The misappropriation of ministry
Kathryn Johnston, 92, was
shot and killed on the night of Nov. 21, 2006, when a group of undercover
Atlanta police detectives on an illegal drug raid forced their way into her
home and she fired a warning shot at them.
I remember that night very
well thinking of the horror that the family must be experiencing as their 92
year old mother and grandmother was struck down at the hands of rouge, hasty
group of Atlanta police officers who under unverified information administered
a no knock warrant, which prompted Ms. Johnston to fire a single warning shot.
Ms. Johnston was shot several times, reviving themes of systemic injustice in
the hearts of Atlanta residents. I remember feeling like we should rally to
bring to light this injustice. I was relieved that the very next day I saw the
Rev. Markel Hutchinson standing in the families’ stead crying aloud, being a voice
of justice. I remember watching over the next few months as he was interviewed
by various media outlets declaring the injustice of the “no knock warrant” .
He took the appeal of the Johnston family all the way to
the steps of congress. I felt strengthened, encouraged, empowered to speak out
against injustice everywhere. Then it happened,
I should have known that It would happen, I should have known it was too good
to be true. The family was awarded 4.9 million dollars from the city of
Atlanta. And what do you know the Good reverend came a calling for his cut. He
took the family of Kathryn Johnston to court under the guises that he had a
verbal contract with the family for 10 percent of whatever they received in
restitution.
I was simply astounded that this preacher would actually
charge the family for using him as spokesperson. I was disgusted that this
idiot would bring shame to the ministry by taking the family to court over a “verbal
“contract. How could a person who
declares that he has been called to set the captive free, charge people who
really needed help. I was perplexed three years ago when I heard he was
actually taking the family to court.
Now let me be clear I am all for ministers being paid for
ministry, anybody who is not sure that ministry is a full time job is welcome
to join me at my ministry context for a week. Ministry is a full time job and
its ministers should be compensated to reflect that reality. However, the audacity that he would actually charge
the family for ministry services is beyond me.
In the AME Zion
Book of Discipline it encourages its preachers to always be employed and never
be triflingly employed. This idea is
important as we navigate between that which challenges the boundaries of
Christianity and that which perverted Christian light message of positivism and
prosperity. So just in case we have all
drank the kool aid let me uplift a few areas in which Hutchinson misappropriated
the ministry of our Lord Jesus Christ.
1) Channeling the justice ethic for personal gain
a. Justice is free! Point blank period. it is an innate
human right and all those who seek to make a profit are pawns to the system
that they seek to reform.
2) Christians do the majority of their fighting on
the altar; not before the judge.
a. This was not an attempt to recoup lost wages
this was an attempt by a delusional preacher to get monetarily broke off, he
saw dollar signs all over this human tragedy.
3) If there was an agreement in place both sides
should have upheld the agreement and if the family decided not to pay Rev.
Hutchinson than he should have walked.
a. Plain and simple if they receive you not you
dust off your feet and move on. Hutchinson played himself when he attempted to
use the media to shame the family and recoup his lost income. Any preacher congregation who invites him in
is setting themselves up he is a shyster!
4) Ministry is not a hustle
a. Pimping ministry to; build buildings we don’t need,
offerings that are not used to uplift
the kingdom, and where we create idols of ministers is not indicative of the
ethic of Jesus Christ.
5) What would Jesus do?
a. I wonder did the “good reverend” even consider
would Jesus even do this? does this
represent what Jesus was even abt ?
I’m highly
concerned that this delusional preacher would attempt to hijack the legacy of the
civil rights movement and turn it into a den of thieves. In church we often are
alarmed at the salaciousness of sexual misdoings. I’m reminded by the scripture
that Jesus was enraged by the money changers in the temple not by the woman at
the well. I’m getting the impression that we care more about the gospel of
gossip rather than the gospel of Jesus Christ reconciliation OVER financial remuneration.
The scriptures declare that Jesus has a
true concern for the misappropriation of funds under the auspices of Christian
ministry. The bastardization of Christian ministry occurs when we fall in love
with the thing God hates. Our ministry must be one of salvation and liberation
through Jesus Christ, NOT profit for the prophets. At the end of the day
justice has been lost ; even if the family recoups money for the loss of the
matriarch , when a brother sues another brother we break covenant and destroy
relationship. Tikkun olam is the Hebrew phrase for healing
the world; love and justice heals the word not profit!
1)
I mean every word of it 2) this is a clear
sign that ministry is being done as a hustle 3) this made the Creator weep! 4) We
could be free but my friends this might hurt a little.
So brother I hope you got
your money because I’m quite sure that you have sold your soul!
