Thousands expected at PNBC confab

The Progressive National Baptist Convention, Inc. (PNBC) will celebrate its Emerald Anniversary in New Orleans this year. The celebration will take place as part of its 55th Annual Session being held in New Orleans from August 8 to August 12.

This year’s conference will showcase a week’s worth of events focusing “on the importance of voter education and voter registration as well as an overhaul of the criminal justice system and policing tactics,” according to a press release sent out by the organization.

The PNCB was founded in 1961 out of the Civil Rights Movement to “give full voice, sterling leadership and active support to the American and world fight for human freedom.” With 2.5 million members — 1.5 million of whom are based in the United States — the fight for human and civil rights remains one of the key mandates for the organization.

“The resurgence of racism, the future of the Supreme Court, the dismantling of the Voting Rights Act, the future of the Affordable Health Care Act, policing tactics, and a biased criminal justice system, all make it imperative that we wake up and sound the alarm to stir our people to participate in this year’s election,” said PNBC President Dr. James C. Perkins.

For several months, PNBC churches have organized voter registration drives in their congregations across the country.

On August 10, the PNBC will host a special social justice event to engage its attendees in discussion about criminal justice system reform and policing tactics. The PNBC says that as proponents of non-violence, they will “create a call to action for churches across the country to engage in strategies that address better police training.”

According to a press release issued by PNBC, “The Annual Session will map the strategic goals for the upcoming year that will lead member churches to live the mission of equipping pastors and churches to be effective in ministry and lifting their voices on behalf of the voiceless.”

Speakers and community leaders participating in this year’s session include Dr. James C. Perkins, PNBC President and Senior Pastor, Greater Christ Baptist Church (Detroit, MI); Bishop J. D. Wiley Taylor, Founding Senior Pastor, Life Center Cathedral (New Orleans, LA); Dr. Dwight Webster, Host Pastor, Christian Unity Baptist Church and Founder of Justice and Beyond (New Orleans, LA); Dr. Raphael Warnock, Senior Pastor, Ebenezer Baptist Church (spiritual home of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.) and frequent CNN guest (Atlanta, GA); and Kurt Carr, four time Stellar Award winning gospel artist.

More than 5,000 attendees representing over 2,000 churches are expected to be in attendance.

This article originally published in the August 1, 2016 print edition of The Louisiana Weekly newspaper.