Forbes don’t you know I have called you. Yes, oh, yes, I have called you,”’ he says, singing the message to the notes of the symphony. He took it as a revelation, and

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72. Indianapolis-died Tuesday. December 23,2003. A reured United Suits Postal Service executive and minister of the gospel. Hudson spent his life in service to his family, his community, his country, and lo God. He was a member of the 1950 alumni class of Cnspus Attucks High School He tamed a Bachelor of Theology from die Central Bipdst Theological Seminary A Korean War veienn, he received several commendations as an Airman First Clasa in the U S Air Force. Retiring in 1989 as the Regional Manager of Commercial Accounls. his 38 year career in the U S. Posral Service was punctuated by a succession of promotions and awards A 63 year member of the Ml. Paran Missionary Baptist Church, he served as its Associate Pastor for 12 years and Interim Pastor fot I year. During that time he spearheaded the Ml Paran Shoes for Children chantable ministry. Under his direction, the ministry grew from giving away 1.000 pairs of shoes in 1991 to giving over 7,000 pairs a year lo underprivileged children by 1998 He was honored for his effotts by receiving die 1999 Drum Major Award for Religion He also served as the Interim Pastor of the Greater Gcthsemane Missionary Baptist Church Embracing and embraced by that congregation, he was under (heir watch and care for the last few years of his life. He was a member of the Indiana Minister's Alliance. Unified Baptist Pastor's Conference of Indiana V F W . and the Versatile 11 Social Club Services will be Saturday. January 3, 2004 at the Mt Paran Missionary Baptist Church, 3425 Boulevard The viewing will be from 10-1 The funeral service will begin at I 00 PM Intertnent will be ai Crown Hill Cemetery He leaves to cherish his memory, his wife of 48 1/2 years, Charlene (Mills) Hudson; a daughter, Deidre (Hudson) Comara. one granddaugher. Lillian Comara; siblings. Roberta (Hudson) Taylor (Redding. CA). Rev I eon Hudson (Lancaster, CA). Rev Hilton Hudson (Indianapolis), and Julia (Hudsoni Turner (Grand Rapids. Ml) and a host of nieces, nephews, family and friends Arrangements are being handled by Down Hill Funeral Home

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set out to follow in his father’s footsteps. But when he started out as a Pentecostal minister he realized that he was at a disadvantage - he did not speak in tongues. So he embarked on a more ecumenical career. He was teaching at Union Theological Seminary, next door to Riverside, when the church asked him to take its pulpit, succeeding the renowned activist William Sloane Coffin. Riverside has a long, liberal history, beginning with its first pastor, Harry Emerson Fosdick. Even its design is open-minded - besides carvings of Christ and other biblical figures, it’s adorned with sculptures of Mohammed, Buddha, Albert Einstein, Charles Darwin, Abraham Lincoln and Booker T. Washington, among others. Forbes, Riverside’s first Black minister, has extended its social activism over the last 14 years. The church trains welfare recipients in hair cutting in its basement; it offers the homeless an opportunity to take showers and do their laundry; it sanctions gay marriages. Forbes is agregarious man, and a fiery preacher. Occasionally, he raps from the pulpit: “Wealthy getting richer, poor getting poorer, with rats and homeless living in the sewer.” There are other ways in which the style of worship at Riverside

has become more like that of some Black churches. Now, the congregation sometimes breaks into applause during the service; to Bar- , bara Butler, a member for 30 . years, it was a jarring change. “The rule of thumb is, if you can go along with around 80 percent of the service, then consider yourself lucky," she says. Moyers says about 60 percent of the congregation was white ■' when Forbes became its minis- * ter, and 40 percent Black; Forbes ♦ says it is now nearly 70 percent , i Black. Forbes is proud that “you still have... white folks in the choir and white folks in the usher board,” but Riverside has changed, and Moyers doesn’t ex- " plore why. Have whites left? Have '' Blacks flocked there? Forbes does not shy away from race as an issue, but he insists that economic inequality between the < rich and the poor is a more pressing problem - and one he will ; continue to address from Riverside’s pulpit. “If God were our consultant ' about economic reality, would God say, ‘Well, all I can say it’s just a free enterprise system. Let ' it work and everything is gonna 1 be all right’?” Forbes asks, and ; then he answers his own ques- ' tion. “No,” he says. “God would say, , You gotta look at that again.’” ,

