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(RNS) — The Rev. Frederick Douglass Haynes III got a taste of what it would be like to be both a pastor and a politician when he learned on Tuesday (Nov. 3) that he had won a Texas congressional seat while he was working at his predominantly Black megachurch in Dallas.
Haynes is aligned with two historically Black denominations — the National Baptist Convention, U.S.A., Inc., the one in which he grew up, and the Progressive National Baptist Convention, where he is cochair of the social justice commission.
After being encouraged to run by his 12,000-member Friendship-West Baptist Church congregation, Haynes conducted a race calling for economic relief, including lower healthcare costs for the people he would represent if he made it to Congress. He also agreed with Senator-elect Abdul El-Sayed of Michigan, declaring, “We’re going to have to get money out of politics so we can get money back in the pockets of the people.”
Now, he plans to continue to preach to the 2,000-3,000 parishioners who attend each week — and sometimes three times that many online — while also representing Texas’ 30th congressional district.
Haynes, 65, spoke with Religion News Service on Wednesday (Nov. 4) about his congressional plans, how he looks forward to serving with other members known for their faith, and who he considers the heroes of voter turnout in the midterms.
RELATED: ‘Blessed’: Frederick Haynes, pastor and candidate, on his politics, faith and health
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
How and where did you find out that your race for Congress had been called?
I was doing young adult Bible study at the church. It had started at 7 p.m., and it was interesting because my team was telling me they’re going to call your race early, so you need to be available.
And my phone rings, and there’s a notification that Vice President Harris is trying to reach me to congratulate me. It’s like 10 minutes into Bible study, and my daughter (Abeni Jewel Haynes) is the leader of the ministry. And then I started getting all these congratulatory messages, and so yeah, I was at Bible study, and it was very funny: The young adults stopped Bible study and said, we have Congressman-elect Haynes as our pastor. So it was a very moving moment I felt good about because I was doing my work as a pastor, which is not going to stop just because of this second job.
One of many things you’ll have to figure out whether you can still get to, come January, I suppose.
Yeah, tell me about it. That’s why I’m trying to get it in now.
As you speak about addressing the economy, what in particular do you think might happen legislatively that might be supported by religious groups that are already asking for their agenda to be heard?
Well, more and more we’re hearing an increase in the minimum wage. I’m going to be pushing for what the Urban Institute calls a true cost-of-living wage, because the bottom line is that the minimum wage is often minimum and it keeps people in poverty, whereas a true cost-of-living wage respects the economies of different sectors of the country. For example, if you live in Midland, Texas, it doesn’t cost the same as what it costs to live in Los Angeles or New York or even Dallas, for that matter. We have to look at increasing wages because we’ve watched prices escalate while wages have remained stagnant, and that’s one of the first things we have to do.
Did you have discussions with faith leaders or groups before Election Day about some of these agenda items?
We had a lot of listening sessions, and those listening sessions were with all segments of the population. But of course, with me being a person of faith, a pastor, I had a few with faith leaders, and those proved to be not only enlightening but engaging, because faith leaders are every day ministering to people in all walks of life who are dealing with all kinds of challenges. And so, a lot of what we will be doing is the fruit of those conversations with my colleagues.
The Progressive National Baptist Convention, along with many other Black denominations and Black church leaders, was very involved in get-out-the-vote efforts. Is there anything you can point to that was a difference that they may have made?
I think the unsung heroes of what happened, who will be responsible for all of us being heard, are organizations like PNBC. They held a (Justice) Revival at my church when I wasn’t even there. I happened to be in the area and was able to pop in for a minute, and so I’m so grateful for their work. There were other movements I have to give a shout-out to who did a Freedom Summer 2.0 throughout the South. What they did in a real sense proved to be undeniable as it relates to mobilizing to get out the vote, educating non-voters who have given up on the political process. That engagement was vital to what took place yesterday.
Souls to the Polls has always been a vital part of what we do, but we shifted this time and said you need to vote the first day the polls open. And I’m proud to say the first Monday of early voting, we set records in Dallas County, in Harris County, in Tarrant County, and again, the unsung but undeniable heroes of that effort were our faith leaders and denominations.
There are concerns about what happens between now and Jan. 3 with certification of ballots and swearing-in of members of Congress like yourself. Do you share those concerns?
I’m not going to lie. I am concerned because today the president is bragging about his ballroom and other pet projects while ignoring the pain of the people. Why would he be this comfortable knowing that the nation basically yesterday repudiated his administration, his policies, his war, his corruption? I can’t help but wonder: OK, are you not concerned because you’re either that detached from reality, or you have a game plan where you’re going to basically overturn the will of the people as you tried to do Jan. 6?
Is there anything planned involving you and the other Black ordained ministers, Rep. Emanuel Cleaver and Sen. Raphael Warnock, who you will join on Capitol Hill?
Not yet. I did speak with Senator Warnock last night. He called me to congratulate me, and we’re excited about our possibilities. The beautiful thing about the three of us is that theologically and politically, we have similar values, and I think that those values will be reflected not only in the leadership that we attempt to exercise, but also in the policies that we will be pushing. All three of us have a consistent commitment to justice for all. All three of us believe strongly in government working. The good news is, we’ll be answering prayer through public policy.
You’ve mentioned other successful Democratic candidates who are ministers, former ministers, seminarians: Is there anything else you’d add about your hopes more broadly for that larger group?
Again, I’m excited. You hear, from my state, Senator-elect James Talarico, who I just spoke with, and he’ll be with me Sunday at Friendship-West here in Dallas. And one of the things he was emphasizing last night was the love ethic of Jesus Christ. And how refreshing is that, given the fact we’re in an environment, a political climate that has been characterized by anti-love, indifference to the pain and suffering of people, out-and-out hatred for the other, and those who are oppressed, and those who are, because of the color of their skin, iced out of this country. How beautiful is that?
And then there’s a pastor of the largest United Methodist Church in Kansas (Adam Hamilton), who is going to the Senate. Excited to work with him because his work speaks for itself. I know he tends to be more conservative, but at the same time, I believe strongly that he follows in the footsteps of Christ. The Christ that I believe in, love so much, who espouses love, is going to inform the work that we do, without what others do when they try to proselytize. We’re not going to proselytize. We’re going to pass public policy that is principled.
RELATED: Frederick D. Haynes resigns abruptly as leader of Rainbow PUSH Coalition