As we seek to respond rightly to all forms of sin in ourselves and in our communities, our diocese desires to live out our call to grow in Christlikeness and to be agents of God’s kingdom and his justice here on earth. This call is both personal and corporate, especially with regard to the sin of racism and its resulting inequities and injustice.
Initiatives
Antioch Leadership Network
In our effort to be agents of God’s reconciliation and regeneration, the Diocese of the Rocky Mountains has partnered with the Antioch Leadership Network. We are excited to join this province-wide initiative to increase the ethnic diversity of clergy of the ACNA for the sake of evangelism to all and authentic Gospel witness.
Resources
Liturgical Resources
Ten Resources to Get You Started
*While we do not endorse every idea in these resources, we have found them helpful for engaging issues of reconciliation and racial justice from a Christian perspective.
(Arranged alphabetically by author – Links to Amazon.com unless noted)
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Divided by Faith: Evangelical Religion and the Problem of Race in America, by Michael O. Emerson and Christian Smith (Book)
First published in 2000, this book uses empirical and historical data to cast light on how some of the culture within the evangelical church inadvertently reinforced America’s racial divide. The use of wide and extensive research methodologies to understand the history and impact of the issues is a strength for this book. This is a good read especially for anyone who understands how their Christian conscience forbids racism, and yet struggles with how the church may have been unintentionally culpable through some of its entrenched systems and practices, and even proclamations. It offers helpful insights on what we can do differently as the church. (A revised edition of this book might be underway).
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Oneness Embraced: Reconciliation, the Kingdom, and How We Are Stronger Together by Tony Evans (Book)
A statement from this book captures the heart of its argument: “God does much of what He does predicated on what His church is or is not doing.” How is the church’s vision of reconciliation and justice, or lack thereof, directly related to the challenge of racism in our world today? This book addresses the problem of race from the aerial view of God’s Kingdom agenda, weaving real issues of today’s America with a Gospel oriented guide.
Another significant and much needed contribution that Evans brings through his book is a considerable section dedicated to a history of the black church – something to which most non-black Christians do not have exposure. Additional resources from Evans include: What is Systemic Racism? (YouTube).
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White Awake: An Honest Look at What it Looks Like to be White by Daniel Hill (Book)
Hill, pastor of River City Community Church in Chicago, opens this book with a statement from a friend: “You may be white, but don’t let that lull you into thinking you have no culture. White culture is very real.” The rest of the book unravels this observation and its implications for understanding his white identity and what that means for Christian ministry. Hill discusses cultural encounters, denial of white identity, disorientation, shame, self-righteousness, awakening, and active participation. The book includes discussion questions. Other resources: Hill’s White Lies: Nine Ways to Expose and Resist the Racial Systems that Divide appeared in September 2020.
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The Beautiful Community: Unity, Diversity, and the Church at Its Best by Irwyn L. Ince (Book)
In this book, Ince, pastor of Grace DC Presbyterian Church and moderator for the Presbyterian Church of America General Assembly, argues that when churches are united in the midst of their diversity, they form beautiful communities that reflect the beauty of the triune God who they worship. The first part discusses seeing and knowing God as beautiful and his community as a representation of his image. The second part addresses restoring and cultivating a beautiful community. Ince challenges the church to ask what will enable us to commit to the pursuit of a beautiful community–unity in diversity–seeking the unity of the Spirit across lines of racial, cultural, and ethnic difference.
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“The Bible and Race,” “The Sin of Racism,” “A Biblical Critique of Secular Justice and Critical Theory,” and “Justice in the Bible” by Timothy Keller (Articles)
In this four-part series on justice and race in the Bible, Keller, author and pastor of Redeemer Presbyterian Church in New York, addresses the issues of race and the OT, race and the NT, the gospel and race, racism as a modern sin, racism as a corporate and individual sin, repenting of racism, history of justice, biblical justice, theories about justice, comparing biblical justice to modern theories of justice, God’s justice, the facets of justice, and working for justice. Keller, argues that Christians should not ignore the concerns raised by modern theories of justice, but only biblical justice is comprehensive enough to address the needs of the human condition. Other resources by Keller include: Generous Justice (book); “Justice” (YouTube-sermon).
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Reading While Black: African American Biblical Interpretation as an Exercise in Hope by Esau McCaulley (Book)
McCaulley, an ordained priest in the ACNA serving in the CS4O diocese and an assistant professor of New Testament studies at Wheaton College, asserts that the tension between mainline liberals and fundamentalist or evangelical interpretation of the Bible has left out the voice of the black churches which both holds to a high view of scripture and also asserts that social justice is an intrinsic part of reading scripture well. He talks both of exegesis and also of topics such as ethical policing, black identity, and God’s justice.
This book is helpful for a congregation grappling with the above issues and with those who acknowledge that racism has affected the church and what to dig deeper into those ideas. It is also written for black American Christians who may resonate with the struggles of feeling left out of the discussion as represented in this book.
Additional resources: Discussion questions are included in the back of the book and a study guide will be released in December. Other resources by McCaulley include: I Have Only One Hope for Racial Justice: A God Who Conquered Death” (Christianity Today), and A Biblical and Theological Account of Systemic Racism (Facebook Live).
