‘We just tell the truth’: VP Harris’ longtime mentor repeatedly defended controversial Obama pastor

Vice President Kamala Harris’ pastor and longtime mentor repeatedly defended former President Obama’s controversial pastor, Rev. Jeremiah Wright, when his past sermons sparked a firestorm of controversy during the 2008 presidential campaign, a Fox News Digital review found.

Rev. Amos Brown, the longtime minister of San Francisco’s Third Baptist Church, and Wright were reportedly “friends” and attended the same graduate ministry school together in Dayton, Ohio, according to a March 2008 San Francisco Chronicle article profiling Brown’s sermon. The article went on to say Brown even has a photo of Wright in his church office. 

“On Sunday, he told a packed church that the criticisms being hurled at Obama for his close ties to Wright are part of a conspiracy aimed at damaging the candidate on the issue of religion because there’s not another negative issue out there that has tarnished his reputation,” the article said.

“What you are seeing happening to Barack Obama was hatched, crafted and developed a year ago when you were sleeping,” Brown reportedly said during the sermon. “This kind of nonsense does not just happen.”

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Brown, who said he has known Harris and her family for more than two decades and was one of Harris’ guests to attend her inauguration in 2021, could be a major liability for her campaign as his past sermons and ties to Wright start to surface. Harris previously praised Brown for being “on this journey with me every step of the way.”

In an April 2008 op-ed for SFGate, Brown defended Wright and claimed that the soundbites from Wright’s previous sermons were being “mischaracterize[d]” by the media. He responded to the San Francisco Chronicle piece by saying the reporter characterized his and Wright’s style of preaching as similar, but Brown rejected the description of their tone as “fiery.”

“As regards to Wright’s and my style of preaching; we are not angry; we are not inflammatory; we just tell the truth with passion and enthusiasm,” Brown said. “And we will not be silent when persons mischaracterize our witness as anger.”

“If White preachers – Billy Graham, Pat Robinson, Jerry Falwell and others – can exercise their freedoms, and sometimes say the wrong things – as the facts document – we should be able to say the right things on the behalf of social justice and peace, and not be demonized by detractors,” he added.

Wright previously blamed Jews in 2009 for keeping him from talking with Obama after he won the White House. He has also made a number of other inflammatory remarks, including when he said after 9/11 that “America’s chickens are coming home to roost.”

Obama would go on to distance himself from Wright during the 2008 campaign, saying he was “outraged” and “saddened” by Wright’s words and resigned his membership at the church in May 2008.

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The following year, months after Obama was sworn in as president, Wright was invited by Brown to speak at his church, where Brown has been the pastor since 1976. Wright was reportedly “one of several featured speakers as part of a celebration of the church’s 33rd anniversary under Brown’s leadership” and gave a “half-hour, high-energy sermon, sprinkled with spontaneous songs, jokes and impersonations.”

Brown, who previously broadcast an entire Wright sermon before his congregation during the presidential campaign in an attempt to prove Wright was being taken out of context, defended Wright’s participation in his church’s anniversary event honoring him, saying, “That is part of the spiritual DNA of this church, to lend clarity and context to important public policy issues.”

In addition to the 2009 visit, Wright visited Brown’s church at least two other times, in 2010 and 2012.

In September 2010, Wright visited multiple churches between Oakland and San Francisco, including Brown’s Third Baptist Church.

In December 2012, Brown posted on his Facebook that “in the wake of last week’s atrocious tragedy in Newtown, Connecticut,” his church would be doing a service focused on peace and ending violence in America.

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“The entire Bay area community is invited to join in this worship experience which will feature President Obama’s former pastor, Dr. Jeremiah Wright, D.Min, Pastor Emeritus of Trinity United Methodist Church, Chicago, Illinois, as the guest preacher,” the Facebook post said. “Other special guests include legendary actor and activist Danny Glover.”

Harris has repeatedly praised Brown, who previously sparked his own controversy by blaming America for 9/11 days after the terrorist attacks during a memorial service, and has given him multiple shoutouts during speeches as the vice president.

“I just want to, if you don’t mind for a moment, take a moment of personal privilege to talk about Dr. Brown. He has been on this journey with me every step of the way, from when I first thought about running for public office almost two decades ago,” Harris said in 2022 during the NAACP National Convention. “And he has been such a voice of leadership, more leadership, and leadership in our nation. And so I want to thank you, Dr. Brown, for all that you are – all that you are.”

During the annual session of the National Baptist Convention, USA in 2022, Harris reflected on her longtime friendship with Brown.

“For two decades now, at least, I have turned to you,” Harris said. “I have turned to him. And I will say that your wisdom has really guided me and grounded me during some of the most difficult times. And – and you have been a source of inspiration to me always. So thank you, Rev. Brown, for being all that you are.”

“It is always an honor to spend time with my pastor, Rev. Dr. Amos Brown of the Third Baptist Church of San Francisco,” Harris said in a 2023 Instagram photo caption of her and Brown embracing. “He remains a source of inspiration to me always.”

“I want to – shout-out to my pastor, Amos Brown, for joining us.  And – and with that, let’s begin our conversation,” Harris said in 2021 during a virtual roundtable session with faith leaders.

Fox News Digital reached out to the Harris campaign and Brown for comment.

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