With more than 2,000 members, the Trinity United Church of Christ at 532 W. 95th St. is the largest congregation of the faith nationally. During Sunday services, the parishioners fill the place with a joyful noise.
But on one recent weekday afternoon things were relatively quiet. In the office of Rev. Dr. Jeremiah A. Wright, who has been pastor of Trinity United for more than 20 years, one could hear the laughter of the children who attend the preschool located at the church.
“Society has changed. But the purpose of the ministry has not changed,” he says. “The ministry has (tried to) keep pace with those changes, tried to address changing issues.”
When Wright arrived in Chicago from Philadelphia in 1969, his plan was to teach in a seminary. But while working as an assistant minister at an inner-city church, he began to sense that black children were lacking basic knowledge of their culture.
“King was dead. Malcolm X was dead. Kids were confused. Most of them, even high schoolers, had not even read Malcolm’s biography. What they were hearing were official reports from Elijah Muhammad’s Mosque and the Nation of Islam. They had a lot of questions about Christianity and the church,” Wright says.
He felt that such matters-the history of the church, the African origin of Christianity-were not being addressed by many black churches or in schools.
“Where were they going to learn it? We were on our way to losing a generation. The church had to do it and I felt a shift-to where God was directing me. I didn’t need to work with a few students who were to become pastors. I needed to be out in the trenches with these young people working to make a difference.”
He began to work hands-on with kids, mostly teenagers, counseling and setting up a drug recovery program. In 1971 he submitted his application to the United Church Of Christ to be considered for pastoring. The congregation at Trinity asked for him and he began his ministry in March, 1972.
Parishioner F. Jean Thompson, who has been a member of the church since 1986, describes Wright as “an educator; a believer in God and African-American people; a loving man of family and peace within society.”
“He instills in his congregation that we listen to the words given to him by Jesus Christ,” she says. “Yet, he wishes us to research on our own and not just take his word for it.”
The message and the media
The pastor is a distinguished-looking man. His hair is graying-he’s in his mid-50s-and he is slightly overweight. He smiles, making a comment about “getting on in years,” as he takes a seat on a small flowered sofa and begins to reflect on his ministry.
“The access to guns was not as great (in the early 1970s),” he says. “There were fights. Now, someone will take out a gun and blow you away. A guy will come back with five guys in a car with five guns and blow you away.
“Think about the last 22 years! What does television teach (young people) about church? This is a media generation-heavy into videos. Young people have not seen anything positive about the church. That is one problem area and how the ministry has changed. I have to use the media to get the message across.”
On a recent talk in front of a group of high school students, Wright used the popular rap group Arrested Development as a teaching tool.
“How does one know the difference between a Tupac Shakur, Snoop Doggy Dogg, compared to Arrested Development? (It is a matter of showing) positives and negatives. The method of teaching has shifted in 20 years. Today’s children are video-orientated.”
Not only is Wright concerned about issues here at home, he sees events in South Africa as relevant to urban blacks.
“The world view has changed since the 1970s. When I first started talking about a free South Africa, no one would listen to me. They would say, `That’s that crazy black stuff out there on 95th Street.’ In 1979, I wrote to black churches in the Chicago area, asking them to invest $39.95 in a `Free South Africa’ sign that could be displayed in front of churches. Only two agreed.
“South Africa meant nothing to them. Now, there is a shift toward the positive and I’m glad to see that the consciousness has been raised, because the truth of the matter is that whatever happens on the continent of Africa directly affects what happens to the African-American in Chicago.”
Seeing the connection
The “Free South Africa” sign that went up in front of Trinity United made more than a statement. Just as an “OPEN” sign on any storefront might bring in potential customers, so the sign attracted churchgoers.
“That sign was one of the motivating factors of my joining Trinity,” says Thompson.
The sign is still there, and during one recent Sunday service a 13-year-old boy led the opening prayer by thanking God for allowing Nelson Mandela to become president of South Africa and for giving people the freedom to vote.
“Here was a young boy who understood that if the economic structure doesn’t change there, we all suffer,” Wright says.
As recently as six years ago, Wright and his wife Ramah made a point of arguing against the purchase of diamonds from South Africa. Some people thought they were “crazy,” he says, “These people made no connection to the South African mine situation and the U.S. support of it. Now I see that as an awakening point-people understanding it. That’s a very positive sign of change in the ministry.
“People ask me, why don’t I just talk about the Bible and God, but it’s all related. It used to be very frustrating, as if I was watching shades come down over people’s eyes until I talked about Jesus again. A lot of people now are starting to see the connection. It’s very important for our young people.”
Wright is guardedly optimistic about the future. He says he sees growing numbers of teens coming into the church.
“Some are searching, some confused,” he says. “But they are concerned with serious issues and not just partying.”
He knows the pressures.
“What makes the news is murder and mayhem. Sex and violence,” he says. “That’s what you see of our teenagers. You don’t see any reports of our teenagers awakening. The choices they make with their bodies. Sex, sexually transmitted diseases, abstinence. All of this is related to faith. All you see is wild kids wanting to have a party. That’s what sells.”
How does the church compete?
Formulating a plan
“We don’t have the power to attract the large numbers,” Wright says. “The kids themselves do more of the bringing-in than I can.”
But he and the church are doing their part, with 18 youth programs at the church. One is conducted by a U.S. martial arts champion who is also a member of the congregation.
“The top five influences in our children’s lives used to be home, church, school, peers and television. Today, church does not even make the list,” Wright says. “They wake up in the morning to rap and come home to it. When you look at the overwhelming studies that have been done, the average black child watches between 4 to 6 hours of television daily. I have a two-hour service, out of which I get 20 to 30 minutes to deliver a sermon. I have to compete with television and 9 to 10 hours of rapper Tupac Shakur. I can’t fight it, but I can have a lot of programs that interest them.”
Wright’s appeal cannot be understated. A new church is currently under construction, the old facility having become too small.
“Pastor Wright is able to reach all ages, all beliefs and on all levels,” Thompson says. “He is in tune, able to communicate.”
Might Wright’s job be easier if his ministry was in a suburban or rural setting?
“Let me give you a qualified, yes,” Wright says. “I’m also aware of the old adage that if everyone put all their problems into one pile and was told that they could pick out the problems they wanted, at the end, everyone would want their old problems back.”
