How a Pastor Could Engage Congregation in Positive Anti-racism

HERE IS HOW ONE PASTOR CAN BEGIN:

1. Attract other clergy friends who want their church to address racism but are not sure how.

Form a group of interested clergy to read and discuss the novel: Shock and Awe: A Church Recognizes Its Racism and is Awed by God’s Invitation, https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08VF9KRPK

1. Discuss whether they would be interested in engaging their congregations in some church-wide conversations regarding faith and race.
2. Consider reading two non-fiction books that suggest steps to follow: Racism and God’s Invitation: Systemic Racism plagues our Society and Distorts the Church’s ministry. Our Faith Invites us to move beyond Denial and Guilt https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08FRSXKV8 AND

Racism and God’s Grace: Truth and Reconciliation for American Churches: A guide for clergy and churches.

Discuss together the following possibility

1. Each pastor guides their church leadership in reading and discussing the same novel.
2. Then each pastor would offer the following approach with their congregation.
3. Outline a model of how to use information technology to survey each of your congregation regarding their basic beliefs as it relates to racism.
4. Using surveys, build an image of a congregation’s belief stance regarding faith and racism.
5. Make use of the power of liturgy especially Praise Thanksgiving and Confession as it relates to racism. (Samples of how to develop this are available on request.)
6. Invite members to assemble an explore the image they have developed using the discipline of Active Listening. More details on how this works upon request.
7. Share each congregation’s image with the other clergy who used the same process and invite several churches  to interact around their shared image of faith addressing racism.
8. Assemble Black and White congregations and use Active Listening to explore their shared images and ways they can create an anti-racism strategy.
9. Use the truth and reconciliation Commission framework adapted to reach across boundaries between Black and White congregations as they jointly develop strategies to address racism in church and community.
10. Commit to two or three active ministries that witness to racial healing in your community.

THIS IS A SKETCHY OUTLINE

If interested, contact me for a more detailed description of a process we can use to have a positive impact on this difficult challenge to our society. Contact me at steve@smccutchan.com