At this kairos moment in history, the American church must listen to Black preachers and African American pastors, for the sake of liberty and justice for all peoples, especially black lives harmed for generations. The gospel imperative compels Christians to care for every person created in the image of God, that’s why we must listen, as a first of many steps, to reconstruct a society that honors human lives of all, regardless of skin color—just basic human rights.
This is a list of black preachers and pastors that have circulated among multiethnic evangelical-ish churches and events, to answer that question, “who should I listen to”—listed in no particular order—
- Dr. Tony Evans (Oak Cliff Bible Fellowship)
- Dr. Derwin Gray (Transformation Church)
- Dr. Efrem Smith (Midtown Church)
- Dr. David Anderson (Bridgeway Community Church)
- Rev. Dr. Brenda Salter McNeal (Quest Church, Seattle)
- Pastor Albert Tate (Fellowship Monrovia)
- Dr. Joshua D. Smith (Zoe Center)
- Bishop Dale C. Bronner (Word of Faith Family Worship Cathedral)
- Pastor Miles McPherson (Rock Church)
- Pastor Léonce Crump (Renovation Church)
- Pastor John K. Jenkins, Sr. (First Baptist Church Glenarden)
- Robert Madu (Social Dallas)
- Rev. Mark E. Whitlock, Jr. (Reid Temple AME Church)
- Bishop T. D. Jakes (The Potter’s House)
- Dr. Stacy L. Spencer (New Direction Christian Church)
- Bishop Walter S. Thomas (New Psalmist Baptist Church)
- Pastor Michael Todd (Transformation Church)
- Keith Battle (Zion Church)
- Bishop Kenneth C. Ulmer (Faithful Central Bible Church)
- Rev. Dr. Charlie Dates (Progressive Baptist Church)
- Dr. Maurice Pugh (New Life Fellowship)
- Pastor James T. Meeks (Salem Baptist Church of Chicago)
- Reginald W. Sharpe, Jr. (Fellowship Missionary Baptist Church, Chicago)
- Rev. Dr. Otis Moss, III (Trinity United Church of Christ)
- Bishop Horace E. Smith, M.D. (Apostolic Faith Church)
- Dr. Eric Mason (Epiphany Fellowship Church)
- Pastor Dhati Lewis (Blueprint Church)
- Pastor Thabiti Anyabwile (Anacostia River Church)
- Dr. Conway Edwards (One Community Church)
- Dr. Bryan Loritts
- Travis Greene (Forward City Church)
- John Gray (Relentless Church)
- Dr. Ralph Douglas West (The Church Without Walls)
- Dr. Dharius Daniels (Change Church)
- Dr. David Ireland (Christ Church)
- Rev. Dr. Frederick D. Haynes III (Friendship-West Baptist Church)
- Rev. Dr. Gina M. Stewart (Christ Missionary Baptist Church)
- Rev. Dr. Lance Watson (Saint Paul’s Baptist Church)
- Rev. Dr. George L. Parks, Jr. (New Hope Baptist Church)
- Dr. E. Dewey Smith (House of Hope Atlanta)
- Mike Walrond (First Corinthian Baptist Church)
- Rufus Smith, IV (Hope Evangelical Presbyterian Church)
- J. Edgar Boyd (First AME Church of Los Angeles)
- Rev. Dr. Cynthia L. Hale (Ray of Hope Christian Church)
- Timothy J. Clarke (First Church)
- Donald Hilliard (Cathedral International)
- Wayne Chaney, Jr. (Antioch Church)
- Reverend Dr. Raphael Gamaliel Warnock (Ebenezer Baptist Church)
- Bishop David M. & Rev. Dr. Claudette A. Copeland (New Creation Christian Fellowship)
- H.B. Charles, Jr. (Shiloh Metropolitan Baptist Church)
- Jamal Harrison Bryant (New Birth Missionary Baptist Church)
- Earl McClellan (Shoreline City Church)
- Sam Collier (Story Church)
- Herbert Cooper (People’s Church)
- Tyler Burns (New Dimensions Christian Center)
- Dwight McKissic (Cornerstone Church)
- Bishop Claude Alexander (The Park Church)
- Bishop Derek Grier (Grace Church)
Yes, there are many other prominent and less prominent pastors worth listing, this is a starter list.
What’s also important is to build a long-term relationship committed to reconciliation, that’d be steps to take along with listening and learning. Healing and change for good can only come at the speed of trusted relationships. (heard from Dr. Raleigh Washington)
Other Lists of Black Preachers
How Black pastors under 40 are trying to get their peers back into the pews (NBC News, 2021)
25 Black Theologians Who Have Grown Our Faith (Christianity Today, 2020)
15 Greatest Black Preachers Revisited (copy from Ebony Magazine, 1993)
10 Most Influential Black Spiritual Leaders (Christian Post, 2008)
10 Notable Black Female Preachers You Should Know (NewsOne, 2021)
9 Greatest Black Women Preachers (Black Economics UK quoting Ebony)
From Glory to Glory: 20 Top Black Preachers (The Root)
Remembering Ten Black Christian Leaders (Huffpost)
10 Popular Types of Black Preachers You’ll Meet on Sunday (Christian Post, 2013)
The Top 10 Most Influential Black Ministers (Loop 21, 2012)
Influential African-American churches in Atlanta
Other Links
- 2021 African American Preaching Conference (September 28-30 @ Waco, Texas)
- Report: Faith Among Black Americans (Pew Research Center, 2021) – includes section, “interview with Black pastors“
- Preaching in the African American Church 🔊 (Dr. Eric Redmond)
- Elements of Styles in Black Preaching (Thabiti Anyabwile, Isaac Adams)
- African American Preaching (Rod Cooper, from The Art and Craft of Biblical Preaching)
- Black Preaching Styles: Teaching, Exhorting, and Whooping (Joyce Marie Jackson, Folklife in Louisiana)
- A History of Prophetic Black Preaching that Doesn’t Start or End with Dr. King (Religion Dispatches)
- Why America needs the Black church for its own survival and The Black church has major generational challenges. Here’s what we’re doing about it. (Washington Post, September 2021) – This is part of a series from The Washington Post exploring “The Future of the Black Church.”
“Currently, there are approximately 100,000 predominately black churches in the United States..”
Postscript
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(photo credit: Thrive Conference)