For many Blacks, there did not need to be a pandemic for them to suffer. Black people already have the struggle of health, lower incomes, and systemic racism. While 2020 seemingly brought untold misery and despair to everyone, for Blacks, the struggle of how to survive just made us change the way we cope.
Reverend Paul Sadler, of Mt. Zion Church, knew that that he was going to have to find new ways to deal with the age-old problem affecting people of color. The pandemic meant that all face-to-face church services would have to stop. Funerals would be eliminated as options for people to grieve, and just about everything else would have to change as well.
Sadler had everything in place to deal with the pandemic. He created the Sadler Institute for Justice, Equity, and Inclusion (SIJEI) a non-profit organization that deals with justice, equity diversity and inclusion.
“The reality today is we have come to believe what people say about us,” Sadler commented. “White people give themselves advantages that we know little about. That needs to change.”
Mt. Zion is working hard to communicate with people. To stay connected to his congregation, Sadler used old methods like regular mail with handwritten letters. Each member of the church got a specially made cross for Sunday Palm during Easter.
The church repeatedly calls members and set up 10 Zoom accounts to make sure that the ministry is available and relevant during the pandemic. On Sundays, they broadcast on Facebook Live and follow that with YouTube videos for anyone who missed the live event. “We have to make sure that anyone who needs us, can find us right now. It’s critical that we be there for those in need,” Sadler said.
The pandemic has unfortunately increased what were already glaring problems in the Black community. According to statistics, domestic violence has risen, divorces have increased, and poverty in the Black community has skyrocketed. This does not include the increase in death and misery of dealing with COVID-19, which is literally killing our communities.
“No one has a clue as to how many things are happening in the Black home,” Sadler stated. “Our jobs as pastors have never been more important than right now.”
“Our black men’s coping mechanisms have been impacted. If you already feel like you are just getting by, and all of a sudden you lose that for which you have, what are you supposed to do? Most of them who are part-time employees, cannot get benefits. It becomes more difficult to deal with how do I make it? How do I handle this?” Sadler added.
The answers to these questions are never easy to answer. But Sadler knows that he has a job to do, and it has never been more important that people of color create their own futures and opportunities.
Sadler’s church created the Christian Business League to provide better opportunities for Black businesses trying to make a difference. The League will act as a guide and leader for those who are making a difference in business. The League will also provide funding and mentorship to those who are looking to create Black-owned businesses.
“Our mission statement is: To serve as a faith-based organization, using a collaborative approach to community-wide economic development and empowerment,” Sadler concluded.
The Christian Business League was on pace to do some incredible things for the community, which included fundraisers and golf outings to help Black business owners connect and engage each other. 2020 has paused most of the events that were scheduled. But the church hopes to get everything back on track in 2021.
There is no doubt that life is harder, but for Rev. Paul Sadler and his team at Mt. Zion, it is just another day helping his congregation get through these difficult times.
