$ Courageous Church: Confronting Whiteness in Worship and Community (Upper Room)

As stated on this webpage, The Upper Room is committed to a ministry that is increasingly global, anti-racist, and ecumenical. In these days we are called to give special and focused attention to being anti-racist. This is the work of discipleship and spiritual formation.

Many churches aim to create environments of racial and cultural inclusivity yet fail to interrogate the racial and cultural assumptions that ground their worship, music, and other liturgical practices. Courageous churches who truly desire inclusivity and diversity must confront the Whiteness and Colonialism that lies at the root of how we confess together, sing together, break bread together, preach together, and even how we interact with the spaces we designed for gathering. If we do not confront Whiteness in our worship, we are at risk of betraying our mission and disconnecting from the Biblical call to do justice, love mercy, and walk humbly with God. How do we confront Whiteness and Colonial theologies in our worship? What would it look like to reimagine our liturgical practices in ways that open up horizons of possibility, avenues for liberation, visions of communal salvation, and the building of a beloved community?

Join us for this online Academy Day Apart retreat as we seek to discover and embrace a decolonized liturgical imagination. We will be guided by Mia McClain, Associate Minister of Faith Formation and Outreach at Myers Park Baptist Church and Ben Boswell, Senior Minister at Myers Park, Academy alum, and creator of Confronting Whiteness. Don’t miss this opportunity to engage the deep soul work of anti-racism supported by the resources of community, silence, worship, and embodied spiritual practice.

All who register will be provided with pre-retreat content and prompts for reflection along with suggestions for going deeper after the retreat.

Space is limited. The registration deadline is July 22, 2022.