7 steps to racially heal the post-pandemic church

Bob Whitesel Oct. 17, 2020

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The following is excerpted from a ReclaimedLeader.com interview by Jason Tucker and Jesse Skiffington.

I'm concerned that with all of our churches planning their re-opening, we're not sufficiently addressing a potentially longer-lasting problem: the racial divide in America.

Here are seven ways I believe most churches can begin understanding and healing their racial divides:

1. Learn about the other.

Learn about the people who are different than you. Learn about their ideas, their stories, their worries, their arts, their expectations and their hopes.

2. Learn not to judge by appearance.

We typically stereotype others. Our minds do it naturally and quickly. We look at them and say, "Oh, they're this type of person, because the way they look, the clothes they wear or the way they talk." Call yourself out when you do this. And ask others to remind you if they hear you doing it.

Become accountable to not judge by a flash of intuition, but to learn about others as you become friends.

3. Learn about the ministry of reconciliation.

Study how reconciliation unfolded in the book of Acts at the Council of Jerusalem.

Remember, Paul and his friends were Jewish Christians. And they reached out to their oppressors, the Roman Gentiles.

Paul was reaching out to the oppressors who had Jews burned on stakes, killed and abused. And now these oppressors are now getting saved! What do we do about that? The Council of Jerusalem (Acts 15) set some guidelines after discussion and prayer. They cautiously deliberated and sought the Lord for guidance, which can be an example for churches today. Yet, most people don't know this wonderful story from Acts 15.

4. Have regular unity experiences where you learn about one another.

Notice I didn't say just having unity "celebrations." You must do more than celebrate it. You must learn about one another's expressions in the arts and expressions in worship.

5. Now here is a really important, but controversial step: reevaluate where you spend your money.

I've been in situations where I'm consulting with a struggling urban church and also with a sizable suburban church in the same city.

One urban client needed to fix its roof. I think it needed around $20,000 or they were going to have to close when winter came. The suburban church was talking to me about how they needed to improve their sound system, and they were going to spend $300,000 on it.

I said, okay, what if you took a tithe off the top of that $300,000 and gave $30,000 to the other church? Some leaders said, they would be glad to. But, other members of the church said, "Oh, we can't do that. They need to take care of themselves."

"No, no, no, no," I responded. "You've been blessed by advantages of suburban attendees that the urban church never had. You should be sharing the blessing."

Therefore, I encourage churches to reconsider how they spend their money and to be generous giving it away to struggling congregations. Some people label this reparation. But regardless of the term, I reminded my clients that John says in 1 John 3:17 (The Message Bible):

"This is how we've come to understand and experience love: Christ sacrificed his life for us. This is why we ought to live sacrificially for our fellow believers, and not just be out for ourselves. If you see some brother or sister in need and have the means to do something about it but turn a cold shoulder and do nothing, what happens to God's love? It disappears. And you made it disappear."

6. Recognize your own personal preferences and learn about them with the help of others.

Recognize how you have benefited from either the way you look, the way you behave/speak, or the place you grew up. Then listen to others and ask them to tell you about blind spots in your behaviors, ideas or actions that negatively impact others.

7. Finally, expect for people to be spiritually transformed.

Expect for people to change and that you will change as well. Meditate on what it means for you that God is in the change business.

I like the way Paul says it: "The old life is gone; a new life burgeons! Look at it! All this comes from the God who settled the relationship between us and him, and then called us to settle our relationships with each other." 1 Corinthians 5:17-18 (The Message Bible).

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Bob Whitesel (D.Min., Ph.D.) is a foresight coach, professor, and award-winning author of 14 books. For over 30 years, he has guided leaders and churches to pivot and engage what’s next. He holds two earned doctorates from Fuller Theological Seminary and teaches on leadership foresight, church health, and organizational change. His website is www.ChurchForesight.com. Learn More »

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