Reflections & Research
Discover what we are learning about what helps pastors thrive
February 23, 2021
We need to talk about white belief
If our efforts toward racial reconciliation in the United States are rooted in white belief, they will serve only to erase difference and center whiteness, says a professor.
read moreabout We need to talk about white beliefFebruary 9, 2021
Rest can be hard work
The calls to work for justice and to make room for rest are significant and difficult to balance, writes a pastor and denominational executive from Michigan. Near the end of every December, as I consider new trajectories and intentions for the coming year, the idea of reclaiming rest is always on my list. Each […]
read moreabout Rest can be hard workFebruary 9, 2021
Dismantling racism requires knowing our history
In the second edition of her book, the author of “Dear White Christians” reiterates that listening and responding to calls for reparations precedes the possibility of reconciliation. When Jennifer Harvey wrote her book “Dear White Christians: For Those Still Longing for Racial Reconciliation,” she couldn’t have imagined the context in which it would be […]
read moreabout Dismantling racism requires knowing our historyJanuary 12, 2021
Sentiment isn’t enough to combat oppression
A pastor whose church in Washington, D.C., was vandalized by white supremacists urges his fellow Christians to avoid feel-good responses and instead act in community to disrupt systems of oppression. I am sitting at my desk opening mail. Stacks of it. A business envelope from Ohio containing five handwritten pages. High-end, heavyweight stationery from Connecticut. […]
read moreabout Sentiment isn’t enough to combat oppression