The Christian Recorder - Remembering Our Roots, Sharpening Our Reach; Bishop Brookins on Making AME Social Action Count

Bishop Francine A. Brookins, Commission Chair Mrs. Jacquelyn Dupont-Walker, Director/Consultant Remembering Our Roots, Sharpening Our Reach; Bishop Brookins on Making AME Social Action Count A pastoral and prophetic call to honor the work already done, strengthen the Social Action Commission at every level, and respond swiftly and faithfully to the urgent crises of our time. The African Methodist Episcopal Church was born as a protest, but it did not stop at protest. We built schools, mutual aid societies, anti-slavery networks, and a new vision of Black freedom in the valley of white supremacy. Our founders did not only make statements; we made structures. They did not only march; we organized. Today, in congregations large and small, that same spirit is still alive. Today we ask you to help us amplify the sound of the trumpet. Help us strengthen and celebrate what God is already doing among us in a at time such as this. Right now, people are under pressure Across the Connection, our people are carrying heavy burdens in many places at once. In the United States, Canada, and across the Caribbean, in Haiti, Cuba, and on the African continent, AMEs are navigating economic instability, political turmoil, climate disasters, violence, migration, and attacks on human dignity and democracy. These pressures look different in each context, yet they are all connected to the same deep struggles for land, livelihood, safety, and self-determination. Wherever we are planted, the call is the same: to see clearly what our communities are facing, to trust the God who has brought us this far, and to organize our Social Action work so that our global witness makes a concrete difference on the ground. As November 2026 draws near in the United States, we are entering a sacred and high-stakes season for our communities. Local and state elections, ballot measures, and budget decisions will help determine whether justice rolls down like waters and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream for our people, or not. All around us, God’s people are anxious, overwhelmed, and wondering what to do next. The question is not whether we care about justice—we do, and the witness of Scripture and our own AME history makes that clear. The question before us now is this: in a world God so loves, how will we answer the prophets’ cry to “do justice, love kindness, and walk humbly with our God” by turning our concern into sustained, organized, Spirit-filled action that not only speaks against injustice, but actually changes the conditions our people are living in One of the main tools God has already placed in our hands is the Social Action Commission. Reclaiming and rejoicing in the Social Action Commission The Social Action Commission was never meant to be just a line in a church brochure, or even just an award winning AME V-alert system. It was created to be a living engine of research, organizing, advocacy, and accountability at every level of our Zion—local church, presiding elder district, annual conference, and episcopal district. Across our Connection, so many churches are doing faithful work: Hosting candidate forums and “Souls to the Polls” efforts. Challenging police misconduct and working on community safety. Addressing food insecurity and predatory lending. Standing with workers, immigrants, youth, and elders. Preparing candidates to run for critical offices Sounding the alarm on environmental racism and gender based violence This article is a word of gratitude for that work and a call to multiply it as pressures increase. Imagine every AME church with: A named Social Action Commission. A clear team and a simple yearly plan. A short list of issues they are focusing on right now. Stories and testimonies they can share about what God is doing. Revitalizing does not mean throwing away what has been. It means standing on shoulders, hearts and prayers, and committing ourselves in this season to more structure, support, and connection. From charity to transformation, without losing heart Most of our congregations already serve: food pantries, clothing closets, back-to-school drives, rent help, holiday baskets. In a time of inflation, medical debt, and shrinking safety nets, this mercy is essential. The Social Action Commission asks: what are we learning from this work? Are people coming because of high rent, low wages, lack of healthcare, school problems, unsafe streets? What patterns do we see over and over? Who has the power to change those conditions? A renewed Commission helps us: Listen deeply to our neighbors. Pick one or two issues to focus on. Move from “putting out fires” to also working on the wiring of the house. This is Jubilee work—moving from emergency relief only to changing the systems that keep people trapped, while still caring for those in crisis. Democracy, faith, and our public witness Many people are discouraged about politics and democracy. They are tired of the news. They do not trust the process. But decisions about housing, schools, healthcare, policing, and