Thursday, Oct 2nd, Joseph A.C. Smith, founder of Black Natchez.org, was inducted into the Martin Luther King Jr. Board of Preachers & Scholars. As part of the 2025 Class of Inductees, Smith now holds the distinction of being a member of Morehouse’s 40th class of the College of Ministers and Laity.
Each year, Morehouse selects ministers and scholars from across the country whose ethical, spiritual, and moral example has helped change the world. Inductees are those who embody and espouse the ideals of the social gospel tradition started in 1867 by William Jefferson White, later enhanced by W.E.B DuBois, Benjamin Mays, & Howard Thurman, & widely acclaimed by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. during the Civil Rights Movement. Past inductees include former US Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall, Martin Luther King Sr., current US Senator Raphael Warnock (GA) and a pantheon of other nationally significant leaders. Smith was recommended for the honor byThe Rev. Dr. Quincy James Rinehart, Associate Dean of the Martin Luther King Chapel at Morehouse.
In an invitation to friends and family, Smith wrote:
“In 2022, I started Blacknatchez.org to be a beacon of light in my hometown-Natchez, MS. Having spent all of my childhood in church and most of my adult life doing church work, I wanted an innovative approach to impact my community in ways I could see, feel and measure. I wanted to change the world!. Just three short years later, I am thrilled to have the results of those efforts recognized and acknowledged by Morehouse’s Martin Luther King Jr. College of Ministers & Laity by inducting me into the prestigious Martin Luther King Jr. Board of Preachers. What an honor to now share a distinction held by so many of the spiritual teachers I have long revered and respected. For me, it is also affirmation of my commitment to fearless authenticity, living with intention, and proof of why following God is better than following the rules!
The ceremony was held in the Benjamin E. Mays Crown Forum, on the campus of Morehouse in Atlanta, GA. The keynote address was delivered by Episcopal Bishop of Washington, DC Mariann Budde, who was also inducted as part of this year’s class. Budde received national acclaim for a homily delivered in January 2025 during the presidential inauguration interfaith prayer service during which she called on the president to show compassion to marginalized groups.
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