Reverend Sykes
Reverend Sykes is the pastor of First Purchase African M.E. Church, the only church in Maycomb with a steeple and bell, located in the Quarters outside the southern town limits. He is a short, stocky man who wears a black suit, black tie, white shirt, and a gold watch-chain that glints in the light from the frosted windows. He leads a congregation that cannot read—only about four members, including Calpurnia, are literate—and therefore conducts worship through the practice of "linin'," in which a leader reads a line of a hymn and the congregation sings it back. Reverend Sykes is a figure of considerable authority and respect within his community, but he is also willing to confront those who challenge his leadership or the values he upholds.
Leadership and Welcome at First Purchase
When Calpurnia brings Jem and Scout Finch to First Purchase one Sunday, Reverend Sykes immediately asserts his authority. He greets them at the church door and leads them to the front pew, a gesture of honor that signals their welcome despite the objections of a parishioner named Lula, who confronts Calpurnia for bringing white children to a Black church. Reverend Sykes had previously threatened to "church" Lula, identifying her as a troublemaker from way back with "fancy ideas an' haughty ways." By the time the service begins, Lula has vanished, and the congregation parts to make a pathway for the Finch children. Reverend Sykes then opens the service by acknowledging the visitors: "Brethren and sisters, we are particularly glad to have company with us this morning. Mister and Miss Finch. You all know their father." This public recognition not only welcomes the children but also aligns the church with Atticus Finch, whom he later describes as "this church's no better friend."
Sermon and Moral Authority
Reverend Sykes's sermon is a forthright denunciation of sin, an austere declaration of the motto on the wall behind him: "God Is Love." He warns his flock against the evils of heady brews, gambling, and strange women, and he uses his pulpit freely to express his views on individual lapses from grace. He calls out Jim Hardy for being absent from church for five Sundays when he wasn't sick, and he warns Constance Jackson to watch her ways for quarreling with her neighbors and erecting the only spite fence in the history of the Quarters. This direct, personal accountability is a departure from the more general sermons Jem and Scout are used to hearing at their own church. Reverend Sykes's preaching style reflects a pastoral approach that holds each member responsible for their conduct, reinforcing the moral fabric of the community.
Collection for Tom Robinson's Family
After the sermon, Reverend Sykes stands beside a table in front of the pulpit and requests the morning offering, a procedure unfamiliar to Jem and Scout. One by one, the congregation comes forward and drops nickels and dimes into a black enameled coffee can. When the collection is taken, Reverend Sykes empties the can onto the table, rakes the coins into his hand, and announces, "This is not enough, we must have ten dollars." He explains that the money will go to Helen Robinson, Tom Robinson's wife, to help her support her three children while Tom is in jail. When the congregation stirs, he waves his hand and calls to someone in the back of the church: "Alec, shut the doors. Nobody leaves here till we have ten dollars." He then singles out a man named Carlow Richardson, saying sternly, "I haven't seen you up this aisle yet," and a thin man in khaki pants comes up and deposits a coin. Reverend Sykes then asks all those with no children to make a sacrifice and give one more dime apiece. Slowly, painfully, the ten dollars is collected, and only then is the door opened. This act of locking the congregation inside until the full amount is raised demonstrates Reverend Sykes's determination to ensure that the community supports one of its own in a time of crisis, even when the members are poor themselves.
Connection to the Finch Family and the Trial
Reverend Sykes's role extends beyond the walls of his church. He is deeply aware of the trial of Tom Robinson, a faithful member of First Purchase since he was a boy, and he knows that Atticus Finch is the lawyer defending him. When Scout asks why Helen cannot find work, Reverend Sykes hesitates before explaining that Helen is finding it hard to get work because of what folks say Tom has done. He adds that when it is picking time, he thinks Mr. Link Deas will take her. This moment reveals Reverend Sykes's understanding of the economic and social consequences of the accusation against Tom Robinson, and his willingness to speak honestly to a child about the injustice his community faces. His leadership in organizing the collection for Helen is a practical act of solidarity, one that mirrors the moral courage Atticus displays in taking the case. Reverend Sykes embodies the kind of quiet, determined resistance that sustains the Black community in Maycomb, a community that must rely on its own resources and faith in the face of a hostile legal and social system.
