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From the UK Church's complicity in the transatlantic slave trade to the whitewashing of Christianity throughout history, the Church has a lot to answer for when it comes to race relations.
Christianity has been dubbed the white man's religion, yet the Bible speaks of an impartial God and shows us a diverse body of believers.
It's time for the Church to start talking about race.
Ben Lindsay offers eye-opening insights into the black religious experience, challenging the status quo in white majority churches. Filled with examples from real-life stories, including his own, and insightful questions, this book offers a comprehensive analysis of race relations in the Church in the UK and shows us how we can work together to create a truly inclusive church community.
Contents
Acknowledgements
Introduction
1 Is it because I'm black?
2 Family feud
3 Why black man dey suffer
4 You don't see us
Interlude: Don't touch my hair
5 Love like this
6 Kick in the door
Interlude: Black (wo)man in a white world
(Interview with the Revd Dr Kate Coleman)
7 Jesus walks
8 Let's push things forward
Bibliography
Song credits
Notes
Looking at the biblical importance of taking diversity seriously in the church, not ignoring prejudice in our congregations.
Chapter 2. Black people in a white world
This chapter will explore the 'whitewashing' and ignoring of black history and theology and how this is a barrier for people of colour to enter white majority churches. How, what and whom we quote in sermons can exclude and ignore black people. I will aim to bring to light black theologians and black figures in church history and challenge who we quote from (or not) on a Sunday.
3. Fight The Power
The church fails to engage with issues that matter to some black people, such as social justice, poverty, crime, youth violence, gentrification. How the lack of empathy to black issues are reasons for disengagement and a feeling of isolation for black people.
4. Kick in the door
I will analyse the lack of pathways to leadership, the class ceilings and locked doors in white majority churches for black people to become leaders. I will look at the concept and reality of 'structural racism' and 'white privilege' in society and how that plays out in a church setting. The importance and necessity of being deliberate in leadership choices without being tokenistic. How the stereotypes of the angry black person transfers to the church.
5. Don't Touch My Hair
This chapter will probably be the hardest chapter for me as I'm looking to write about the experience of the black woman in majority white church culture and how we can help black women to flourish. My experience is that black women are often seen as second class. This chapter will consist of lots of interviews.
6. Style Wars
Can the way we present worship, connect groups, prayer meetings; have socials actually prove more of a barrier to people of colour than providing a way into church? How do we work towards there being multiple experiences/expressions of church rather than a dominant way? Understanding the history and importance of music and worship from a black context from neo-spiritual slavery songs to contemporary gospel. How do we engage musically to the culture around us especially in urban/inner city areas where music plays such a massive part of the social conscious? What are we teaching our worship leaders? Again I would like to interview various worship leaders and gospel artists such as Noel Robinson, Jake Issac, Simon Brading and Guvna B
7. My people...Hold on/Letter To the Free
This chapter is specifically speaking to black people, challenging black people to do better. To have no fear.
8. Stakes are High
I want to challenge the church, are we taking Revelation 5 seriously. Do we really believe that God sent his son to die for every tribe and language and people and nation? If we do, are we being deliberate in making this a reality in our churches. How does this play out in our friendships, leadership teams, interactions, sermons, connect groups? I also want to be quite explicit in some solution based thinking on how we could improve in this area.