"We turned those slaves loose. Those slaves had absolutely nothing," said James Meeks, Salem Baptist Church pastor. "Then, America turned around and we paid the former slave owners for the slaves that they lost … instead [of] the people who were slaves and that subsidized America with 350 years of [free] labor [they] got nothing."
Rev. James Meeks announced Sunday that Pastor Charlie Dates of Progressive Baptist Church in Chicago will succeed him as leader of the 10,000-member Salem Baptist Church of Chicago when he steps out of the role in January 2023.
After 42 years in ministry, most of which were spent as pastor of Salem Baptist Church, Rev. James Meeks will step aside in January of next year, he told his.