Black Ministers Rally Behind Burris

Warm words of support and prayers for Roland Burris contrasted with the frigid reactions from Senate leaders, many of whom say his appointment by embattled Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich is so badly stained that Burris shouldn't be seated when the new Congress convenes this week.

Burris took the stage at New Covenant Church on Sunday evening to a crescendo of drums, organ music and applause from hundreds of supporters, including black leaders and ministers.

"The appointment is legal," he said, thanking those gathered at the prayer service. "That is all there is. I don't know what all the confusion is about."

Before the service, Burris supporter U.S. Rep. Bobby Rush and about 60 ministers condemned Senate Democratic leaders for rejecting Burris.

Rush, a Chicago Democrat, called the Senate "the last bastion of plantation politics."
"We are just faced with a hard-headed room of people in the Senate who want to keep an African-American out of the Senate," Rush said.
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Remember how we Orthodox were always told that the Church should stay out of politics. It's probably a good idea...meanwhile some churches seem to dive right in. The black churches have been instrumental in the fight for civil rights in the past. However, as an 'ethnic' Orthodox, I'm inclined to think that our Church shouldn't play a similar role as an ethnic advocacy group. It works for some churches, but the Orthodox churches theologically shouldn't be bound to advance a particular group's agenda.
-Steve K.