‘We must defend our soldiers’

 
Benton Harbor, MI — A true man of God, Keith Collins, pastor of the Church of the Overcomer—a blue jean friendly church—says he “presents gospel to a world that is broken and filled with broken people.” Pastor Collins also serves more than a 150 people every week. What an amazing man.
The pastor, his wife and sister-in-law were arrested for conspiracy for something they had nothing to do with it. This is what happens to anyone who stands up for justice for the poor.
Pastor Keith is a graduate of Geneva College of Business and Divinity and holds a M.B.S Divinity and Ministerial degree from Friends International Christian University. He and his wife have undertaken mission trips to Ghana and Nigeria, and Pastor Keith has completed pilgrimage studies in Greece, Israel and Egypt. He served as an infantry officer in the U.S. Army/Airborne. He also served as adjunct professor at Delaware County Community College. He is a marathon runner and cyclist. He and his wife have been married for 37 years.
Here are examples of how the system has attacked the pastor.
The Church of the Overcomer lived up to its name by successfully gaining tax exempt status after a decade of court battles. “It has been a long horrible ordeal,” said the Pastor. “We weren’t doing anything different then we were doing for the
past 10 years.”
The Delaware County Board of Assessment had issued a ruling that two additional parcels of church land, which paid approximately $10,000 in taxes annually, would also be tax exempt, beginning January 1. “One of those parcels has a building that serves as an office, outreach center and transitional housing unit, while the other provides additional beds for those who need help getting their feet under them,” said the pastor.
The city of Philadelphia was gunning for Pastor Collins. He called in Rev. Edward Pinkney from Benton Harbor, Michigan to be the keynote speaker at a meeting held on November 22-24. The purpose was to educate and inform the general public of Philadelphia about the historical challenges faced by those who have engaged in activism and non-traditional pursuits of justice.
Speakers also included Cheri Honkala, founder of the Poor People’s Economic Human Rights Campaign, who has been arrested hundreds of times in the struggle for economic justice and housing. She gave a tremendous speech about how we can help Pastor Keith and his wife. Then came Sister Margaret McKenna, founder of the New Jerusalem Recovery Center in North Philadelphia. She was an original member of the Plowshares movement and served time in Federal prison for her anti-war effort. She was amazing. Next was Sister Pam Africa, who fought for justice for the Move family after the 1985 assault and bombing of a Move home that killed 11 Move members. She has also been a leading advocate for journalist Mumia Abu Jamal, often referred to as the most political prisoner in the world.
Sister Pam Africa spoke loud and clear; “We must defend our soldiers at all cost.”