Sammie Okposo, RCCG Michigan Respond to The Flint Water Crisis

Dr Uvoh Onoriobe & Minister Sammie Okposo in Flint, Michigan

Back in the day, my favorite Radio station would not stop playing Jeffrey Osborne's "If My Brother's In Trouble".

The refrain comes to me ever so often.

If my brother's in trouble

I will always help him out

If my brother's in trouble

I will turn the world around

I will fight for his rights

No matter where the trouble seems to lie

If my brother's in trouble so am I

If my brother's in trouble so am I

So am I



Enter Flint:

Many years ago,  Flint—the birthplace of General Motors—was the flourishing home to nearly 200,000 people, many employed by the booming automobile industry. But the 1980s put the brakes on that period of prosperity, as rising oil prices and auto imports resulted in shuttered auto plants and laid-off workers, many of whom eventually relocated. The city found itself in a precipitous decline: Flint’s population has since plummeted to just 100,000 people, a majority of whom are African-American, and about 45 percent of its residents live below the poverty line. Nearly one in six of the city’s homes has been abandoned.

In 2011, the city of  Flint was cash-strapped and shouldering a $25 million deficit and had to be under state control. The Governor at that time appointed an emergency manager  to oversee and cut city costs. This precipitated the tragic decision in 2013 to end the city’s five-decade practice of piping treated water for its residents from Detroit in favor of a cheaper alternative. Although the river water was highly corrosive, the officials did not do due diligence to treat it, and lead leached out from aging pipes into thousands of homes.

Culled from 2019 https://www.nrdc.org/stories/flint-water-crisis-everything-you-need-know 

I was in a RCCG Ypsilanti church service when Pastor Lola Olojo mentioned that another pastor in the ministry was affected by the untoward effects of lead in their water. Straightway  was after church, my family traveled to Flint to visit the pastor and began to pray about taking action. It was not the time for prayers! All the sermons about "Love Thy Neighbor" filled my heart and left me burdened.

 “if anyone has the world’s goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God’s love abide in him” (1 John 3:17)?

Who is your neighbor? Who do you see? Whoever you meet or see today is your neighbor, and the Bible doesn’t specify that only Christians are our neighbors. Our neighbor is anyone that we can help. We have three things to offer…our time, talent, and treasure, so “if anyone has the world’s goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God’s love abide in him” (1 John 3:17)?

Stop and look around you to see if there is someone in need that you can share with.

What should be your and my response? “Well, I will pray for you,“ but if “one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and filled,” without giving them the things needed for the body, what good 
is that” (James 2:16)?

Before long, partnerships were formed between the Redeemed Christian Church of God Michigan Zone 2, Sammie Okposo's Hope Initiative, Healing Hands Inc and Risen Christ Lutheran Church. We held a concert, raised funds and spent  several weeks  organizing free water distribution in Flint, MI. It was an avenue to meet the good people of Flint and show Christ love.