Detroit, USA - AIDS among church members, pastors' compensation and whether women should be preachers are among the topics to be discussed at the National Baptist Convention's 104th annual session starting Monday at Cobo Center.
"Those are some of our hot-button issues," said the Rev. Edward L. Branch, chair of the host committee and pastor of Third New Hope Baptist Church in Detroit. "The Baptist church has been thought of as liberal but we do have our share of conservative Baptists.
"We do have people of different mindsets about (the issues). We spend a lot of time to bring our people together on these issues, regardless of where they stand personally or theologically."
An estimated 40,000 members of the National Baptist Convention, the nation's oldest and largest African-American religious group, will meet through Friday, organizers said.
The convention is expected to pump about $50 million into the local economy through hotel stays, restaurants, cabs and other services, Detroit Convention and Visitors Bureau spokeswoman Renee Monforton said.
"We like this convention because it helps to stimulate the economy during a time when we really need it," Monforton said.
It's not the group's first gathering in Detroit. The city hosted the National Baptist Convention's sessions in 1993 and 2003.
On Monday, a mass choir, made up of nearly 500 voices from local churches, will perform for the convention at 7 p.m. at Cobo Center. A 300-member youth choir also will perform, Branch said. On Thursday evening, the new president of the national office of the NAACP, Benjamin Jealous, will address the convention.
"The choir has been working for a year," Branch said. "(It) is going to be powerful to see the arena filled with people who love gospel music and love Detroit. Folks from around the country will come together to get the Detroit flavor ... the Detroit sound."
In addition to discussing key religious topics, the convention will also provide free medical screening during two events.
"(Health workshops have) been a strong emphasis because large numbers of African-Americans suffer disproportionately with certain ailments," Branch said.
For the Rev. Robert Smith, the convention is an opportunity to discuss how churches in the Detroit area and around the country are struggling amid an anemic economy. He said it also will be a chance to brainstorm on how ministers can get the faithful back in the pews.
"We're in serious trouble of losing our identity as Baptists," Smith said. "People want an hour and a half worth of well-defined worships. The black church in the last 20 years has been in search of an identity."
Branch said the most important aspect of the convention, however, is bringing Baptists together.
"We're stretched out across country (and) we rarely get together to worship together," Branch said. A lot of people make this their vacation. "In this season of economic turmoil, our people need a strong word and I'm sure that will happen in our week together."