“CNN's 'Almighty Debt' brings together religion, personal finance - Walletpop.com” plus 1 more |
| CNN's 'Almighty Debt' brings together religion, personal finance - Walletpop.com Posted: 21 Oct 2010 11:58 AM PDT  Can religion help you get out of soul-crushing debt? Somebody say AMEN!When DeForest Soaries Jr. was in his twenties, he went to work in his father's church. A committed social activist, he told the elder Pastor Soaries "Let's cut a deal: You get people to heaven, and I'll do the earth piece." On Wednesday, October 13, a packed audience at Harlem's Convent Avenue Baptist Church erupted in laughter as Soaries reminisced about his early days as a religious leader. The Reverend's determination to care for the physical as well as the spiritual needs of his flock had led him on a long path from Chicago, where he worked alongside Jesse Jackson, to the Secretary of State office in New Jersey, where he served for three years, to the pulpit of the First Baptist Church of Lincoln Gardens, a massive 7,000-person congregation located in Somerset, New Jersey. On this night, it also led to Convent Avenue, where CNN reporter Soledad O'Brien was screening part of "Almighty Debt: A Black in America Special" for a church full of parishioners, community leaders and reporters. Documenting Soaries' efforts to help his flock work their way out of debt, the program focused on three stories of financial hardship that were all too familiar to the audience -- and to many Americans. For Doug and Mary Jeffries, two members of Soaries' congregation, the recession has led to falling wages and an increasingly desperate attempt to keep from losing their home to foreclosure. Two other parishioners, Carl and Lynette Fields, are trying to make ends meet after 58-year-old Carl lost his job. And for 17-year-old Fred Philps, tough economic times have translated into a relentless struggle to pay for college. O'Brien's documentary weaves these stories together with Reverend Soaries' efforts to minister to the physical needs of his congregation. For the reporter, this documentary gave her an opportunity to explore the role of religion in the black community. In an interview with WallePop, she explained "We wanted to do a documentary on Black churches, then we met a pastor whose obsession is debt, and who is working to bring his parishioners out of debt and into wealth. His passion was a relevant story." For Reverend Soaries, helping parishioners on the road to financial health is more than a passion; it's a vocation, and a fundamental part of his work as a pastor. In an interview with WalletPop, Soaries emphasized that his decision to help his parishioners with their debt problems was part of a longer, broader struggle for social justice. In 1996, First Baptist focused on children with "Harvest of Hope," a church organization that placed over 700 children in temporary foster care and ultimately helped church families to adopt 220. Soaries' church has also worked to rebuild impoverished communities in New Jersey through the Central Jersey Community Development Corporation, a church-run organization. Reverend Soaries notes that this call to social justice is a strong tradition in the African American church, and in Christianity as a whole: "Jesus followed this same balance; He often fed his followers, and focused both on their temporal needs and their future salvation." While the Reverend argues against church involvement in "politics for politics' sake," he emphasizes the role of religion in elevating the value of the individual: "Worship juxtaposes the human to the divine. When people see themselves as divine creations, not political accidents, they are less tolerant of abuses imposed by political institutions." A big part of First Baptist's efforts has been an attempt to help other communities replicate its successes. After establishing Harvest of Hope, the church created a guide for adoption services, which they distributed to other churches. Following his work with economically devastated members of his church, Reverend Soaries followed the same path, writing a book that outlines how other churches and organizations can help struggling members of the community to work through their financial problems. While noting that financial issues are especially devastating for the black community, Reverend Soaries emphasizes that debt slavery is a problem that cuts across racial boundaries. For that reason, he chose to revise his book in order to make its message more widely applicable: "The book was done, but we decided to delay its release for three months so that we could widen the audience to include whites, Hispanics, and other people who are dealing with debt. We wanted to make sure that the message had integrity." The book will be released in January 2011. As for Soledad O'Brien, she hopes that her documentary will inspire a broader discussion about the role of money in American society: "We want to spur conversations. Black Americans -- for that matter, all Americans -- don't speak bluntly about money. This is an important message for empowering people, and we hope that pastors will get together around this issue and help turn the method that Dr. Soaries has used at one church into a national strategy." CNN's special Almighty Debt will air on October 21 at 9 PM (EST). This entry passed through the Full-Text RSS service — if this is your content and you're reading it on someone else's site, please read our FAQ page at fivefilters.org/content-only/faq.php |
| Personal Finance: Almighty Debt - Washington Post Posted: 21 Oct 2010 09:21 AM PDT In an economy where there aren't enough jobs and families are struggling to pay their bills, can churches help people pray away their debt? The Rev. DeForest Soaries Jr., the senior pastor of First Baptist Church of Lincoln Gardens in Somerset, N.J., believes it takes prayer, individual responsibility and personal action to go from being a slave to debt to financial freedom. And this pastor, like so many others around the country, is using his pulpit to lead people to debt-free living. At his church, Soaries created the "D-Free" program to encourage his congregation to become debt defeaters. The "D" in the program stands for debts, delinquencies and deficits. What Soaries is doing for his flock caught the attention of CNN. He is the central figure in the cable network's latest installment in its Black in America series. Tonight at 9 p.m., CNN will premiere "Almighty Debt: A Black in America Special," hosted by Soledad O'Brien. Following the documentary is a panel discussion that starts at 10:30 p.m. I took part in this can't-miss conversation with the well-known and wonderful Bishop T.D. Jakes; Terri Williams, author of "Black Pain: It Just Looks Like We're Not Hurting;" and Cornell Belcher, a top Democratic pollster. In an interview with the Huffington Post, CNN's O'Brien says "When Pastor Soaries says debt is worse than slavery, that debt is a kind of bondage, [others I talked to] would nod and say, 'yep. I feel like I'm in bondage because I can't pay my mortgage.' So as much as I think he was being provocative and a little bit over the top, I think he also believes that racism is something that is external to you and that debt is something that you can manage all on your own." Here's a clip of the documentary, which explores the difference between income and wealth. "You can be middle class by income, but not by wealth," Julianne Malveaux, an economist and president of Bennett College tells O'Brien in the documentary. "If you're middle class by income, anything will knock you over. If you're middle class by wealth you can basically survive a couple of storms." Although O'Brien focuses on the black church, the message should resonate with all Americans. We have become a nation of debtors and one way many are people trying to kick the habit is by turning to programs offered by or at their churches. I know my own church, First Baptist Church of Glenarden in Maryland, has provided financial classes for years that have helped hundreds of people get out of debt and become better money managers. I know there is a lot competing for your attention, but I hope you find time to watch this documentary. You may see yourself in the stories of people struggling with their almighty debt. You may, I hope, be motivated to make some changes in how you handle your finances. You can find several preview clips of the show on CNN's Web site. After you watch, tell me what you think. Send your comments to colorofmoney@washpost.com. In the subject line, put "Almighty Debt." Young, Gifted, and Not In Debt I'm a huge fan of Ralph Jones Jr. This entry passed through the Full-Text RSS service — if this is your content and you're reading it on someone else's site, please read our FAQ page at fivefilters.org/content-only/faq.php |
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