Rev. Dr. Wilson Goode. Mayors want the church to be the church. Often church leaders want to be politicians – emulate what politicians do, give political advice. The second thing mayors want the church to be is a lighthouse in their neighborhoods, not a clubhouse. They want churches to be concerned for the community, not a drive in from outside. The church can be a lighthouse. Many have money, but more important, the mandate and the mission is to be a lighthouse.
Mayors want pastors and leaders to be a prophetic voice, to speak out on what is right and what is wrong, to speak out in a loud and clear voice against wrongdoing. To speak the truth. To be the priests within the community. To combat the suffering.
Pray for mayors. Often I found that when I needed pastors to be pastors and leaders, they wanted to be the board – tell me what I should do rather than what they were praying about for me. When they asked what they could do, I would tell them to pray for me.
I’ve been out of office now for thirteen years, but even now they come to me and tell me in no uncertain terms: We need to go and talk to the current Mayor and tell him how he’s wrong. We don’t like some of his decisions. I tell them if you’re going to do that, sound a prophetic voice. But I suggest that a group of us call him and say we’re coming down to pray for him. We did, and the Mayor had tears in his eyes. He said he never expected this. Instead of coming in to ask for things, we went to pray for him.
When I was mayor, there was a group of white pastors who were in the northeast. I know that none of them voted for me. But they came in regularly and prayed for me. That is the most memorable part of my tenure in office – that folks who didn’t know me or even vote for me would come in and offer prayer.
Mayors want churches and pastors to take positions on issues, i.e. education. The two institutions that remain in most communities are the schools and the churches. Businesses are gone, but they remain. Somehow if the congregations can have before school and after school programs, safe quarter programs. Churches can become involved in economic development. Mayors need non-profit groups formed by local congregations to do redevelopment. There are areas where private investment will not go, but a congregation can develop a shopping center or new housing. The whole issue of homelessness – I’m on this crusade. If every congregation in every city would adopt one homeless person, the problem would be taken care of. If they could help a person find a job, mentor them, work with them for 6 months. The area of drugs and alcohol – many congregations already have AA groups. Beyond that education programs for the community to help people understand the problems of alcohol and drug use. Have someone come in three times a year to educate people on the problems. AIDS is a big problem. Mayors need to have churches involved in education re: those issues – health and education.
Essentially what the mayors look to the church for is to be the church. Be who they are called to be, that strong prophetic voice standing up for what is right. And then begin to partner with government to alleviate suffering. Redevelop neighborhoods and shopping centers, be the lighthouse and not the clubhouse.
I found a marvelous example of that. Four years ago I decided to adopt the Amachi program. Amachi is a Nigerian word. In Alaska I learned that amachi in Upic means to carry more than two children on your back. People of faith mentor children of promise. Big brother and big sister agencies, churches adopt children – so many have one or both parents in jail. I went to a prison not far from Philadelphia; I saw a grandfather, father and son all in prison at the same time. Generation to generation. They met for the first time in prison. The grandson came over and told me he had a son he had never seen. It is possible, Christian friends, to have four generations of the same family in jail at the same time. Many of these children live in the zip codes where churches are located. I decided that based on my call to the ministry, I would spend the rest of my life finding people of faith to help these children of promise. Who knows what God can do through these children – what talents and abilities they may have.
We know that 2/3 of a Philadelphia group improved their attendance and behavior – even an hour or two weekly can change the direction of a life. I know from personal experience that a pastor and his wife mentored me to become Mayor and now a preacher. Who knows what God can bring us through these incredible children? Without our intervention and support, they may end up in jail. The best indicator of whether or not a child will go to jail is whether they have a parent in jail. We challenge people to do something with people that don’t look or act like them to become involved.
A woman went to a doctor with a tumor on her jaw. It left her face twisted. For a while after the operation the family and doctor just looked at one another. Finally the wife said, “Will I always be this way?” The answer was yes. The husband tried to make the best of it and said, “It’s cute.” He reached over to kiss her and found it didn’t work as it used to because of her twisted lips. To accommodate her lips, he had to twist his lips. For some time, in order to work with people with twisted lips, we need to have twisted lips. Did not Jesus go to Calvary with twisted lips?
I would say, in closing, that Mayors need congregations and churches to be a part of what I call the riverbed ministry – to stand in the riverbed as the priests did in Joshua’s day, to help those people with problems leave their wilderness and enter their promised land – to leave the wilderness of killing, drugs, homelessness and go into their promised land. It seems to me that across America we should be able to find enough people with twisted lips to stand in the riverbed and help people with social needs become all they can.
If the church is the church with a loud and clear prophetic voice from people of faith, we can turn these cities upside down. I believe that. I’ve seen it happen. Do you believe that? When I ran for office, I always closed my speeches with a challenge: Will you help? Will you help where you are? Halleluia! Halleluia! Halleluia! He closed with this prayer:
“I didn’t know why you sent me here, I didn’t always have the right words formulated, but thank you for sending your anointing, that I could say a word of hope, a word that will help people see beyond where they are to where they can be, to share some information that may not have been known before, and Lord, to show them the hope that all have in you as Christ Jesus. Thank you, Lord, for that hope that you gave us through your son, Jesus, who died on a lonely cross, but rose to live that we may live. We praise you because you are worthy. I love you, Lord. I adore you. I want to magnify your name. I want to give glory to your name. Halleluia! In the precious name of Jesus, Amen.