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Beyond Colorblind: Redeeming Our Ethnic Journey by Sarah Shin (Book)
Shin, associate national director for InterVarsity Christian Fellowship, explores how to talk about race in America and urges Christians to move beyond political correctness toward diverse communities. In the first part of the book, “Redeeming our ethnic stories” Shin argues that race should not be ignored but rather we should embrace a complex ethnic awareness. The second part of the book, “Stewarding our ethnic identities,” offers practical suggestions for how to live with this new understanding of ethnicity, focusing on developing skills to build new communities by building trust, developing cross-cultural skills, responding to cross-cultural conflict, embracing prophetic ethnic justice and recreating culture.
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Rediscilping the White Church: From Cheap Diversity to True Solidarity by David W. Swanson (Book)
In this book Swanson argues that in order to address the segregation in the American church, white churches and ministries must begin with discipleship, not diversity. The book is divided into two parts. Part one considers how American culture disciples white Christians toward racial segregation and injustice by examining ways in which the white churches’ imaginations, desires and assumptions are shaped by racial narratives. Part two envisions discipleship practices that lead white Christians into solidarity with the diverse body of Christ. The practices discussed include those related to Sunday gatherings (table fellowship, preaching, liturgies, and children’s ministry) and those outside of Sunday gatherings (presence, feelings of superiority, and friendship). This is a great resource for pastors and church leaders who want to learn more about how white Christians are shaped by race and some practical ways to begin the process of discipling the white church in ways that are countercultural.
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The Color of Compromise: The Truth about the American Church’s Complicity in Racism by Jamar Tisby (Book)
A helpful resource for those parishes new to racial justice work. This book lays the groundwork for future efforts by providing an account of the history of racism in our nation from early Colonial days through the current era, and the church’s complicity with it. This will help dispel the idea that the church has historically stood apart from these issues while encouraging Christians today to get involved in the conversation.
Additional resources: Also available are a study guide and a video study either on DVD or streaming on Amazon Prime that breaks the book up into small chunks and presents it as a documentary video. It’s helpful to use this along with the book. Tisby’s book How to Fight Racism appeared in January 2021.
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“Race in America” Part 1 and Part 2, Holy Post by Phil Vischer (YouTube)
In part one of these videos on race in America, Vischer, Christian author and filmmaker, asks why people still angry about race and racial issues in America. He then provides a brief history of racial inequity and the enduring legacy of racism. In part two, Vischer answers four questions that he was asked most in response to the first video. He addresses family breakdown and fatherlessness, the welfare system, corporate responsibility, and what can we do. Other resources included: “Why do White Christians Vote Republican, and Black Christians Vote Democrat?” (YouTube)
Reconciliation and Racial Justice Initiative
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A Letter from Bishop Ken
The deaths of Rayshard Brooks, George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery and others in recent weeks, along with the protests that their deaths have generated, remind us yet again that the sin of racism is still pervasive in our society. These deaths highlight what countless studies demonstrate: the disparities which exist between people of color and whites in our country are not a result of chance. These disparities, especially the disparities in justice, are an effect of sin.
Throughout her history, the church’s response to sin, both individual and cultural, is always the proclamation of the Gospel in word and deed. God is reconciling humanity to himself through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. He is making all things new. And we are agents of God’s reconciliation and regeneration, through the power of the Holy Spirit, in our churches, neighborhoods, and cities. We must not remain silent on these matters, but many of us may not know how to best engage the issue of racial reconciliation—or even where to start.
To this end, I have established a Racial Reconciliation Initiative to help inform and guide our ongoing conversations and action around race and reconciliation. The initiative’s vision is to provide guidance and resources for congregations to address issues related to racism; tools for equipping you, our clergy, and our ordinands for ministry; and a focused, sustained effort to promote diversity in our diocese. While addressing the social aspects of racism, our framework will always be guided by the Gospel and God’s redemptive work in our world.
The sin of racism will not disappear when it fades from the news cycle. It requires sustained, thoughtful responses from us and from our communities. I’ve asked Chris Stroup and Donald Nwankwo to lead this initiative.
The Rev. Dr. Chris Stroup
Chris serves as the pastor of adult discipleship at Holy Trinity Anglican Church and the director of operations at the Joy to the World Foundation in Colorado Springs. He was ordained as a priest in December 2020. Prior to moving to Colorado, Chris was assistant research professor of New Testament at the Boston College School of Theology and Ministry and assistant editor of New Testament Abstracts. His academic work focuses on race and ethnicity in the early church.
Chris and his wife, Amy, spent eight years managing the International Fellowship House, a residential community for international students studying in Boston. There, they and their three children, had the life-changing experience of living with hundreds of students from dozens of countries.
The Rev. Donald Nwankwo
Donald serves as rector at The Light of Christ Anglican Church (TLC). Prior to his call to TLC, Donald had served in active ministry for much of his life within church and parachurch contexts in Nigeria and the United States. Following his ordination to the Anglican priesthood in 2015, and before joining TLC as pastor, he served in a bi-vocational capacity while continuing to work as a Sr. Logistics Data Analyst. He has an MDiv from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, Deerfield, Illinois.
Born and raised in eastern Nigeria, Donald insists it is about as African as it gets. Becky, his wife, is American born from Central Illinois. This “collusion of the cultures” resulted in three beloved, young children.