Kamala Harris hailed as ‘phenomenal servant of God’ as she speaks from Galatians 6 at NC megachurch

By Leonardo Blair, Senior Reporter Monday, October 14, 2024

Vice President Kamala Harris was hailed as a “phenomenal servant of God” Sunday by Bishop Rosie O'Neal, founder and senior pastor of Koinonia Christian Center Church in Greenville, North Carolina, moments before she encouraged congregants at the megachurch to not grow weary in well-doing from Galatians 6.

Harris, the Democratic presidential nominee looking to get elected as America’s first female president on Nov. 5, highlighted how challenging having faith can be in times of crisis. She cited, in particular, the devastation suffered in states like North Carolina and Florida due to recent hurricanes.

In recent weeks, both Hurricanes Helene and Milton have caused billions of dollars in damage and killed scores of Americans, particularly in western North Carolina, five hours away from where Harris was speaking.

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“It is easy in these moments of crisis to question our faith, to sometimes lose our faith for a moment because [of] what we see,” Harris said before thanking the church for allowing her to worship with them.

“It does my heart and soul good,” she said of the worship.

Harris spoke about her time as a young girl learning about faith and singing in the children’s choir at the 23rd Avenue Church of God in Oakland, California.

“Scripture teaches us, let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time, we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. I first encountered the words of Galatians as a young girl at 23rd Avenue Church of God in Oakland, California, which is where I sang in the children's choir and first learned the teachings of the Bible,” Harris recalled.

“My earliest memories of those teachings are about a loving God, a God who asks us to speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, to defend the rights of the poor and the needy. And so, at an early age, I learned that faith is a verb,” she continued. “It is something we show in action.”

She also referenced the words of her pastor, the Rev. Amos C. Brown, who leads Third Baptist Church of San Francisco to “do justice, love mercy and walk humbly with our God.”

“That truth is important at all times, and especially in moments of difficulty and disaster. Especially in moments like this, as we navigate storms that have inflicted so much harm across our country. And to all those who have loved ones who have been affected by Hurricane Milton and Hurricane Helene, Doug and I, my husband, are holding all of you close in our hearts and in our prayers, and we are thinking of everyone who has been affected by these storms,” Harris said.

Harris highlighted acts of heroism and community support during the hurricanes, including the actions of Eddie Hunnell, who rescued a woman caught up in flood waters from Hurricane Helene.

Hunnell was visiting Grassy Creek, North Carolina, for his son's wedding when the floodwaters rose rapidly. The water swept away a nearby home with the owner, Leslie Worth, still trapped inside. Hunnell jumped into the water and saved Worth as frantic onlookers watched her home being washed away.

Harris claimed that some people were spreading disinformation and exploiting the tragedies of others for political gain, but she wanted to focus on uplifting stories like Hunnell’s rescue.

“Now is the time to live up to the fundamental values that reflect our nation at its best, the values of compassion, community, honesty and decency, the values that define the people of Greenville, the people of North Carolina, and the people like a fellow who I met recently. His name is Eddie Hunnell,” Harris said.

“When I talked with Eddie about his act of courage, here's what he said to me. He said, ‘Well, I didn't feel I had a choice.’ But, of course, he had a choice. … But his choice was to take a risk for the sake of another. Didn't even reflect on the risk he might have been taking. Right? His choice was to follow his conscience. His choice was, in the words of Isaiah, to be a refuge for the needy in their distress. He chose to remember that we are all in this together,” Harris said.

“If that is true during a terrible storm, it is also true when the storm passes. It is true in our everyday lives. When Paul wrote his letter to the church in Galatia, he knew folks might feel the weight of the burden of doing good that they may feel a temptation to turn away from others in their time of need to believe,” she said.

“But Paul reminded them and us that God calls us not to become weary of doing good, because we each have the power. God tells us this, the power each one of us [has] to make a difference. And that tells us that the measure of our strength will be clear when we see what we can do to lift other people up.”