If you’ve looked at my bio, you may have noticed something about me: I’m white. And I’m not urban white. I’m folk-music-and-chewing-tobacco white. Yet I live in the inner city and pastor at an inner city church. Lately, there’s been some talk regarding white inner city church planters and pastors like myself. There aren’t many […]
In this piece, Chris Ann highlights the undue weight placed on home ownership, and argues against it being wielded as a symbol of status, success, good investment and identity, especially in the black Christian community. Our identity is in Christ alone, not in acquiring a property. We should look forward to our Heavenly home and seek daily to find our identity in Christ alone.
This article first appeared on The Twelve blog. It has been re-posted with permission. Christina Edmondson is the Dean of Intercultural Student Development at Calvin College in Grand Rapids, Michigan. You can find the original and more great content by clicking here. The Jesus of the Bible was a deeply connected, culturally credible Hebrew son. There is […]
Some of my comments on an episode of Pass The Mic have invited scrutiny and strong disagreement. In general, I accept this as part of the task of racial reconciliation and a positive sign of tackling the right topics. Due to distorted interpretations, however, I do sense the need to clarify those statements and extend their application. What […]
One of the greatest relationships I have had has been one with a brother who was a Jewish believer. I recall when we sat down and talked about the Holocaust tragedy. The Holocaust was a tragic event, where millions of lives were lost and left a permanent scar on the World. What has been most valuable […]
Podcast: Play in new window | Download Jemar Tisby reflects on the election of 2016 and the impact that it has had on evangelicalism, racial reconciliation, and what it means to be Black Christian in America. Donate to RAAN Subscribe – iTunes – Satchel – RSS Social – @_PassTheMic – Facebook
Jesus didn’t (and doesn’t) fit neatly into any political party. His kingdom is “not of this world.” Therefore, we should expect the values and priorities of that “alien kingdom” both to transect and to transcend the political categories of the world. Jesus is neither a Democrat nor a Republican. OK. But, practically speaking, what does […]
When the Academy of Motion Picture and Science announced early this year that only white actors and actresses were among those selected to be chosen for an academy award for the second year in a row, it ignited a firestorm. It resulted in the resurgence of the social media hashtag #OscarsSoWhite and raised a bevy of concerns […]
Anyone who has been following Lecrae on Twitter since the Ferguson riots, will notice that he has increasingly spotlighted racial injustice, particularly, in regards to the police shootings of African-American men, women and children. Most recently, on September 19th, he tweeted about Colin Kaepernick’s National Anthem protest: “Take a knee…people riot. Take a bullet…people quiet.” […]
The Death Penalty is a constant source of political and Christian debate. Like many conservative evangelicals, I upheld the death penalty and even admired those states that instituted more streamlined paths to complete the death sentence. I’ve since changed. Two recent realizations showed me that while I still support the ability and authority of the […]
People often interpret life through their personal and individual worldviews. I would go so far as to say that a great symptom of our sinful nature is how hiddenly narcissistic we can be to think that our experience is the only experience that matters. Both sides of the race conversation does this. The phrase “I […]
This article was originally posted on DesignedMarriage.com. You can find the original and more great content here. “Yet it was the will of the LORD to crush him; he has put him to grief…” -Isaiah 53:10 After working in an ER for three years, I learned from the Pediatric ER nurses to never be “that parent.” […]
While his play on the field has suffered considerably over the past two seasons, causing him to lose his starting position, Colin Kaepernick, the once revered quarterback, famous for his flamboyant touchdown celebrations, has managed to remain a fixture in the media spotlight. During the pre-game ceremony of the singing the national anthem, the quarterback […]
In my post last week, I offered pastoral advice for White Christians shepherding ethnic minorities in predominately White contexts. In this post, I offer pastoral advice for ethnic minorities shepherding ethnically white Christians in predominately minority contexts. Of course, overlap exists between the two pieces. For example, both white pastors and minority pastors should shepherd […]
When God calls us into cross-cultural relationships for the sake of advancing his kingdom, there are times when our well-intentioned words and actions will be taken offensively. It often feels like bumping into an invisible electric fence. This happened early on in our ministry here in Orangeburg. I was developing a relationship with a black […]
This article, written by Ernest Grant II, was first published on his site. Find more great content here. Grant is a pastor at Epiphany Fellowship Church – Camden. I rolled my eyes in disgust as he raised his voice at her, but deep in my soul, I felt powerless to defend her honor. This wasn’t the […]
This article was originally posted on DesignedMarriage.com. Check out the site for more great content! In the last few months of pregnancy, I realized how much value I had placed in having a “desirable” body type. I truly enjoyed the pre-pregnancy body I had, and I took for granted how easily I could get back […]
The multi-ethnic church movement has captivated many Christians. In my capacity as a NT scholar and a preacher, I’m privileged to lecture and preach throughout the country in many multi-ethnic spaces, and in spaces that aspire to be multi-ethnic. I also regularly talk to many Christians who deeply ache for a multi-ethnic church experience. Unfortunately, […]
It is one thing for African American students to gain admission to Traditionally White Institutions (TWIs), and quite another thing to thrive at them. It is imperative for TWIs to retain their minority students, and there are structures in place that aid in this goal such as academic support, cultural support, and programmatic support. But […]
Growing up in the Black Church has been a rich blessing that I do not take for granted. As a young boy, at Calvary Baptist Church in Portsmouth Virginia, I heard the Christ-centered bold preaching that arrested my soul and caused me to be drawn to surrender my life to Christ. In that same Church, […]
