BLACK BAPTISTS FORGE AGENDA: From the Chicago Tribune

Tired of seeing America's moral agenda hijacked by debates over gay marriage and abortion rights, thousands of black Baptists met this week in a bid to define new priorities, including health care, education, new jobs and voting rights.

The historic gathering was a first for delegates of four black Baptist groups, which in the last century have splintered over internal squabbles. Now speaking with more unity, these African-American churches--representing 15 million believers--want their core concerns to capture the nation's conscience and attract attention on Capitol Hill, just as conservative evangelical alliances have advanced their agenda in recent decades.

"While African-Americans have expressed certain sentiments that reflect opposition to an expansion of the gay homosexual agenda, there is still much more concern about bread and butter issues in terms of the public agenda that they would like to see their churches pursue," said Rev. R. Drew Smith, a Baptist minister who directs the Public Influences of African American Churches project at Morehouse College in Atlanta.

But Rev. Jesse Jackson warned delegates Thursday to watch out for political trickery. Thousands of hands shot into the air when Jackson surveyed who wanted a higher minimum wage, stable Social Security, affirmative action and an end to the war in Iraq.

No hands went up when he asked how many churches had blessed a same-sex union. "How did that get in the middle of our agenda?" Jackson asked. "That's called a wolf in sheep's clothing. Beware."

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