the environment are still being made—often by people who never hear from our communities. The AME Church has always believed that our faith belongs in public life. A strong Social Action Commission helps us live that out in simple, practical ways: Teaching people what local offices actually do (school board, city council, county, sheriff, prosecutor, judge, etc.). Making sure our people are registered, informed, and able to vote. Meeting with officials, asking clear questions, and following up. Encouraging AMEs to serve on boards and in public office as part of their ministry. This is not about partisanship. It is about practicing love of neighbor in public. Worship, discipleship, and social action together For many saints, attention is scattered and time is short. If social action feels like “one more thing,” it will get pushed aside. If it is woven into what we already do—worship and discipleship—it can flourish without overwhelming people. Some simple moves: Preach and teach about the real issues people are facing—housing, healthcare, schools, safety, mental health, immigration—and then give one concrete next step (“this week, sign this card,” “attend this meeting,” “join this call”). Use key seasons (Lent, Advent, back-to-school, budget season, election season) to connect Scripture and prayer to specific justice actions. Teach spiritual practices that keep people grounded: lament, Sabbath, community discernment, and hope. When pulpit, classroom, and Social Action Commission work together, even those who are easily distracted can see a simple, doable path: “Here’s what is happening. Here’s a scripture. Here’s one thing I can do.” WE are indeed the ones who will save us. Let’s walk together. Five Practical Steps for Your Local Social Action Commission (Re)Appoint a Chair and Team Choose a committed chair and 4–8 members (youth/young adults, WMS, Lay, stewards, trustees, community partners). Announce them in worship and in church communications so everyone knows who they are and how to contact them. Listen to Your People and Neighborhood Over 60–90 days, hold simple listening sessions (after worship, on Zoom, in homes) and ask: “What are the top two or three pressures you are facing right now?” Write down what you hear—especially around housing, healthcare, policing, schools, voting, and jobs—and share a brief summary with the congregation. Choose One or Two Focus Issues From what you heard, prayerfully pick one or two priorities for the next year (for example, evictions, voter education for November 2026, school discipline and book bans, gun violence). Say clearly: “This is what our Social Action Commission will focus on this year,” so people know where to plug in. Plan Concrete Actions and Partnerships For each focus area, set 2–3 simple goals: host a community forum, do voter registration and rides to the polls, meet with a landlord or city official, partner with a housing or mental health group. Put dates on the calendar, assign point people, and keep the church updated with short reminders. Report, Celebrate, and Repeat Give brief Social Action updates in worship, at Official Board, and at Quarterly and Annual Conferences. Celebrate every win—a family that avoided eviction, new voters registered, a harmful policy stopped, a new service launched. Send a short report and photo to The Christian Recorder so the wider Connection can learn from and be encouraged by your story. A call to action and a call to report This article is a heartfelt thank you for all you have already done—and a Spirit-fired summons to expand, intensify, and multiply that witness as the pressure on our people and our world continues to rise. Now is the time for every pastor, presiding elder, and lay leader to ask very simply: Do we have a Social Action Commission? If not, can we (re)start one in the next three months? If yes, how can we encourage and strengthen the people doing this work? We invite local churches, presiding elder districts, annual conferences, and episcopal districts to send in: How you have activated or strengthened your Social Action Commission. The issues you are working on right now. The partnerships you have formed. The breakthroughs—large and small—you are seeing. We will keep speaking when public statements are needed, but we are asking you to go further. Help us turn the power of our connectional church toward lived, organized liberation—we are already on the journey. The Social Action Commission is in our hands; now is the time to use it, together. In love, Bishop Francine A. Brookins Chair, AME Church Commission on Social Action

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Share Tweet Forward The Christian Recorder is the official periodical of the African Methodist Episcopal Church and the oldest continuously produced publication by persons of African descent.   Bishop Francine A. Brookins, Chair of the General Board Commission on Publications Rev. Dr. Roderick D. Belin, President/Publisher of the AME Sunday School Union Dr. John Thomas III, Editor of The Christian Recorder Copyright © 2026  The Christian Recorder, All rights reserved.