SAN FERNANDO, Calif. — Sandra Campbell — or “Mama Campbell,” as those around her lovingly know her — moves with purpose as she walks through the doors of the California Worship Center. For her, it’s a place that’s always been a part of her.
“I was born in church,” Sandra said. “When I was born, my mother was a missionary in the Church of God in Christ, so I’ve been in church all my life.”
As a Cali Worship’s congregation member and mother of their lead pastor, Warryn Campbell, Sandra knows well what the church represents.
“The main feeling of this church is family,” she said. “So many people come to California, especially the Los Angeles area, and they leave their families, are looking for something, and need community. So that’s what we represent here”
The church was recently bustling with activity. It was baptism day, and youngsters followed behind, their parents shuffling in.
There was a large baptism pool behind the worship team on the church’s main stage as they rehearsed their praise songs.
Occasionally, the large screen behind them switched from the Cali Worship logo to the lyrics of the songs to a flyer with a QR code and the words.
“Take the pledge to get out and vote.”
It makes sense — the church’s lead pastor is also a co-founder of the Black Church PAC.
For Sandra, the encouragement of civic engagement by the religious team feels symbiotic.
“It’s difficult for people to trust these days, and when you find somebody who trusts you as a leader, trusts you to feed their souls, then you also trust them in other areas of your life,” she said.
The Black Church PAC is a national initiative of faith leaders, artists, influencers, and lay members. It comprises leaders from other Black churches nationwide and works to activate people of faith, especially members, to engage in the political process through advocacy, voter registration, and more.
The movement is something Warryn does not take lightly.
He holds the weight of his community’s faith, hopes and struggles close to his heart.
“My burden… is to really push people into believing and understand that not only is your civic duty and your right, but your vote actually counts,” he said as he prepared to take the stage for service.
“People know in their hearts and their minds that they need to vote, and they should vote. But sometimes, you know, they need a little push because we are marginalized people, and it is very, very easy to feel like your vote doesn’t count.”
Warryn’s mission is echoed by the Black Church PAC’s co-founder, Pastor Mike McBride, who says issues like mass incarceration, equitable health care, gun violence and even reparations are some things that affect congregation members.
“We feel like we needed a political vehicle that could amplify not just our voice but actualize and activate the relational networks of the Black Church institutional community across the country,” McBride said.
From the days of the Civil Rights Movement to today’s rallying calls for change, the Black church has long played an essential role in political and social justice — and for McBride, the Black Church PAC is a new yet natural branch of the legacy.
“We have to help our folks make decisions and discern platforms, candidates, et cetera. So, the role of a faith leader is to speak truth to power. It is to kind of organize and mobilize our communities, not just for Election Day, but even beyond Election Day,” McBride said.
As Sandra got called over to give guidance on several things on the busy Sunday, she highlighted that the mission is clear: “We’re encouraging people to vote because voting is so important.”
Learn more about the Black Church PAC here.