(RNS) — In his closing remarks at the National Baptist Convention USA’s annual session, its new president recounted the connections the historically Black denomination is forming with other organizations to forward its support for Black communities and social justice issues.
The Rev. Boise Kimber, addressing the delegates gathered at the convention center in Kansas City, Missouri, announced new partnerships with the National Association of Real Estate Brokers, the National Newspaper Publishers Association and the Christian relief and development nonprofit World Vision US.
Kimber also announced that the NBCUSA, with 31,000 churches and 7.5 million members, has launched a coalition with leaders of three other historically Black denominations, including the Church of God in Christ, the National Baptist Convention of America and the National Missionary Baptist Convention of America, that “stands as a moral voice in the public square, particularly in response to the troubling national retreat from diversity, equity and inclusion.”
The annual session was Kimber’s first chance to introduce himself to the broader membership of the denomination after the contentious process that led to his election, in which he ended up as the sole candidate to qualify among five initial candidates. Earlier this summer he drew pushback over reports that he and other Black church leaders had accepted a donation from Target for education and economic development initiatives even as other prominent Black Baptist leaders had led a boycott of Target for its decision to pull back on DEI programs.
Kimber said NAREB, a …