Starting in Jerusalem: A Word About the Black Church

Starting in Jerusalem: A Word About the Black Church

by CJ Rhodes | Special to NewBlackMan

Friday's "village forum" about what congregations can do about the war on drugs was amazing. Our presenters raised our consciousnesses and invited us to think critically and compassionately about what we can do to make maximum impact.

The discussion period prompted some interesting thoughts not only about strategies for congregational engagement, but also about the complications of movement building with diverse communities. A couple of comments emerged about the centrality of (black) churches in our conversation. Some participants felt that having a conversation about strategies and solutions that were limited to how black churches should get involved was parochial and isolating. Thus, an invitation to interracial and interfaith dialog and witness was given. As a means of public reflection, I would like to share with you a few thoughts I have about that.

First, though I'm deeply rooted in my Southern Afro-Protestant formations (namely, Baptist, United Methodist, and Pentecostal), I've long been committed to a cosmopolitan vision of the beloved community. My spiritual, intellectual and cultural journey led me through ecumenical Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Buddhism, and various Western and Eastern philosophies. I have deep roots and wide wide branches and believe that any justice journey must ultimately lead us to the liberation and flourishing of all peoples.

Second, I believe that many of the solutions and strategies needed to promote holism, shalom, justice for any group would only be enriched by diverse conversations and philosophies. Thus, any movement needs the creative tension of racial, cultural, religious, gender, etc., diversity to help us be as sustainably and creatively transformative as possible. I know my own witness to human flourishing has been deepened by my encounters with other beliefs, perspectives, and worldviews.

Third, since we live in a pluralistic society, we need persons who can speak in tongues, as it were, people who can communicate to many different audiences in many different ways.

That being said, I must also state the following:

As a black man from the South, a native son of Mississippi, I'm ever convinced that black Americans, particularly but not exclusively black Christians, have to embrace our agency and collective self-determination. This doesn't mean that non-blacks or non-Christians can't help us. I encourage allies to help us wage war against the powers. But for the sake of our collective dignity, worth, and genius, we need to see intelligent, creative, passionate, engaged people that look like us making a difference. We have to know, our children need to know, that despite the myths of black inferiority, we are black, beautiful, bold, brilliant, and blessed!

Also, the black church, a central spiritual, cultural, and political institution in our communities, must be born again and remember its first love. As a black pastor of a historic black church, and as a public theologian, I am moved to invite black churches to revival and reform, so that our spiritual genius may indeed bring faith, hope and love to our worlds. Many pastors and congregations gravely underestimate the power--both spiritual and otherwise--that we possess. We could turn our cities upside down if we understood that.

Indeed, I desire for any and all persons to partner with the African American community in any endeavor. I also want more of "us" to understand the global contexts in which we live and strive. But we can't neglect the blessed gifts that we can offer ourselves and others. We must see ourselves the way the Creator does and stand tall enough to reach the crowns of glory and honor that hover over our heads. 

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CJ Rhodes is Senior Pastor at The Historic Mt Helm Baptist Church. He Studied MDiv at Duke University