As the nation honors the life and legacy of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., religious figures – from Decatur, Georgia, to churches in the metropolitan region – are amplifying their vision to carry forward his mantle.
Whether advocating for constitutional and civil rights or molding the minds of future freedom fighters, the theme for 2026 remains: How can faith leaders continue King’s mission?
The Rt. Rev. Mariann Edgar Budde, bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Washington, and keynote speaker of MLK Holiday DC’s Eighth Annual Prayer Breakfast on Saturday, Jan. 17
“The theme for [MLK Holiday DC 2026]: [‘The Struggle Is Real. The Fight is Still.’] is just a sober acknowledgement that we are now up against the unseemingly unrestrained power of the federal government, in the hands of those whose vision of America is antithetical to everything King stood for. But we are not without resources. King would be the first to remind us…not to give up on each other, that truth pressed to the ground will rise again because no lie can live forever, and that God has a way of ringing good out of evil. God is the source of our strength, and He is the strength of our lives.”
The Rev. Tony Lee, founder and senior pastor of Community of Hope A.M.E Church in Temple Hills, Maryland
“The reality is everybody’s talking about Dr. King’s dream, but folks don’t talk about his stand against the war in Vietnam and how unpopular he was at the time of his death. He was dealing with the fact that, in the same way that we need to be standing for Palestine, in the same way that we need to understand the connection with what’s happening in Venezuela, in the same way that we need to understand the connection with our brothers and sisters who are immigrants – it’s this whole question of fighting for each other in this interconnectedness of oppression, and being able to fight that.”
The Rev. Gerald Durley, international civil rights activist and pastor emeritus of Providence Baptist Church of Atlanta, Georgia
“Let’s come back to our roots.’ How do we come together to understand the collective body of our mutual experiences that made us strong, that will make us strong, that we can face anything, and then ask the question – in order to achieve that, what do you need to do? What are you willing to sacrifice, and what are you willing to risk?”
The Rev. Wanda Thompson, pastor of Ambassador Baptist Church in Frederick, Maryland
“[Dr. King once said], ‘Injustice anywhere is [a threat to] justice everywhere.’ It’s up to the Black Church to set an example – to be on the front lines to really fight injustice. [Making] sure that the citizens in this country, that we all receive due process, that we all receive the things we need, that we learn how to show love and mercy and compassion towards our neighbors. We have to speak truth to power when those in power are wrong…are doing things that hurt the community. That’s what we’re called to do.”
The Rev. Dr. Henry P. Davis, pastor of First Baptist Church of Highland Park in Summerfield, Maryland
“We have gone to the things that Dr. King feared and made it the new norm. His message is as relevant as it was when he spoke. The Black Church today needs to speak as boldly as possible, and this same message needs to be spoken in every pulpit – Black and white.”
The Rev. Jerry Black, pastor of Beulah Missionary Baptist Church in Decatur, Georgia
“It is so important as pastors to follow King’s example, so that his dream will not perish. I’m celebrating my 34th pastoral anniversary next month; The Rev. Dr. Jasper Williams Jr. (pastor emeritus of Atlanta’s Salem Bible Church) will be preaching, [and] I told him just to proclaim the importance of pastors standing up for the truth. The church is supposed to be the bride of Christ, but we must be careful that we are handling another man’s bride.”