Most Influential Black Spiritual Leaders 2007

The Most Influential Black Spiritual Leaders

In African-American communities, religious leaders have historically occupied a powerful position: Gurus. Advocates. Stewards. Preachers. Whether inspiring their congregations to stand up against social injustice or urging a focus on God-centered family values, African-American religious leaders are a crucial component of a rich and diverse spiritual landscape. In honor of Black History Month, Beliefnet has compiled a list of some of the nation’s most influential African-American spiritual leaders. While by no means comprehensive, the list includes some of today’s most prominent--and controversial--spiritual figures, some up-and-coming figures of note, and several individuals whose lifelong efforts have earned them a place in history.

By Halimah Abdullah and Nicole Symmonds

Dr. Creflo Dollar

Best-known for preaching the "prosperity gospel," which teaches that material success accompanies spiritual well-being, Dr. Creflo A. Dollar leads a media empire that includes a 25,000-member megachurch, television broadcasts, and a magazine. The Atlanta and New York branches of Dollar's World Changers Church International boasts over 60 programs that offer social services, including training people for the workforce and helping them get out of debt, in diverse communities worldwide. Dollar's lavish lifestyle, which includes a multi-million dollar apartment in Manhattan, has evoked strong criticism. For his followers, however, it serves as inspiration and evidence that his theology of prosperity is effective.

Archbishop Wilton Gregory

The first African-American to head the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, Gregory took the lead in reforming church policies in the wake of the clergy sex abuse scandals. Though he is no longer president of the organization, Gregory made headlines as a religious leader willing to take a hard line in considering sex abuse a crime and calling for the ouster of predatory priests. Gregory, now Atlanta’s archbishop, has worked to help restore public confidence in the church. In 2006, he was inducted into the Martin Luther King Board of Preachers at Morehouse College and honored with the Cardinal Bernardin Award given by the Catholic Common Ground Initiative.

Rev. William Shaw

As president of the National Baptist Convention, the Rev. William Shaw has helped the organization rise from the ashes of financial disarray with the theme "Jesus Christ Only, Always" and the implementation of the VISA plan—vision, integrity, structure and accountability. This has enabled the NBC to devote its attention to debt removal, lawsuit settlements and improve its fiscal structure. Most importantly, however, the plan has improved the denomination’s reputation among the faithful and the general public. In 2006, Shaw and seven other religious leaders, including Bishop T.D. Jakes, resigned from the Bush-Clinton Katrina Fund after the organization’s staff ignored their advice and cut checks for Gulf Coast churches without proper investigation.