When Rev. Dr. William Alexander Lawson and 13 faithful companions gathered in 1962 to form Wheeler Avenue Baptist Church (WABC) in Houston’s Third Ward, they did so rooted in the spirit of social justice — strengthened by the company of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., whom Lawson welcomed when others turned their backs on King’s vision of justice. Justice was never an addendum to their ministry; it was, and remains, central to their work — just as it was for Jesus, in whose name the faith is held.
It is no surprise, then, that the plight of the “least of these” is at the center of every bit of ministry that flows from Wheeler Avenue, now led by Rev. Dr. Marcus D. Cosby.
It’s also no surprise that Rev. Angela Ravin-Anderson, WABC’s director of social justice, stood her ground on July 29 and testified before the House Select Committee for Redistricting in opposition to their “attempt to silence our voice and take our power by racist gerrymandering,” as she wrote on her Instagram page…