My passion to be a Baptist deacon started as a child growing up in the sixties. Church was the only place I saw Black people with power. Most of the older members of my church had little, if any, education, and had no real concept of theological doctrine. They declared their love for Jesus based solely on what they felt in their heart. They Praised God to express their gratitude for being able to survive in a blatantly racist society. Their song of praise was "God have mercy on a sinner like me." I found this type of faith admirable. I joined the army of the Lord armed with my Bible in one...