The Rev. Emanuel Cleaver II — eloquent preacher, outspoken U.S. congressman — paced silently in front of 1,000 people packing the pews of his church, St. James United Methodist. For a rare few minutes Sunday morning, the preacher, whose well-chosen words always carried his message, simply could not speak. He wiped tears from his face with a handkerchief.
The people — like family to him now after 35 years of leading this congregation — applauded and wiped their own tears.
Cleaver, a former two-term Kansas City mayor, had just told them the bittersweet news.
Read the full story at KansasCity.com.
Comments