Reverend Graylan Hagler is senior pastor of Plymouth United Church of Christ in Washington DC. A long-time social justice advocate, Reverend Hagler is the Chairperson of Faith Strategies, a collective of clergy, who consult, advise and organize to help bring social justice issues into the faith community. A big part of that work is the Poor People’s Campaign, which was inspired by the vision of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. The Poor People’s Campaign fights for voting rights and economic justice, and against ecological devastation and military aggression, all of which hurt poor people the most.

“Theologically and historically, there’s what I call ‘Empire Christianity’ versus Christianity that tries to speak to the human condition. And ‘Empire Christianity’ is that which is represented by the evangelical community right now, that basically cares nothing about morality, just want to basically apply their own sense of morality to everybody else in terms of abortion, around being being anti-gay, all those types of things… And on the other side, we have people that have been doing the work, feeding the hungry, caring for the poor, clothing the naked, visiting those in the jailhouse.” Reverend Graylan Hagler on behalf of The Poor People’s Campaign.