Macon-Bibb religious leaders join forces for progress at Council of Clergy luncheon
Macon-Bibb Mayor Lester Miller hosted his first Council of Clergy luncheon of the year Thursday, with a focus on race and economic justice.
MACON, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) – Macon-Bibb Mayor Lester Miller hosted his first Council of Clergy luncheon of the year Thursday, with a focus on race and economic justice.
The event, held at the Tubman Museum, was attended by more than 125 clergy leaders from the community.
The goal of the council, according to Dr. Henry Ficklin, the Executive Director of the Mayor’s Office Community Affairs, is to bring people together and foster better relationships.
“We try to make sure that, first of all, pastors know each other from various communities, and that is a big step in making sure that people will get along better because their pastors get along better,” he said. “We’re not trying to get just one faith. We have different faiths here coming together to make Macon a better place.”
Religious leaders from multiple denominations participated in discussions on a wide range of topics, including fighting crime, youth mentorship programs and job creation.
Mayor Miller acknowledged the important role clergy leaders play in the community.
“We believe that they are some of the biggest leaders in our community, so people listen to them as well,” he said. “They can serve as mentors in the neighborhoods, so we continue to engage them.”
Miller expressed hope that the luncheon will help address issues in the community.
“They’ve been very good about giving insights to needs that we have in our community and things that need to be addressed,” he said. “We’ve been taking those and putting them into our strategic plan and keep modifying that on a regular basis.”
The council also discussed the “Hope from the Heart of Georgia,” a citywide revival event that takes place during the last two days of the Cherry Blossom Festival in March.
