This story was originally published online with Word In Black, a collaboration of the nation’s leading Black news publishers (of which The Washington Informer is a member).
Having spent the months and weeks before Election Day encouraging their congregants to vote, news that former president Donald Trump had defeated Vice President Kamala Harris to retake the White House was a staggering blow to many Black houses of worship.
On Wednesday, Nov. 6, ministers reflected on the lessons they taught leading up to Nov. 5, and what they can say to heartbroken, angry or frustrated parishioners in the election’s aftermath. The emotions surrounding Harris’ defeat, they say, are a lot like losing a loved one, and they are grieving along with their members.
It was painful for faith leaders and worshipers alike to watch the reports and to hear pronouncements of Trump’s victory, especially for pastors who’d worked hard to inspire and encourage their flock to vote. Even worse: the complex knot of emotions of parents, teachers and counselors who had to explain the loss to their children — and to hopeful first-time voters.
Yet Harris’ loss was frustrating for the ministers and pastors who’ve emphasized the necessity, and sacred duty, of voting to their parishioners. Black faith leaders repeatedly delivered that lesson before Nov. 5, often punctuated with a history lesson — “Grandparents died so you could vote” — only to experience a devastating loss in a high-stakes election.
Trump’s win was deflating for faith leaders who encouraged first-time voters who ranged in age from 18 to 75. It was difficult for the ministers who worked to change the minds of those who feel they should be in the world but not of the world; for those who encouraged the skeptics who didn’t believe their vote mattered — and, given the outcome, might never vote again.
Some pastors had already planned activities to help their members get through what many predicted would certainly be days of painstaking ballot-counting, further slowed by legal challenges and possible recounts. But few expected Harris would be on the losing end of a resounding defeat, and that development meant plans had to change.
In Alexandria, Virginia, Alfred Street Baptist Church offered a virtual gathering, “Prayer and Support for Post-Election Wellbeing,” from noon to 1:30 p.m. Just a few minutes after the event, the livestream had already garnered more than 362 likes and 5,600 views.
“We’re going to come together to lift up prayers, offer support and create a safe space for those who need to sit with their feelings,” said the Rev. LaTasha L. Morgan, counseling ministry leader.
She reminded the audience that God was in control, the outcome was not a surprise to Him, and they have been in difficult circumstances before.
“The first thing that came to mind when the first member called this morning was Psalm 46: ‘God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble,’” said the Rev. Derrick A. Aldridge, pastor of Second Chance Church in Flint, Michigan. “I’m encouraged by that entire Psalm, so I will suggest they read it and that we stay focused on the fact that no matter what happens, we still have to live in this world together in peace and harmony.”
Bishop Ralph L. Dennis, head of pastors at Kingdom of Fellowship Ministries in Columbia, Maryland, said Harris’ loss to Trump leaves parishioners “exactly where I believed we would be” and that they should look to the heavens for comfort.
“Our hope and future must never be in an earthly system and the flesh of men,” said Dennis. “Israel, God’s chosen people, went into captivity by the will of God for her perpetual disobedience, and yet the same God speaks to Jeremiah, and in Chapter 29, tells the people how to prepare and what to do.”
Baltimore pastor Kevin Slayton said it’s important to remember that all politics are local, and that Marylanders still have things to celebrate from the election.
“With that said, there is great cause for rejoicing in our community,” said Slayton, pastor of Northwood Appold United Methodist Church. “We elected [Baltimore Mayor] Brandon Scott, a leader with a proven love and passion for this city. Equally ready and capable is the [Baltimore city council] president-elect, Zeke Cohen. There is no question that he is committed to the cause of justice.”
Meanwhile, “we can all shout at the outcome of electing the first African American woman from the state of Maryland to serve in the U.S. Senate,” Slayton said. “There is always something to give thanks for.”
The Rev. Dante K. Miles, pastor of Koinonia Baptist Church, said he’d talked with his congregation leading into election night and they fasted and prayed through the evening.
Their prayers, he added, were “not for a particular candidate or party but that God’s will would be done.”
In conversations with some parishioners, “I could feel their grief and tried comforting them,” Miles said. “[But] in the same way people are angry when they lose a loved one, nobody at that initial moment wants to hear about God.”
Miles said they’ve been going over the Articles of Faith, “but I’m going to focus on what we believe about civil government and tie the election to it and then tomorrow for our group prayer time. If someone brings it up, we will definitely lift up the winners, the losers and the country as a whole.”
