A historically black megachurch in Virginia, Alfred Street Baptist Church, has severed its ties with the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts following President Donald Trump's appointment as the center's new chair.
In a statement released on Sunday, the Alexandria-based church announced that it would no longer hold its annual Christmas performance at the Kennedy Center.
The church expressed concerns that the center's new leadership is opposed to Alfred Street's “unwavering commission to proclaim and practice the transformative and redemptive love of Jesus, to pursue justice, to promote equality, to embrace the gift of diversity, and to care for all of creation.”
Alfred Street Baptist Church concluded, “We are actively exploring other venues where we can continue to share our witness of the birth of Jesus Christ in the excellence and prophetic tradition of the Black Church.”
During a worship service on the same day, Senior Pastor Howard-John Wesley addressed the congregation, citing additional concerns about the job losses resulting from the Trump administration’s cuts to federal employment. “We will not take hard-earned black money and invest it in any way,” Wesley declared. “We will not sit under that authority of a president who is unemploying our own members.”
Wesley expressed his distress over the movement in this nation aimed at “dismantling, disrupting, defunding and ultimately destroying a mandate for diversity, equity and inclusion in our land.”
He criticized reports indicating that some federal agencies have halted activities and events related to Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Black History Month, and Juneteenth, describing any attempt to rename Martin Luther King Jr. Day or to remove Juneteenth as a federal holiday as "an attack on my blackness," and "evil and ungodly.”
The Kennedy Center, which traces its origins to 1958 legislation signed by President Dwight Eisenhower, was intended to be a "national cultural center" for the U.S. It was named after Kennedy in 1964, shortly after his assassination. The center considers itself "a federal facility," with the federal government responsible for its maintenance and upkeep. A 36-member bipartisan board typically oversees its operations.
Earlier this month, Trump was appointed the new chair of the Kennedy Center after the removal of 18 board members who had been appointed by former President Joe Biden, including former Chairman David Rubenstein. Richard Grenell, a Trump ally, was named the interim executive director.
Alfred Street Baptist Church's history dates back to Thomas Jefferson's presidency in 1803, when it separated from Backlist Baptist Church to form the Alexandria Baptist Society. In 1806, black members of the society established the Colored Baptist Society of Alexandria, creating the first black Baptist church north of Richmond.
Since 2008, the church has been led by its eighth pastor, Wesley, who has overseen a significant increase in membership and new ministries, with the Hartford Institute for Religion Research estimating the church has approximately 2,800 members.
