A Call to Action
Theological and Historical Overview
Luke 4:14-22 NIV – Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit, and news about him spread through the whole countryside. He was teaching in their synagogues, and everyone praised him. He went to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, and on the Sabbath day, he went into the synagogue, as was his custom. He stood up to read, and the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was handed to him. Unrolling it, he found the place where it is written: “The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” Then he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant and sat down. The eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fastened on him. He began by saying to them, “Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.” All spoke well of him and were amazed at the gracious words that came from his lips. “Isn’t this Joseph’s son?” they asked.
Galatians 3:26-29 NIV – So in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith, for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.
The Black Church has a distinct history and presence within United Methodism that is struggling for expression within the connectional Church and out in the community where God calls us to minister. A Comprehensive Plan for Strengthening the Black Church finds its theological expression in God’s claim upon all of our lives through Jesus Christ, allowing God to use us as instruments of God’s grace, that the Kingdom of God would be recognized through acts of justice, mercy, compassion, and worship. As Jesus rolled the scroll to return it to the attendant, he declared Isaiah’s prophecy fulfilled. Fulfilled in him – yet not fully present in the world. Paul, following Jesus, declared a new reality: those of us who wear Christ lose our identity of status, race, and even gender: we share in the inheritance of Abraham!
We are adopted into the Covenant and we wear Christ – yet not fully – for we are souls in progress – in connection. God has entrusted us with a distinct expression of the Kingdom of God through United Methodism.
The Black Church, within our Connectional Church, holds a particular 009cannot be lived without the fullness of our commitment to service, to mutuality, and to God’s vision for our unity in Christ. Strengthening the Black Church within the NC Annual Conference bears witness to the efforts of Methodism to rectify the history of racism that inspired the creation of separate African Methodist Episcopal Churches and the Central Jurisdiction of the Methodist Episcopal Church.
As we move forward, we can seek fresh vision and opportunity. We recognize George Barna’s observation in High Impact African-American Churches, “The mark of a great church is not its seating capacity but its sending capacity.” Our theological task is to make disciples of Jesus Christ, regardless of our (and others) color. However, with the decline of resources for our African American congregations comes the decline of physical and spiritual health which in turn encourages a decline in influence in the communities served. Our local congregations are struggling to find their place in a largely white system that promotes their gifted clergy beyond their reach, allows other gifted clergy to seek appointments outside North Carolina, and fills the calendars of their local pastors and effective laity to diversify conference commissions and boards. If our capacity for seating is limited, our capacity for sending is eroded by the climate around minority ministry in our Conference. Until we recognize that our distinct African American heritage and history is worth saving, we will continue to see a decline in our churches and African American presence. Even more than the “numbers” we Methodists love so well; we will continue to pass up the opportunity to create an authentic witness to inter-racial healing that would point to the real presence of the kingdom of God among us. The sin of racism is subtle and captivating. In light of our understanding of Luke 4 and Galatians 3, we are called by God to seek ways of enabling what has been made real through Jesus Christ become real through our United Methodist Church. We are one of the few denominations which have the opportunity of facilitating the healing of our history of slavery, racism, and oppression while also witnessing the living hope through Jesus Christ.
Concerns and Call to Action
The Bishop has invited the Black Pastors to revisit the Comprehensive Plan with the following questions.
- What has remained the same? What should be updated?
a. Lack of trust, communication, and interaction among Black clergy.
b. Lack of enthusiasm among young Black children and youth to carry on the legacy of the Black Church.
c. Accountability of Black Clergy to participate and take advantage of available financial resources and training. - What support do you need from Annual Conference or other ethnic committees?
a. Financial resources.
b. Grant writing training.
c. Church planting [guided by Black clergy] - What are 2 or 3 items you would like to see happen before the Annual Conference 2023?
a. Begin discussions regarding bridging the gap in salary disparity.
b. Recruit persons of color to attend Divinity School and encourage laity to consider ministry as a Local pastor or Certified Lay Minister.
c. Develop relationships with clergy students in the Divinity Schools.
Action Plan:
Response to Questions 1
- Develop Covenant Groups among the clergy
- SBC will implement this and ask that the Cabinet take the lead in encouraging the clergy to participate
- Encourage clergy to attend programs for personal development [The Center for Leadership Excellence & The Davidson Clergy Center]
- SBC will ensure that the Office of Clergy Life monitors participation and accountability to meet CEU requirements
- Develop programs for young black children and youth (Utilizing CPI funds)
- SBC will ensure that Conference Staff, Youth Director, and Cabinet Liaison will provide programs for young black children and youth
Response to Questions 2
- Develop programs to provide training for grant writing and other opportunities for funding or support of local churches and pastor.
- SBC will ensure that The NC Conference will provide training bi- annually – with a skilled person that understands the dynamics of the Black Church
Response to Question 3
- Create discussions and opportunities on how we might move toward bridging the gap of the black pastor’s salaries.
- SBC will convene conversations between The Treasurer’s Office, CFA, the Office of Clergy Life and the Bishop of the NC Conference as to how to bridge the gap of Black Pastors salariesImplement plans to develop covenant groups among clergy.
- SBC along with the Office of Clergy Life will introduce and implement plans for Covenant Groups.
- SBC will ask the Cabinet, and encourage Clergy Life, New Faith Communities, Connectional Ministries, Pastors and Local Churches to recruit persons of color
- Develop relationships with clergy students at Divinity school.
- SBC, Clergy Life, and Race Equity and Justice Ministries are developing relationships with Divinity Schools
- SBC will convene conversations between The Treasurer’s Office, CFA, the Office of Clergy Life and the Bishop of the NC Conference as to how to bridge the gap of Black Pastors salariesImplement plans to develop covenant groups among clergy.
Summary
The Strengthen Black Church Team, Clergy and Laity who revisited this document believe that the needs of the Black Church are consistent with the needs of churches in general. However, our unique history, culture, and tradition bring forth economic challenges not shared by others. Leadership, education and growth are continual challenges to our moving forward in service to God’s Kingdom both within The United Methodist Church and the local communities in which we are called to serve.
We believe that within the framework of this document, we have identified agencies and individuals that can execute this Plan.
Contributors:
| Brenda Brown [Chief Editor] | Strengthening the Black Church Team |
| Doris Bluitt | Strengthening the Black Church Team |
| Johannes Nyanda Gumbo | Strengthening the Black Church Team |
| Kennedy Gray [Team Chair] | Strengthening the Black Church Team |
| Michael Griffin | Strengthening the Black Church Team |
| Rhonda Grant Jordan | Strengthening the Black Church Team |
| Larry Robinson | United Methodist Church Clergy |
| Shirley jones | United Methodist Church Laity |
| Ernesto Barriguete | Director, of Race Equity and Justice Ministries |
| Linda Harris | Staff, Assistant, Race Equity and Justice Ministries |