Daily Skiff

DALLAS - Black church scholars from across the nation celebrated the Rev. Jeremiah Wright as one who understands the need to link social justice with divine justice in a luncheon panel discussion and a banquet Saturday.

Wright, the absent honoree at Brite Divinity School's Black Church Summit, canceled his appearance at the summit Wednesday because of security concerns. The luncheon, one of the events Wright was scheduled to attend, was to be held at the Kelly Alumni Center, but the university voted March 19 to move the event off campus citing security issues. The luncheon was moved to Paul Quinn College, a historically black college in Dallas.

Stacey Floyd-Thomas, director of the black church studies at Brite, said the decision to honor Wright for "linking divine justice with social justice" was made a year ago by an advisory board of the black church studies program, a group of distinguished pastors, religious civic leaders and corporate executives nationwide.

Newell Williams, president of Brite, said he understands the safety concerns that prompted the university to move the summit off campus. Williams said he and Chancellor Victor Boschini received several e-mails and letters expressing "great anger" about Wright's visit, but said he did not know of any threats to him or university officials. He said TCU Police has been paying special attention to places where Brite students gather as a precaution in response to these messages.

"We're pleased to be on a campus that has a fine security force," he said.

Michael Sorrell, the interim president of Paul Quinn College, said in his opening remarks that the college opened the doors to Brite simply because they were asked.

"This is a wonderful way to celebrate the black church because what we know is that the state of the black church is strong," Sorrell said.

Some of the panelists compared Wright to biblical figures and to Martin Luther King Jr., who the panelists said spoke out against a government they found unjust.

The Rev. Obery Hendricks, a professor of biblical interpretation at the New York Theological Seminary, said many Christians confused patriotism with unequivocal support for U.S. policy.

"If we must have patriotic slogans, it should not be some version of 'America, love it or leave it,'" Hendricks said. "If we truly take spirit in the gospel of Jesus Christ, our patriotism must declare: 'America, love your neighbor as yourself.'"

Cynthia Cole, president of the Black Seminarian Union at Brite, said Wright's message is liberating for all people and his message could not be overshadowed by the controversy of the day's event.

"I hope that people take away (from today) that as Americans we must speak up for what is right for all people," Cole said.

Brite continued the summit with an awards banquet Saturday evening at Friendship-West Baptist Church in Dallas. Wright was also scheduled to attend the banquet, where he was to receive the Black Church Leader Award.

Chris Driscoll, a Brite student and one of the summit organizers, said about 230 people were at the banquet. Admission to the banquet, which was closed to the press, was $125 per plate.

Driscoll said he expected attendance at the summit to be higher than that of previous years, but said the number of people who attended ended up being about the same as that of the summit last year.

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