Reflections & Research:
Pastors of color
September 15, 2020
Baptism as sacramentally, essentially anti-racist
Unsplash / Jason Leung The promises made through baptism must reflect Christians’ commitment to justice and peace for all people, writes the director of the Thriving Congregations Coordination Program at Duke Divinity. When my son was in first grade, he joined the chorus at his public magnet school for performing and visual arts. He was […]
read moreabout Baptism as sacramentally, essentially anti-racistSeptember 9, 2020
Brutalizing Black bodies is an assault against God
“Don’t kill my son” reads the face mask of a woman who holds her child during a demonstration. Unsplash / Photo by Nechirwan Kavian The torture inflicted on Black people dates back to enslavement and continues to this day as a denial of their humanity, writes the dean of Duke Chapel. Sometimes, being shot in […]
read moreabout Brutalizing Black bodies is an assault against GodAugust 25, 2020
How can congregations help Black clergywomen flourish?
The Rev. Alexis Carter Thomas preaching. Photo courtesy of the author Intentional self-care, a church’s ethos of care and congregational openness to new approaches are notable factors that contribute to the thriving of Black clergywomen, a researcher has found. Not too long after I joined the pastoral staff of a church, another team member gave […]
read moreabout How can congregations help Black clergywomen flourish?July 21, 2020
Taking a lesson from the seed — find joy
iStock / Igor Alecsander A New York City pastor writes about the tradition of resilience in Black churches and how she finds joy in troubled times. Growing up in the Black church, we used to say, “This joy I have; the world didn’t give it, and the world can’t take it away.” Joy is unspoken […]
read moreabout Taking a lesson from the seed — find joy