FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
THE GATHERING AND PASTOR DAVID JEFFERSON SR. CONVENE CLERGY WITH SENATOR CORY BOOKER; TO ANNOUNCE MOBILIZATION OF 70,000 PEOPLE ACROSS THE BLACK CHURCH COMMUNITY
Initiative calls on each participant to make 10 voter outreach calls—700,000 calls collectively—and includes transportation to the polls, with community engagement continuing beyond the midterms.
NEWARK, N.J., October 20, 2026 — The Gathering and Rev. Dr. David Jefferson Sr., Esq., Pastor of Metropolitan Baptist Church and Leader of The Gathering, will convene clergy with Senator Cory Booker on Wednesday, October 21, to advance action and accountability for Black families and announce a voter engagement initiative designed to mobilize 70,000 people across the Black church community.
The convening will take place from 10:00 to 11:30 a.m. at Metropolitan Baptist Church, 149 Springfield Avenue in Newark, with Booker serving as special guest speaker and Jefferson as moderator.
At the event, The Gathering will announce an initiative to empower 70,000 participants to make 10 calls each, creating the potential for 700,000 voter outreach calls ahead of the November 3 midterm election. The effort will encourage people to vote and provide transportation to help voters get to the polls.
The work will continue beyond the midterms, sustaining community engagement, strengthening connections between congregations and public officials, and holding elected leaders accountable for addressing the priorities of Black families.
Under the theme “A New Day, A New Birth,” the October 21 conversation will connect the power of civic participation with the issues families confront every day: healthcare, housing, jobs and food security.
Jefferson is calling on bishops, pastors, ministers and clergy colleagues to participate and bring a fellow leader from their congregation or ministry. His charge is clear: the church’s responsibility extends beyond identifying hardship to organizing a sustained response.
“When elected leaders do not answer, people turn to the church,” Jefferson wrote in his invitation to clergy. “Clergy know these families by name and hold a trust that few other leaders have.”
The Gathering seeks to put that trust to work by serving as a liaison between Black voters and the officials they elect. Through coordinated outreach, transportation and continued advocacy, the initiative will help translate the relationships within congregations into participation at the polls and a stronger collective voice afterward.
The October 21 discussion will also emphasize connecting emerging leaders and changemakers directly with the communities they seek to serve.
For Jefferson and The Gathering, the goal is lasting progress: helping Black families build sustainable, independent and successful lives while ensuring that their concerns remain a priority long after the ballots are counted.
EVENT DETAILS
What: The Gathering presents “A Conversation with Senator Cory Booker” and announcement of its voter engagement initiative
Theme: A New Day, A New Birth
Conveners: The Gathering and Rev. Dr. David Jefferson Sr., Esq.
Moderator: Rev. Dr. David Jefferson Sr., Esq., Pastor, Metropolitan Baptist Church; Leader of The Gathering
Special Guest Speaker: Senator Cory Booker
When: Wednesday, October 21, 2026 | 10:00–11:30 a.m.
Where: Metropolitan Baptist Church, 149 Springfield Avenue, Newark, NJ 07013
RSVP: Rev. Ralph Branch | thegatheringmb@gmail.com | 973-207-8110
ABOUT THE GATHERING
Led by Rev. Dr. David Jefferson Sr., Esq., The Gathering brings clergy together to advance the well-being of Black families through civic engagement, advocacy and accountability. Its priorities include voting power, healthcare, housing, jobs and food security, with a commitment to connecting communities with elected officials and the next generation of leaders.
