By Rev. Melvin Wilson, First Episcopal District
New Brunswick, NJ (October 25, 2025) – Today, all roads from every AME Church in the State of New Jersey led to Mt. Zion AME Church in New Brunswick, NJ. An urgent call was made by Bishop Samuel Lawrence Green, Sr., Presiding Bishop of the First Episcopal District, for a Souls to the Polls/Get Out the Vote Rally as New Jersey prepares to elect a new Governor on November 4.
Buses, vans, and cars from all over the state converged on Mt. Zion to rally those present to vote and to hear an immediate call to action. Today’s rally was especially poignant because it was the first day of early voting in New Jersey, and the hundreds of attendees were encouraged to go directly to their polling locations to cast their ballots at the end of the rally.
The host Pastor, Rev. Dr. W. Golden Carmon, did a masterful job of welcoming everyone and organizing this event with the help of Rev. Dr. Charles Boyer, Pastor of Greater Mt. Zion AME Church in Trenton, NJ, and President/CEO of Salvation & Social Justice. Because of the nature of the event and the large crowd that attended, security was extremely tight.
After the Opening Prayer by Rev. Dr. Carmon, we were welcomed to the City of New Brunswick by Mayor James Cahill, who noted that we were gathered in the oldest African American congregation in Middlesex County. Following the welcome, brief remarks on various important issues (healthcare, housing, education, black maternal health, the cost of living, the importance of this election, etc.) were given by:
Rev. Dr. Ronald Slaughter, Pastor of St. James AME Church, Newark, NJ
Rev. Melvin E. Wilson, Pastor of St. Matthew AME Church, Orange, NJ
Rev. Crystal James, Pastor of Union AME Church, Allentown, NJ
Rev. Ritnie Castine, Pastor of North Stelton AME Church, Piscataway, NJ
We were also blessed to hear remarks from Congresswoman Bonnie Watson Coleman, Congresswoman LaMonica McIver, and Mayor Ras Baraka, the Mayor of New Jersey’s largest city, Newark. All of them spoke of the critical importance of this election for black people in New Jersey, especially since the State is one of the two holding a gubernatorial election this year, the other being Virginia. A plethora of other state and local elected officials were also in attendance.
We received remarks from Rev. Dr. Dale Caldwell, the Democratic candidate for Lieutenant Governor, who is also a United Methodist Pastor and President of Centenary College in Hackettstown, NJ. Rev. Dr. Caldwell was well received, especially once he mentioned that AME Bishop Morris Brown was his great-great-great-great-grandfather. He is also related to Hiram Revels, the first African American United States Senator.
The highlight of the rally was the presence of Mikie Sherrill, the Democratic candidate for Governor. Governor Josh Shapiro, the Governor of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, graciously introduced her and gave his own soul-stirring remarks. Even though New Jersey is a “blue state,” Ms. Sherrill is in a very tight race with Republican candidate Jack Ciattarelli, a staunch MAGA defender and Trump supporter. It is believed that Mikie Sherrill is the best person to be elected as the next Governor of the State of New Jersey.
Bishop Green provided electrifying closing remarks, and we ended the rally by stretching forth our hands and praying for Gubernatorial candidate Sherrill, Lieutenant Governor candidate Caldwell, and Governor Shapiro. The resounding cry from the pulpit to the door was, “When we vote, we win.” Our task over the next ten days is to turn out the vote so that New Jersey does not become an extension of the madness happening in Washington, DC.
The members of the First Episcopal District thank Bishop Samuel Lawrence Green, Sr., for his leadership, vision, and foresight in bringing this event together.
Bishop Samuel L. Green Is One Dynamite Spirit Filled Man Of God. He Is About His Masters Business. Everything Is Done Decently And In Order. Correct.