Preachers and teachers make a living by inspiring and enlightening.

So how did a handful of Gwinnett's professional orators feel about Sen. Barack Obama's speech on Tuesday morning about race relations and his controversial former pastor?

Pastor William Sheals of Hopewell Missionary Baptist Church in Norcross, who retired to his office to watch the address live on TV, said the senator did precisely what he needed to do.

"He distanced himself from his former pastor, who, in those speeches that were aired, was very radical," Sheals said. "And he established that [his former pastor Jeremiah Wright] led him to the Christian faith, but that he doesn't agree with all his views."

Wright has brought heated criticism to the Obama campaign by suggesting in a past sermon that the United States brought the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks on itself. In another sermon he said African Americans should damn America for continuing to mistreat them. Those comments have been replayed on television and the internet.

Wright's most divisive statements contradict the reality of Obama's support, Sheals said, which comes from a broad coalition that crosses racial lines. America used to be called a melting pot, Sheals said — but it never really was. A better metaphor, he suggested, is "the soup bowl," where it takes all ingredients to make it tasteful, but each retains their individual characteristics.

Pastor Troy Benton of the I.S.A.I.A.H Church in Stone Mountain, said he thought the speech itself was one to study, to learn how to "have that conversation [about race relations] that we have not wanted to have for decades."

"This is the linchpin of all the other issues that affect this country," Benton said. "People have not wanted to deal with their frustration and anger as it relates to other people in other cultures. . . . Race and sex are the two issues we don't want to talk about, but if we want to be the United States of America, we have to talk about them."

Benton said he knew he'd be revisiting the topic from the pulpit this weekend.

But in a way, he said, listening Tuesday morning made him think that a larger version of what he does each week happened via the airwaves.

"It was one of the few times in our history that most of the country was in church and it wasn't even Sunday," Benton said.

However, the messaged was received differently by some.

Neva Spell, who works in Gwinnett County, said she watched the Obama speech delivered in Philadelphia at the National Constitution Center, but still wasn't impressed enough to cross party lines and vote for him. Spell is a conservative Republican.

"I think he's sincere," Spell, of Cumming, said of Obama. "He's young, he's got lots to learn. He's tackling a big issue [race relations] that's been here for years, years and years. You can't change it overnight."

But Spell says she gives him credit for making an effort. "He's one of the first ones to go after it and try to improve it. It's a big job."

At Georgia Gwinnett College two students who watched a replay of Obama's speech came away impressed.

"It was a very personal, personable speech," said Jaclyn Byrd, 18. "Presidential candidates are rehearsed, if not robotic when they talk about policy. Hillary Clinton tried to make things personable and it was, like, tears. He made it personal without putting emotion into it. We want someone who can understand and do what's right with being emotional about it."

Said student Cesar Puerto, 19: At first, I saw him try to distance himself, but I also liked how he tried to say, 'I am everybody.' I like how he explains himself. He's calm. I thought he would be more angry about it.

"I like how he was honest about himself, including his flaws, and described the disillusionment and search for identity when he was young. As a Hispanic American, I can relate to him."

Staff writers George Chidi and Aileen Dodd contributed to this report