Baltimore Magazine Recognizes
Bethel AME Church's Power
In The Pulpit And In The Pews
[Excerpts reprinted from article entitled "Power 50: We Name The People Who Run This Town" in the March 2007 issue of the Baltimore Magazine; by Geoff Brown, Ken Iglehart, Molly Rath, and Max Weiss]
"... This ranking of the 50 most powerful people in the Baltimore area is not a scientific list, but it is based on hard numbers and achievements and records. Power isn't something you can measure, like an election; it's rooted in perception and experience and gut reaction. Our 2007 Power 50 list is a snapshot of and extraordinary and unique time in Baltimore (we last tackled the list shortly after Bob Ehrlich took office in 2003). Annapolis is once again controlled by a single party, and the state is governed by an ex-Baltimore mayor; our interim mayor heads a city (and a government) with both promise and problems; and the Baltimore Old Guard is being gradually replaced by a new new power elite. But come September - and the city's Democratic primary - this list could look considerably different. For now, though, this ranking is the way we see power being put into action in Baltimore."
Dr. Frank M. Reid, III (#28)
Age: 55 Title: Senior Pastor, Bethel AME Church 2003 Rank: 23 Nickname: Power Preacher Power Play: A major force in the 1999 mayoral contest, he'll again carry weight this year , with two leading mayoral contenders amid his congregation. Power Source: It's shaping up to be a banner year at Bethel A.M.E.: the church's membership continues to grow, it's breaking ground on a building in Baltimore County, and it has negotiated a cut of the Cordish Co.'s Pier Six profits. It will likely draw additional attention in the months ahead as the home parish of both Comptroller Joan Pratt and interim Mayor Sheila Dixon. Bottom Line: Given the weight his pick carried in 1999 when he endorsed O'Malley for mayor, political observers are watching Reid closely.
Sheila Dixon (#15)
Age: 53 Title: Mayor, Baltimore City 2003 Rank: N/A Nickname: The Understudy Power Play: Scored city's most powerful political post without having to run for it. Power Source: O'Malley's sights reached well beyond City Hall when he jumped into the mayor's race in 1999, and nobody knew it better than City Council presidential candidate Dixon. She won her race, waited patiently as heir apparent for seven years and landed the top job when O'Malley became governor this year. But because she's serving out his term, the true test of her clout comes September 11, when Democratic primary voters decide if she's worthy of the mayoral nomination. Bottom Line: Dixon gets credit for being Baltimore's first female mayor. We'll see whether that translates into getting elected to the post this fall.
Joan M. Pratt (#31)
Age: 55 Title: Baltimore City Comptroller 2003 Rank: N/A Nickname: The Spoiler Power Play: Of the Board of Estimates' five members, she's the only one who isn't decidedly in Mayor Dixon's camp; her voice of opposition could resonate loudly this election year - whether she decides to challenge Dixon for her job or not. Power Source: Pratt's lone vote is hardly enough to mess with the mayor's lock on a majority, but she's in a strong and public position to pick fights with the mayor, all the while claiming she's acting in the best fiscal interests of the city. Bottom Line: Quiet till now, look for Pratt to turn spunky in the months ahead.
