St. Louis Mo-, Influential pastors, powerful politicians, elected officials, and some of Missouri’s most well known leaders attended the “2017 Ecumenical Leadership Council Black Tie Ball”, on Friday September 29th, at the New Northside Conference Center, located at 5939 Goodfellow, St. Louis, Mo

The keynote speaker was the honorable Sen. Claire McCaskill, the senior Senator for Missouri. Over 250 will be in attendance at this special event. The Black Tie Ball was the first social event bringing together Ecumenical Leadership Council chapters from all parts of Missouri. Currently there are Council chapters in St. Louis, Kansas City, Southeast Mo, and Central Mo. Collectively over 200 predominantly African American churches in Missouri are members of the the Ecumenical Leadership Council of Mo.

The Black Tie Ball will featured a dynamic keynote speaker, as well as recognized speakers in their respective fields. As part of its mission of economic empowerment for the state’s African American population, the decision was made to hire a facility owned by African Americans, instead of other facilities, such as the Ritz Carlton Hotel, which hosted the Council’s previous events.

According to Bishop Lawrence M. Wooten, president of the St. Louis chapter,”We need to start building an economic base with our own dollars. African Americans have developed an unhealthy distrust of doing business with each other. That creates a problem for the Black business community, while perpetuating lucrative opportunities for other ethnic groups. African Americans must adopt the practice of first looking among their own for the goods and services that they need and want.

The evening’s program for the 2016 Ecumenical Leadership Black Tie Ball included a reception prior to the Ball, a keynote speech by Sen. McCaskill; Foreword by Michael McMillan, president of the Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis;Rod Chapel Jr., President of the Mo Chapter of the NAACP; Stephen Webber, Chairman of the Mo Democratic Party; Kim Gardner,
first African AMEriacn Cirtcuit Attorney in St. Louis.

Attendees will rnjoy a delicious dinner, musical entertainment, and remarks by Bishop Lawrence Wooten of St. Louis, Bishop Mark Tolbert of Kansas City, and Rev. Adrian Henderson of Central. Bishop Ronnie Webb, representing Southeast Mo, is also expected to speak.

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