Pastor says he's frustrated by candidates who pimp' black church

PORTSMOUTH, N.H. (AP) The pastor of a Black church said he is frustrated by presidential candidates who use his congregation as a backdrop for campaign photos rather than a sounding board for a serious discussion of issues. “I’m tired of people coming in here to pimp the church,” the Rev. Arthur Hilson of New Hope Baptist Church said during a Sunday sermon in which he also endorsed the presidential candidacy of Carol Moseley Braun, a Democrat who is Black. “Come because you want to be here,” H ilson appealed to the candidates. “Don’t come here because you want to use me or our people.” Hilson said Monday his criticism was aimed at presidential candidates whom he feels have taken advantage of the opportunity to visit the church, rather than truly listening to the concerns of the congregation. Photos taken during those visits can make it appear as if the pastor and his wife, Lady Hilson, endorsed those candidates, he said. “I get (candidate) calls ... and they say, ‘I want to come’... and they say, ‘Can you have your wife at the door, to meet them’...,” said Hilson. “That’s a photo op, that’s really clear. “When the Dean people came they said, ‘Can you be at the'tloor and have your wife with you?’“he said. Hilson noted that one of the photos taken during that Dean visit appeared in an issue of

Newsweek. The photo showed Dean standing beside Lady Hilson, but the caption did not indicate the picture was taken in New Hampshire, and it was used in a stoty about Dean seeking the southern African-American vote. The Dean campaign indicated it was disappointed Hilson took the occasion of their candidate’s visit in a way that had not been intended. “It’sveryunfortunatethat Reverend Hilson feels this way,” said Matthew Gardner, Dean’s New Hampshire press secretary. “Governor Dean very much enjoys meeting with people throughout New Hampshire, and we felt warmly received by the reverend and other members of the congregation.” Hilson said Braun’s visit was different in character. “At no time did Braun’s people ask me to have anybody anywhere,” he said. “They simply came into the church and took seats.” Connecticut Sen. Joseph Lieberman and Missouri Congressman Dick Gephardt also have visited Hilson’s church. He said he wants presidential candidates to continue coming to his church. But, he added, “When you come, come honestly ... come speak to us as you speak to America,” he said. “Don’t feel that you have to have a special message for us because what is good for America is good for us (Afri-can-Americans).”

Coalition of Churches and community organizations sponsor local family forum

Special to the Recorder The newly formed Indiana Healthy Marriage and Family Coalition and the African American Healthy Marriage and Family Coalition recently host a community awareness and capacity building forum. The event took place earlier this week at the United Way of Central Indiana Building (3901 North Meridian Street). Admission is free and everyone is welcome. Seating capacity however, is limited to 100 so individuals are advised to come a bit early. Participants learned about issues affecting families and healthy marriages, the evolution of the Healthy Marriage Initiative, its mission, goals, objectives and major components, in addition to learning about 2004 federal grant eligibility requirements for the Healthy Marriage and African American Healthy Marriage

funding streams. The keynote speakers for the community forum included Claude A. Allen, who serves as Deputy Secretary for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. In addition, a message was offered by Patricia Funderburk Ware, Special Assistant to the Assistant Secretary Of Health and Human Services. Supporters of this forum included Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc (Indianapolis Alumnae Chapter), Indianapolis Family Strengthening* Coalition, Girton Ministries, Inc, Robinson Community A.M.E. Church, Eastern Star Church, Light ofthe World Christian Church, Christ Church Apostolic Inc., the Institute for Family Life and Preservation Inc. This partnership includes a coalition of forty-three faithbased and community-based organizations throughout Indiana.