Pastor Keith W. Byrd Sr. will never forget Jan. 15, 2012, when President Barack Obama and the then-first family visited Zion Church in Northwest, D.C. on what would have been the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s 83rd birthday. However, 14 years later, Byrd is celebrating another monumental moment in his ministry, as he is poised to take the reins of the Progressive National Baptist Convention (PNBC).
As the organization meets for its 65th annual session in Washington, D.C. July 19-23, Byrd emphasized the importance of the gathering, now more than ever.
“It is no coincidence that we are convening in the most powerful city in the world as Progressive Baptists to address the challenges facing our people,” said Byrd, who has served as PNBC’s first vice president. “This is exactly where we need to be, front and center, speaking truth to power while bringing hope to those who have been left out far too long.”
For the Rev. Dr. David R. Peoples, Progressive National Baptist Convention president, it was critical to hold the annual gathering in the District— where PNBC is headquartered— to further the organization’s work and mission.
“There is no better place to convene than here in Washington, D.C.” Peoples said. “Our members have traveled all over the country and parts of the world to be a part of this power-packed session.”
Hosted at the Omni Shoreham in Northwest under the theme “It’s Time to Evaluate,” the five-day convening included meetings, services, and an advocacy trip to Capitol Hill on July 20.
“President Peoples and the headquarters staff have worked tirelessly to make this week impactful for all in attendance,” said Byrd, pastor of Zion Baptist Church in Washington, D.C. “There will be powerful preaching, mesmerizing music, intensive engagement, and fabulous fellowship for all.”
Guided by this year’s theme and reflections on scripture, particularly I Corinthians 15:8-12, faith leaders from across the globe met with a goal of gaining inspiration to further their ministries around the world.
“This year’s theme, ‘It’s Time to Evaluate,’ reminds us that every generation has to stop, take inventory, and ask whether we are being faithful to the work God has entrusted to us,” the Rev. Thomas L. Bowen, PNBC general secretary, told The Washington Informer. “Evaluation isn’t about looking backward with nostalgia; it’s about looking forward with clarity and renewed purpose.”
Remembering PNBC’s Roots, ‘Raising Up the Next Generation’
Since its inception in 1961, the Progressive National Baptist Convention has worked to reflect the religious, social and political climate of its time. Its mission was to transform the traditional African American Baptist Convention as well as society.
“The Progressive National Baptist Convention has always sought to speak truth to power—but we’ve also sought to be a moral power that speaks truth,” said Bowen, who also serves as the Earl L. Harrison minister of social justice at Shiloh Baptist Church in Northwest.
The formation of the convention was wrapped up in the Civil Rights Movement and was begun by some of the same people who were deeply involved in the freedom fight for African Americans.
Pastor Raymond Henderson of Second Baptist Church of Los Angeles, California presided over the first meeting in Cincinnati. As a result of this two-day intensive organizational meeting, the Progressive National Baptist Convention was formed.
During that Ohio convening 65 years ago, the Rev. T. M. Chambers was elected as PNBC’s first president. Afterwards, leadership from across the United States joined the convention family and spawned a national movement.
PNBC was critical to King’s civil rights leadership and work, providing housing for him and other freedom fighters.
“If the Progressive National Baptist Convention did not exist, there would still be a need for a movement like it,” Bowen said. “By the grace of God, it does exist, and we intend to be as faithful and as relevant in this generation as our founders were in theirs.”
More than six decades since its founding, Bowen said PNBC is celebrating the past while planning ahead for the next 65 years and beyond.
“We’re also investing intentionally in the future. We’re raising up the next generation of pastors, leaders, and prophetic voices “ Bowen told The Informer “We’re making sure women in ministry are not only welcomed but recognized for the extraordinary leadership they are providing
in our churches and communities.
Leading the milestone 65th session as PNBC prepares for new leadership, Peoples reflected on his tenure, while expressing hope for the future of the organization under Byrd.
“As we transition to pass the gavel, we reflect on how far we as a PNBC denomination have come. We leave this ship better than we found her. We will continue,” Peoples, pastor of Imani Missionary Baptist Church in Lexington, Kentucky, said. “We are excited for the next president, Dr. Byrd and Lady Byrd, and the Zion Church family for what God is about to do through them. PNBC, the best is still yet to come.”
