‘Out of many, one’: St. Pete faith coalition endorses Welch’s reelection
- Mark Parker
- Jun 9
- 3 min read
Mayor Ken Welch’s reelection campaign has received a multidenominational push from a diverse coalition of St. Petersburg clergy who believe he deserves four more years to finish the job.
In a robust show of solidarity, 14 pastors, imams, and elders representing various faiths formally expressed their support for Welch on Monday. Those who spoke at an endorsement event, held at Mt. Zion Missionary Baptist Church, praised the incumbent’s character, focus on inclusivity, and ability to overcome challenges.
Rev. J.C. Pritchett II, president of the Interdenominational Ministerial Alliance, also seized the opportunity to repeatedly criticize a supporter-turned-opponent - former Gov. Charlie Crist. “With friends like these, who needs enemies?” Pritchett said to kick off what were otherwise positive remarks.
He was the lone speaker to mention a mayoral challenger. Rev. Louis Murphy, who hosted the event, said he and his colleagues appreciate Welch’s steadfastness, his ability to “move the city forward,” and that they are “standing with him firmly.”
Dr. Princess Hemingway, pastor of Brister Temple Church of God in Unity, credited Welch’s faith and family devotion. She called the incumbent a role model for St. Petersburg’s youth.
“We know who he is, what he believes, and our future is bright with him as our mayor,” Hemingway said of Welch. “Policies and procedures are important, but the character of the person who leads our city is more important.”
Rev. Clarence Williams, senior pastor at Greater Mount Zion AME Church, credited Welch and his administration’s recovery efforts after an unprecedented rash of hurricanes. He said the incumbent deserves a second term during a “defining moment for our community.”
“I believe it is irresponsible for us to wipe out his four years of work and begin from one,” Williams later added. “I believe that puts the city back where it was.”
Following the initial presentations, Welch quoted a well-known verse from the Bible: “Faith without works is dead.” He said the clergy standing behind him have been “doing the work in our community for years,” both in and outside of their houses of worship.
“We have more work to do, and you cannot do it without strong partnerships,” Welch concluded.
Pritchett noted that many of the faith leaders gathered at the same church in 2022 to support Crist’s most recent and failed gubernatorial campaign. He questioned why Crist, after endorsing Welch in 2021, would return home from Minnesota to challenge the mayor.
“He’s built his career on the back of Black and brown people supporting him,” Pritchett said of Crist. “So, when we watch how districts are being redrawn around the country, as we watch what the Supreme Court has done with voting rights that affect African Americans, it is very disappointing that an ally, a friend, covets the mayor’s office.”
City Councilmember Brandi Gabbard, former Fire Chief James Large, Paul Congemi, former Shore Acres Neighborhood Association President Kevin Batdforf, and Maria Scruggs, former president of the St. Petersburg branch of the NAACP, are also vying to become St. Petersburg’s next mayor.
Pritchett, when asked why he singled out Crist, said it was "disappointing for me to see people like him and Debbie Wasserman Schultz run against their allies and … challenge Black voting power and influence.” Wasserman Schultz has been derided for deciding to run in one of Florida’s last remaining congressional districts with a Black representative.
Welch’s endorsements, notably, came from more than just fellow Christian clergy members. Imam Abdul Karim Ali noted that the nation and St. Petersburg are home to a diverse tapestry of religious beliefs.
Ali credited Welch for embracing that diversity, and pledged that “members of the Islamic faith will definitely be supporting our mayor to get elected.” Imam Askia Muhammad described the solidarity by reciting one of the nation's Latin mantras: E pluribus unum, which translates to “out of many, one.”
“Most of us here have proven track records of working together across lines for decades,” Muhammad continued. He said Welch has “proven his solid, sustainable, steadfast support for all the citizens and segments of St. Petersburg.”
Additional faith leaders who endorsed Welch on Monday include Rev. Katurah Jenkins-Hall, Rev. Sam Picard, Apostle Clarice Pennington, Elder Ricardo Welch, Rev. John Evans, Elder Samuel Davis, Pastor Elizabeth Siplin, and Abdul-Salaam Hameed.
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