Queen Connect

Pastor Jamal Bryant Lied on the Ushers of the Church Pastor Jamal Bryant’s New Year’s Eve sermon, delivered in response to criticism of his wife’s gala attire, quickly went viral, not only for what it defended, but for what it introduced into the conversation. Among his remarks, Bryant claimed that ushers historically walked with one hand behind their back to cover their backsides from deacons and men in the church who allegedly lacked self-control. That statement is demonstrably false. There is no historical, theological, or documented usher training tradition that supports the idea that this posture existed to shield women from predatory men. Ushers, both male and female, have long been trained to walk with controlled posture as a sign of reverence, discipline, and readiness to serve. This practice predates modern conversations around modesty policing and applies regardless of gender or body type. To suggest otherwise reframes a tradition of order into a narrative of unchecked male l...

In the Last Days: When a Dress Becomes Doctrine By QCP Staff What should have been a straightforward moment of celebration—a gala to raise money for HBCUs—quickly spiraled into a full-blown cultural and theological debate. At the center of it was not the cause, not the fundraising, but a dress worn by Dr. Karri Turner, the wife of Pastor Jamal Bryant. The internet, predictably, had opinions. The gown, worn to a formal, gala-style event (not a church service), featured a nude-colored lining that some online viewers interpreted as sheer or inappropriate. Within hours, commentary shifted from fashion critique to moral judgment, dragging modesty, marriage, and ministry into the conversation. Pastor Jamal Bryant addressed the controversy head-on during New Year’s Eve service at New Birth Missionary Baptist Church on December 31. His response was blunt: mind your business. He told the congregation—and by extension the internet—that he bought the dress himself, liked how his wife looked in it...

  QCP | In the Last Days: When Family, Finances, and Faith Collide “This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous…” — 2 Timothy 3:1–2 (KJV) In recent days, a viral clip from Married to Medicine sparked intense conversation online—not because of drama for drama’s sake, but because it held up a mirror many families aren’t ready to look into. At the center of the moment was Dr. Simone Whitmore, a highly accomplished physician, and a tense dinner-table conversation with her adult sons about money, responsibility, and expectations. What unfolded wasn’t just about a car, law school tuition, or credit card spending. It was about entitlement, power, covetousness, and what happens when provision replaces preparation. The Situation: What Happened at the Table According to reporting by Essence, Dr. Simone’s 22-year-old son Michael—who is preparing for law school— expressed the need for a new car because the Jeep given to...

The Opening of the Door: Spiritual Warfare, Symbolism, and the Impact of Church Rituals on Black Family Life QCP: In the Last Days Series — Part II In many Black churches, there’s a powerful ritual often performed without explanation: “Opening the door.” It happened in the viral video — Apostle Ka’Chava Denmark called for the doors of the church to be opened as she prayed over the young girl who expressed emotional pain. But what does this really mean? And more importantly — what does it mean for the Black family? Let’s break it down. The Spiritual Significance: “Opening the Door” In many Pentecostal, Holiness, and deliverance-based churches, opening the door symbolically represents: Letting “unclean spirits” out Inviting the Holy Spirit in Creating spiritual alignment Establishing authority in the spirit realm It is a symbolic moment of warfare — a declaration that something needs to leave. But in the viral clip, what was being asked to “leave” wasn’t a demon… It was a child’s truth. ...