June 20th 2023.
Bishop William J. Barber II, pastor and civil rights leader, is passing the mantle after 30 years of service. On Sunday, he announced his retirement as the senior pastor of Greenleaf Christian Church in Goldsboro, North Carolina, due to ankylosing spondylitis, a form of arthritis that causes inflammation in the spine and can affect posture and breathing.
The retired pastor has been an advocate of civil rights throughout his career, speaking to the nation when he was appointed to deliver the sermon at President Joe Biden’s inaugural prayer service at Washington National Cathedral. During the sermon, Barber proclaimed, “We cannot accept the racial disparities, violence, and breaches that impact Black, brown, Native and Asian Americans while offering collateral damage to our poor white brothers and sisters and ultimately our entire democracy.”
In 2005, Barber became the president of the North Carolina chapter of the NAACP and remained in the position for 12 years. He was known for his nonviolent approach to challenging legislation he disagreed with, such as his Moral Monday protests. After 10 years of leading these protests against discriminatory laws and policies, Bishop Barber announced his retirement in April 2023.
Despite his retirement, Barber’s legacy will live on. He is the founding director of the Yale Center for Public Theology and Public Policy, where he will continue his work. His goal is to share his knowledge with a new generation of moral leaders. He said of his role as head of the center, “We will teach this history & engage divinity students, law students, & undergrads in moral fusion analysis, articulation, & activism in the tradition of Frederick Douglass & Sojourner Truth, Walter Rauschenbusch & Howard Thurman, Ida B. Wells, Dorothy Day, MLK & Ella Baker.”
Bishop William J. Barber II has established a legacy of civil rights activism, and his impact on the nation will live on for many years to come. He has served as senior pastor of Greenleaf Christian Church since 1993, and his retirement is a momentous occasion.
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