ONE Movement

Although the City of Montgomery is often remembered as the launch pad for the modern civil rights movement, First Baptist Church, Montgomery, and area churches are working to show the city’s progress toward racial reconciliation and “genuine repentance of past sins of prejudice,” according to Pastor Jay Wolf.

Upon the 50th anniversary of the Montgomery Bus Boycott, Wolf and his Montgomery Baptist Association congregation are teaming with black and white leaders to launch a year-long emphasis on racial unity known as the ONE Movement. “Montgomery and Alabama are regarded as places of division by many people in other parts of the world,” Wolf said. “It is exciting to see Montgomery change because of the power of Jesus and have the courage to become known as a place of reconciliation.”

Wolf said he was convicted that prejudice was a sin after he became a Christian. “When I came to be the pastor of FBC Montgomery in 1991, I felt the Lord was doing a great work in the heart of a spiritually strategic city and part of that work was racial reconciliation.”

First, Montgomery, became involved in the cause several years ago after a group of black and white ministers came together for prayer and fellowship under the banner of John 17.

“Our prayer focus for years linked to John 17:21, where Jesus instructed and interceded, ‘Be one so the world may believe,’” Wolf said. “Growing out of God’s heart and the John 17 minister’s fellowship, the ONE Movement was born.

“I have shared the opportunities with the … FBC family, and we have embraced the cause of seeking to model racial reconciliation in order to spark a spiritual awakening.”

The anniversary celebration began Dec. 1, with a citywide Women of Wisdom prayer breakfast hosted by Montgomery first lady Lynn Bright, also a member of First, Montgomery. Bernice King, daughter of Martin Luther King Jr., was the keynote speaker.

First, Montgomery, also hosted a prayer service and remembrance walk Dec. 3 to highlight civil rights heroes. National leaders, including Martin Luther King III, were among the expected speakers.

“Eating together, praying together and praising the Lord together dissolves misconceptions and provides a powerful bonding cement to build bridges of relationships,” Wolf said. He noted that First, Montgomery, encourages black and white churches to meet regularly to share meals.

Fresh Anointing Church International Pastor Kyle Searcy and his congregation are working closely with First, Montgomery, to unify the races. He believes the bus boycott anniversary helps celebrate the progress made over the past 50 years and challenges Alabamians to continue the works of Rosa Parks, taking them to a new level. “It is a tremendous moment and I’m glad it’s happening,” Searcy said. “My heart’s desire and prayer is that ongoing and lifetime relationships across the races develop from it.

“Reconciliation is not just coming together in one meeting. That is the beginning. We have to carry it on to the end.”

Searcy hopes that other churches will also begin to reach across racial and denominational lines to form friendships. “There is a genuine bond that’s happening between Fresh Anointing and First Baptist, and I’d like to see that happen more often,” he said.

Because the boycott of 1955 continued for 381 days, First, Montgomery, is asking people to wear black and white wrist bands for 381 days. So far, about 17,000 have been distributed, and people from other cities have expressed interest in beginning a similar activity.

The church also created the Cross Factory where volunteers from various churches, including Fresh Anointing, are working to make 10,000 black and white crosses. They want people to display them at their homes for 381 days to show their “desire for Montgomery to be a model of racial reconciliation and revival,” Wolf noted.

“God put on my heart John 12:32, where Jesus promised ‘If I am lifted up, I will draw all people to myself,’” Wolf said. “We wanted to use the platform of the 50th anniversary of the bus boycott and the publicity it would generate to boldly proclaim that transformation does not come at the foot of a judge’s bench but at the foot of King Jesus’ cross.”

Although the cross became a controversial symbol during the civil rights movement, he said community response has been positive.

“Some non-Christian and non-evangelical friends expressed a concern about displaying a cross because they linked it to the disgusting KKK (Ku Klux Klan) practice of burning crosses as a symbol of intimidation and hate,” Wolf said. “But we have utilized the discussion to explain that the cross is the ultimate symbol of love and inclusion. We refuse to let anyone hijack the cross. We also believe that the cross is a magnet that draws people to God’s loving and liberating heart.”

The ONE Movement has garnered national and statewide attention. During the 2005 annual meeting of the Alabama Baptist State Convention, church leaders displayed their support for the bus boycott commemoration and denounced racism in all its forms through a resolution on racial reconciliation.

Like the ONE Movement’s purpose, the resolution stated, “… we as Alabama Baptists intentionally seek to destroy barriers of racism and build bridges of racial reconciliation to unify the Body of Christ and facilitate a great number of people coming to know Jesus as their Savior and Lord.”

First, Montgomery, plans to further encourage unity through other collaborative events, including a citywide crusade. Although Wolf believes reconciliation will never be perfectly achieved “this side of heaven,” he hopes the world will be changed through efforts like these.

“We should have the courage and faith to tell the world that our bold goal is reconciliation that will spark a massive revival,” Wolf said. “When we are one in Christ, the world will be won to Christ.”