Plenary speakers and workshop presenters contributed richly to the prophetic discourse at the Dr. J. Alfred Smith Sr. Institute, "Speak Until Justice Wakes." Here is a sampling of conversations from the panel on the "Power of the prophetic church":

"The purpose of prophetic ministry is to challenge the dominant cultural assumptions that must be challenged in order to solve or address the [underlying] issues."
— Tiffany Thomas, M.Div. student, Duke Divinity School, Durham, N.C.

"The prophetic church has to engage in social justice. It's not called 'social fairness'— social fairness is the rationalization of the dominant culture not to change. Social justice means somebody's got to be uncomfortable. You can't have change and comfort. Somebody's got to be uncomfortable in order to have change."
— Byron Williams, pastor, Resurrection Community Church, Oakland, Calif.

"The prophetic church must be a church without walls, and it must be intentional about creating ministries that work with all people.... Prophetic justice in the church requires holistic ministries that connect our preaching and teaching with our social, political, economic and cultural environment."
— Dr. Cheryl Kirk-Duggan, professor of Theology, Shaw University, School of Divinity, Raleigh, N.C.

"Jesus in his mission statement said that he came to bring good news to the poor. Poor is not a dirty word. Poor people are important. In fact, our response to poor people is the very basis on which we will be judged."
— Dr. J. Alfred Smith Jr., pastor, Antioch Baptist Church, San Jose, Calif.

"If the word we preach and teach is not threatening, challenging, reforming, transforming, illuminating and reconciling, it is not prophetic. If our gospel does not challenge and threaten the status quo, it is not prophetic.... The prophetic church must be God's mouthpiece empowered by the Holy Spirit."
— Dr. Brenda Little, pastor, Bethany Baptist Church, Chicago, Ill.

"The [prophetic] church is called to be a voice of hope in the night season for hurting people."
— Dr. Charley Hames Jr., pastor, BeeBe Memorial Cathedral CME Church, Oakland, Calif.

Other voices heard at the conference included:
Dr. Iva Carruthers, general secretary, Samuel DeWitt Proctor Conference in Chicago, Ill., about delayed justice for victims of hurricanes Katrina and Rita

Congresswoman Barbara Lee, Democrat, 9th District, California on the justice system's impact on families

Dr. Obery Hendricks Jr., professor, New York Theological Seminary, on the "Politics of Jesus"

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