On the Jericho Road: A Memoir of Racial Justice, Social Action and Prophetic Ministry

by Smith, J. Alfred

• ISBN13: 9780830832002
• ISBN10: 0830832009
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2004-06-01
• Publisher: Intervarsity Pr

Summary

The road to Jericho was fraught with peril. According to one of Jesus' most powerful stories, a man traveling that road was set upon by thieves, robbed, beaten and left to die. Respectable people passed by on the other side. But at great risk and cost to himself, a neighborly stranger stopped to lend aid.So too is modern life filled with criminals, victims, the uninvolved and the few willing to make a difference. One man has made this story his life calling, to minister to all those he encounters on life's difficult road. That man is the Rev. Dr. J. Alfred Smith Sr.The story of the Rev. Dr. J. Alfred Smith Sr. is the story of African Americans in the twentieth century. Smith grew up in an era of poverty and segregation, experiencing the injustices of a racially divided country. With his family and his church as his anchors, he emerged as one of the nation's most prominent African American preachers. He witnessed firsthand the tumult of the civil rights era and faced the challenges of urban decay, violent crime and discrimination. As senior pastor of Oakland's Allen Temple Baptist Church he became a leading activist for societal transformation, spearheading ministries that have provided hope for thousands.Now, as one of the most respected elder statesmen of the African American church, Smith tells the story of his remarkable life, describing the events and people that shaped him. His testimony reveals how God works through the church to minister to individuals, families and communities.Come, join Dr. Smith on the Jericho road. Catch his vision for how lives can be rescued and transformed. And then follow the invitation to go and do likewise.

Author Biography

J. Alfred Smith Sr. serves as a professor at the American Baptist Seminary of the West.

Table of Contents

Foreword	9	(2)
Congresswoman Barbara Lee
Prologue	11	(6)
Acknowledgments	17	(2)
On the Jericho Road	19	(3)
Family Origins	22	(4)
1931--1948
Tough Times in a New Land	26	(6)
Grandma's Greatest Lesson	32	(6)
Life with My Extended Family	38	(6)
Wrestling with My Religion	44	(9)
Searching for a Male Role Model	53	(13)
1948--1962
College Days	66	(6)
The Bitter and the Sweet	72	(6)
President of the Missouri NAACP	78	(9)
Hard Times on a New Job	87	(7)
California Dreaming	94	(6)
1963--1971
Back to College	100	(5)
Meeting Daddy Face to Face	105	(4)
California Once Again	109	(4)
Taking the Race Issue Overseas	113	(19)
Daddy's Funeral	132	(3)
The Call to Oakland	135	(9)
1971--1980
Everyday Life as a Pastor	144	(9)
The Honeymoon Is Over	153	(3)
Loving Our Black Panther Neighbors	156	(5)
Victory and Tragedy	161	(4)
Man of the Year?	165	(5)
A Friendly Call---A Tragic End	170	(4)
Big Trouble Strikes	174	(4)
1981--1989
Building on the Block	178	(6)
Hunting the Hunter	184	(7)
To Serve, Not to Be Served	191	(4)
A Surprise Awaits in Cincinnati	195	(6)
South Africa	201	(5)
The Presidency, Drugs and Gangsters	206	(7)
Fighting the Supreme Court Nominee	213	(4)
Going Home to Africa	217	(3)
A Revolutionary's Life	220	(4)
1990--2004 and Beyond
Change Is in the Wind	224	(6)
Time to Build Again	230	(4)
Allen Temple Today	234	(6)
The Value of Family and Friends	240	(4)
Epilogue: My Favorite Part of Ministry	244	(2)
Afterword	246	(3)
Appendix: Church Members Reflect	249