Click below to watch both general sessions from our April 13, 2024 conference:
0:00:00 – Introduction to Racism in The Church
0:08:30 – The Cross-Cultural Exchange Program
0:15:35 – Paula Dean Reveals Our Culture’s Racism
0:21:05 – The Clark Doll Experience
0:34:34 – The Myth of the Objective and Neutral Referee
0:41:30 – The Harrisburg Invasion
0:49:10 – How Our Lives are Engineered and Shaped by Race
0:54:20 – Conclusion: The Conversion of D. Bonhoeffer
1:04:04 – Introduction
1:10:10 – Spark Notes on Christendom & Colonialism
1:26:45 – Liberating Barrabus (and the Non-Violent Revolution of Jesus)
1:37:00 – The Domestication of the Discipleship of Jesus
1:44:00 – Ecclesial Witness for Justice
1:48:30 – The Effectiveness of Non-Violent Resistance and Practical Next Steps
"Pursuing God's dream where everyone belongs, everyone matters, and everyone can thrive."
Rev. Dr. Drew G. I. Hart is an associate professor of theology at Messiah University and has 10 years of pastoral experience before teaching. He currently directs Messiah University’s “Thriving Together: Congregations for Racial Justice” program and co-hosts Inverse Podcast with Jarrod McKenna, an award-winning peace activist from Australia. Hart is the author of Trouble I’ve Seen: Changing the Way the Church Views Racism (2016) and Who Will Be A Witness?: Igniting Activism for God’s Justice, Love, and Deliverance (2020). He is also a co-editor and contributor to the recently published book Reparations and the Theological Disciplines: Prophetic Voices for Remembrance, Reckoning, and Repair (Nov. 2023). Hart received bcmPEACE’s 2017 Peacemaker Award, the 2019 W.E.B. Du Bois Award in Harrisburg, PA, and most recently in December 2023 Life Esteem Ministries recognized him in Harrisburg with the Harambee Award for the Nguzo Saba Principle of Umoja—Unity for his faith-based activism and public scholarship in the community. Hart regularly speaks at colleges, conferences, churches, and community groups across the country. Drew and his family live in Harrisburg, PA.
The Church has for too long avoided these conversations about race. What does it look like to Biblically bring this to our congregations? What do we tell the world if we don’t? This will be a breakout with an emphasis on dialogue and practical suggestions. Collectively, Pastor Ealey and Pastor Solis have led mixed or transitioning congregations with a commitment to Christ-centered racial justice for 40 years.
“Pursuing holiness without doing justice is like trying to play baseball without a bat.” This workshop will explore the primary meaning of both justice and holiness in the Bible and the relationship between them. We will briefly survey representative biblical passages across the canon to show: (1) that the essence of God’s character is holiness and that God’s commitment to restorative justice is part and parcel of what it means to be God; and (2) that God calls God’s people to reflect his holy character and individuals and communities can only do that by practicing restorative justice.
The intent of this workshop is to shed light on the historical inequities of the housing markets in America. From the abolishment of slavery to WWII, the GI Bill, and the Housing Market Crash. Also to examine the wealth gap created by the inequities and the inherent trauma produced by ghettos with limited resources.
God has given us a picture of what the Body of Christ is supposed to become in Revelation 7. This will not happen by accident, but through faithful members of God’s family working intentionally to build relationships with “all the tribes, tongues, and nations of the world.” What might it look like to start this in your own church? What might it look like to partner with a church of a culture different from your own? Together we will explore some practical and theological approaches to creating multicultural ministry that can be a greater blessing to our whole community.
For People of Color working towards unity through racial justice in the Church it can be a long hard journey. Along this journey POC need support, encouragement and a safe place to share experiences with others on the same path. This breakout session will be that safe space. It is for POC and facilitated by POC to talk about healing from racial trauma and how to identify internalized racism and to pray for one another.
We will explore the history of racism in Church history by watching clips from a documentary, White Savior, Racism In The American Church. Then we will have a conversational discussion on the current condition of the American Church largely separated from each other in Black and White and other ethnic churches. We will discuss the complexity of reconciliation and ways to obey Lord Jesus’ command to be united and love one another.
Hearing the word “reparations” can generate a variety of responses in people. But what are the facts that should inform our understanding of this little explored subject? How important are reparations to justice? And are there options for the fulfillment of this controversial topic? This breakout will be a conversation with practical suggestions to help encourage further study into this important theme.
