Following a celebratory week of reunion and rejuvenation, the Rev. Dr. Freddie Haynes culminated Howard University’s homecoming celebration (Oct. 19-26) with a powerful sermon at Cramton Auditorium in Northwest, D.C.
Flanked by a crowd of longtime supporters, including Texas Congressional Rep. Jasmine Crockett, Haynes topped his delivery with cultural innuendoes and testaments to the strength in God and His plan, all the while reminding folks to seek that threshold within themselves.
“We have access to the same power that rose Jesus from the dead, meaning that resurrection power isn’t something you just shout about on Easter – it’s something you live with every day,” he declared on Oct. 26. “[It’s] a resilience to bounce back…[it] means somehow a way is made out of nowhere. Resurrection power is God giving you power to overcome oppression and obstacles.”
With Nov. 1 set to mark a month of the federal shutdown, Haynes, senior pastor of Friendship-West Baptist Church in Dallas spoke candidly of the adversity plaguing Americans, and particularly African Americans, in the wake of a second Trump administration.
The social activist preached with hope and humor as he acknowledged a longstanding precedent of oppression that precedes the struggles of modern racism, white Christian nationalism, anti-immigration, and environmental injustice, to name a few – none of which encapsulates the looming challenges in health care and employment if the government remains in a stalemate.
For two-time alumna Marsha Middleton, Haynes’ approach to trust in God through life’s plot twists was more than fitting for the current climate, especially set to the backdrop of her alma mater’s 101st homecoming celebration.
“Homecoming is the opportunity to feel the spirit of everyone that has come through here…reflect on where we’ve [been], and hopefully talk about where our young folk [can] take us even further,” she explained. “[Haynes] is a walking example of what Christianity and church is supposed to be about…you’ve got to do some real work.”
Middleton and Haynes both emphasized part of that work manifests on the shoulders of giants that beckon Black liberation.
With a nod to the scrolls of cultural influence and freedom fighting, the guest preacher highlighted the role of spiritual resistance in forging lasting change and resilience, adding, “The power is in the people, not the people in power.”
“Frederick Douglass had the transformative testimony while [Abraham] Lincoln was on the throne. Lyndon Johnson was on the throne, but King, Ella Baker, Septima Clark, John Lewis, they had the testimony,” Haynes preached, before shouting out a fellow Texan’s work in Congress. “Y’all know that Donald Trump may be on the throne, but Jasmine Crockett has the testimony.”
Building the Black Church, ‘Let God Cook‘
Following Sunday’s service, and what she called an “off-the-chart sermon,” Middleton reflected on the importance of maintaining longevity within the Black Church, though she also noted a desire to see some pivotal changes.
“The church needs to be open enough to embrace new ideas and new strategies. This ‘just take the Bible and beat you over the head with it,’ it’s not working,” said the 73-year-old alum.
Middleton went on to call out the growing trend of “money-making theology” that tends to overshadow the purity of “doing the work of God.” She even went as far to note its role in deterring youth from institutions of faith.
“The church is being silent, the church is being complacent, and the church is being ineffective,” Middleton told The Informer. “Young folks see most ministers as hypocrites. What are you doing to empower me and other individuals like me that just want a good and wholesome life?”
While sharing his personal resonance with Sunday’s message, Howard University alumnus Dee “Meech” Justice emphasized the values of spiritual alignment as something more than a belief system, particularly for Black youth.
The music creative, a 2016 graduate, added he “feels most powerful” when he centers himself with God.
“Having a relationship is even more fun, even more beneficial, because in times when no one’s with you, your spirituality is going to be what saves you,” he said. “Your spiritual reality, your spirituality, your faith, is going to be what keeps you…but I think we need to remind the kids that you’re never alone if you got that.”
During his sermon, Haynes highlighted the divine interference that prospers through Biblical stories, citing Noah’s Ark, Joseph’s dream, and Solomon’s wisdom, among others.
Referencing Ephesians 3:20, the Friendship-West pastor advised the crowd “not to worship a small God,” but rather the one who is “exceedingly, abundantly above all you can ask for.”
“God is simply saying, ‘You got the power, but you got to be in my hands,’” he explained. ‘“If you’re in my hands, you can make the world a better place. If you’re in my hands, we can turn the world upside down.’”
That’s why, between now and his anticipated return as guest preacher for homecoming 2026, Haynes implored the crowd to “let God cook and make a way.” For Justice, that simply means continuing his own daily work, which includes turning full force to faith.
“I know how powerful I am because of the power of God, the power of His blood, the power of ancestry, the power of lineage,” he told The Informer. “There’s power in believing, there’s power in believing prayer. When you believe and you pray, things happen.”
