Even though I can’t physically be at Mother Emanuel AME Church in Charleston, S.C., for Friday’s funeral service, I am there in spirit—through a connection planted deep in my soul from an early age.

ORLANDO, Fla. – On Sunday mornings, while members of the congregation at the Faith & Power Worship Center in Apopka, Fla., close their eyes and bow their heads in prayer, one man keeps his head up, ...