Baptist church efforts bridge racial divisions across denominations

Pastors Frederick Haynes and George Mason both lead Baptist churches in Dallas, but they did not meet until the not-guilty verdict in the death of Florida teen Trayvon Martin brought them together in 2013.

Now the two men—one the leader of a predominantly black megachurch, the other of a mostly white congregation—have signed a “covenant of action” spearheaded by former president Jimmy Carter.

Carter, now 91, has long been known for building bridges between divided parties. His work to bring Baptists of different races together on a national level is morphing into grassroots attempts to address community needs.