From Jan. 18 – Mar. 2, 2023 | Mon – Fri 9am – 5pm
The Interchurch Center 61 Claremont Ave. @ 120th St. New York, NY
I first experienced the Black church from the front row of Chicago’s Mount Hermon Missionary Baptist Church, where my grandfather Rev. L.H. Gore was pastor. I was mesmerized by his powerful preaching and the continuous response from the congregation. My enthusiasm was so apparent some members speculated, “That boy’s gonna be a preacher.”
Though my path led to careers in broadcasting and photography, over the years, I’ve been an active member in or worked for African Methodist Episcopal, Baptist, Lutheran, United Church of Christ, and United Methodist congregations in Buffalo, Boston, and New York City. Worship in each church reflected unique denominational formats while embracing African-American music and preaching qualities. I received mentoring and spiritual guidance through these churches from an extraordinary cadre of theologians, pastors, activists, and laity. Over the decades, congregations from various faiths have allowed me to join their worship and photograph their gatherings. The result is a unique collection of images, which I hope you will come to see.
From January 18 through March 2, 2023, a retrospective of my work entitled “Witnessing Faith” will be on view at The Interchurch Center at 61 Claremont Ave., New York. There will be images of Christians, Jews, and Muslim believers of African descent from around the US and Caribbean in worship, celebration, education, and social action.
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