Dave Guiles, Encompass Executive Director, gave a striking sample, at conference, of the deep dive work he has done on racial relationships in the Brethren Church over the centuries. He took us from Ben Franklin to the Civil war and ended with the Civil Right era. This is a must-hear seminar. A shout-out to Dave and to his researcher, Charles Johnson, for this excellent work.
The main strengths of Dave’s work (still in progress) are that it is honest, it is ours, and it is not narrative-driven. Honest means that the good and the bad are just there. Ours means that we must own it, embrace it, repent where we must, celebrate where we can, change, talk and move on without excuses. Not narrative-driven means that we are free (and responsible) to approach it from our own and from a biblical perspective without having to submit to (or live under the cloud of) the narratives.
Irv Clark, pastor of the Clinton, MD church, spoke from John 17 on unity, reconciliation, and next steps.
After telling how he met and became friends with Grace pastor Howard Mayes, he related how Mayes impressed him (and trust grew) when Mayes decided to keep the church in Clinton rather than move it. They began to partner on projects and share the pulpit. This was well received by the leaders of both churches. In 2001, the churches merged. Their main concerns about older members and the platform time evaporating.
They soon discovered that if the elders are diverse, the church is diverse. “If everyone brings in what they have and we work it out,” Irv said, it’s better than multi-racial. The merger included an MOU agreeing to respect differences and not separate over them. They committed to forego white supremacy and black power in favor of seeing themselves as responsible for seeking God. Unity is the goal.
Irv related that the George Floyd event and social media last summer, and the impact on churches, broke his heart. Jesus tore down the wall of separation that Peter (and we often) worked to build back up again. Let’s not be carried away, as even Barnabas was, and earn a bad reputation. Irv worked with others on reconciliation rather than picking up the tools of political power or building up those old walls.
He quoted Tony Evans, who said that racism in America would not be a problem if the church had not endorsed it.” Our task is to face it. We must get it right. That means unity. Talk and face each other, forgive and restore. “Clean it out as with a wound. No band aids.”
Irv asked us to imagine a newly married couple where the husband discovers that something is not right. She’s been abused in the past; it’s not her fault nor his, but it is real. He has three options. 1. Since he did not abuse her, he may think he is not responsible for ‘paying for this’ 2. He may choose to ignore it entirely. Or 3. He could say, “I’m so sorry. I love you. If I could change it, I would. I’ll go to counseling, confront…whatever. I’m all in.” Irv recommended that we choose #3. If the church is going to impact the world as Jesus prayed (Jn 17:23), we must choose the right, if costly, path.
Now what? Dave has the proper facts and Irv has the proper experience; they both have the right hearts. It’s easy to get distracted by learning and by defining our concerns about the narratives, the wokeness, the culture, and CRT. Useful, but Irv says it is not the point. Thank you, Irv.
We need to find the pathway to reconciliation and unity and the question is, “What will get us there?” Political loyalties and social media will not get us there. CRT will not get us there. Together we can find a better way to reconciliation and unity, and it will help if we start by making those our goals.
Yes, repentance and forgiveness will be needed. Yes, we will have to face the facts that embarrass the Grace churches and other churches and that embarrass both the left and the right.
A gospel focus, a biblical focus, a focus on Jesus and his work will be in time. We must grow and make the effort to talk face to face as brothers and sisters and to find our own pathway forward to unity.