Q&A
Question: In government scenarios as mayor, is it possible for a Mayor’s office to have a fulltime staff person paid by people of faith in the business community? Goode: I appointed a pastor on my staff to be a liaison with the community. He became an interpreter of what was happening in the community to us, and an interpreter to the community of what was happening in the Mayor’s office. It would not be a problem for the city to accept money for that – IF the businessmen expected nothing in return. If there is an expectation you have an ethical problem. Money given must be given with no strings attached. Philadelphia has formed a separate non-profit foundation that can receive money to do special projects. I chair the library foundation in Philadelphia. We hire a liaison.
Barney Field: In El Paso we have had success by focusing on a particular topic for a year. Last year was year of marriage. Another year of the Bible, encouraging the community to read the Bible. Next year will be year of the father. If you did year of the father in Philadelphia, what would you do? Goode: The first thing I would do is talk about basic issues of fatherhood today. Many fathers, especially in inner city neighborhoods, are not in the home with the family. Many are in jail. They (minorities) compose 6% of the general pop, but 60% of the prison population. Many fathers who are in jail have no communication with their children. Many have multiple families. Many have been estranged for so long they have lost contact. If you talk about fathering, include all fathers and all families, keeping in mind this special issue with African American and Hispanic fathers, who disproportionately represent the prison population. I would also highlight successful fathers, Christian fathers where the whole family goes to church. Point out the ideal as well. That’s why my wife and I, every chance we get, take the opportunity to talk about how long we have been married, talk about what our family means, talk about our children and grandchildren.
Denny Westover: I believe I heard you say it doesn’t help when pastors become ward politicians but it does help when the church takes a strong stand on issues. Goode: The biggest challenge I had was finding elected officials who sincerely wanted to solve problems, rather than those who merely wanted to profile and be on stage. I found it difficult when people I helped elect on a reform ticket said you can have my vote, but I’m going to need a couple of jobs for my people. It’s difficult when pastors act the same way.
Westover: What about when a pastor who is effective considers transitioning to a politician? Goode: I have no problem with that. “I is one.” The problem is when we get elected and then start to act like those we pushed out. If you think about running for office, don’t be like them. Be like Christ in all the ways possible, and God will bless you and bless you. Even when you leave office, people respect you because you stand up. The people who fought me hard, the current mayor of Philadelphia was my biggest critic. He was City Councilman. But in my programs, I find no problem in standing with him and praying for him because he’s my brother in that sense.
St. Louis Questioner: On the St. Louis north side – it’s hard to get unity re: political effort and development. How can the church unite the north side politically? Goode: Is the problem the politicians or the churches? Answer: Both. Goode: People come together over compelling issues. I believe they will come together over a compelling issue. People will gravitate to the issue, but if you just try to get them together, it won’t work. You need to show them what it could be like if they came together to solve these problems. Be succinct in your message. Tell them that a child of an incarcerated parent may end up there unless we do something, and that one hour every week can make the difference.
St. Louis Questioner: How would Mayors like to hear and receive intended programs? Goode: I would like to see a group come in with their stuff together, the problem clearly defined in succinct terms. Here is the problem we are trying to solve. A drug problem on this corner, x number of people involved; here’s a way we believe this problem can be solved. What always got my attention was when they said they were willing to walk shoulder to shoulder with you in solving the problem, not just dumping the problem for me to solve. Mayors don’t have a lot of time. I loved 5-minute meetings. I would stand – not sit down, and they would stand. Then you know it will be 5 minutes. In fact, I had one office with no chair. I got a drafting table. I don’t sense I missed anything at all by not having chairs. What I sense is that people came in, got to the point, told me what they wanted me to do and left. It doesn’t take all day to do that. What is difficult is when people come in with their laptop and want to give me a Power Point presentation in my office. Give me a half page – define the problem so we can solve it.
About Reverend Dr. W. Wilson Goode, Sr.
For more than forty years, Dr. W. Wilson Goode has been a leader. He has led in the military, the government (federal, state and local levels), the Church, and through civic, social action and neighborhood organizations.
During this time he has helped to create more livable communities by building housing and organizing intervention programs in education, employment and economic development. He broke racial barriers in state and local government with his appointments as Chairman of the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission (1978) and Managing Director of the City of Philadelphia (1980). He was also the First African American to be elected Mayor of Philadelphia (1983). For almost fifty years he has been a member of the First Baptist Church of Paschall where he has served as Trustee, Chair of the Board of Deacons and Associate Minister.
Dr. Goode has served on more than forty corporate, civic, religious and neighborhood boards of directors. He has provided leadership on issues of civil rights, education, housing, mentoring and faith-based initiatives. He has been recognized for his contributions by more than 2,000 organizations with awards, certificates and honors. He is a Fellow in the National Academy of Public Administration and The Society for the Study of Black Religion. Fourteen colleges and universities have recognized him with honorary doctorates.
He prepared himself through education at Morgan State University, where he received a Bachelor’s of Arts in History and Political Science (1961). He returned to school in 1966 and received a Masters in Governmental Administration from the Wharton School’s Fels Institute at the University of Pennsylvania. Thirty years later (1996) he entered the Eastern Baptist Theological Seminary and received his Doctorate of Ministry in May 2000.
He is a much sought after preacher, speaker and panelist and makes more than 150 appearances annually. He has authored one book, “In Goode Faith,” an autobiography published in 1992.
He continues to serve on a number of boards, including Eastern University. He is Chair of four boards: The Free Library of Philadelphia, The Cornerstone Christian Academy, Self, Inc. and The Philadelphia Leadership Foundation. He is Vice-Chair of the Council of Leadership Foundations.
Dr. Goode is currently the Senior Advisor on Faith Based Initiatives for Public/ Private Ventures, where he also directs the Amachi Program, a faith-based national mentoring model for children of incarcerated parents.
He and his wife, Velma, have