By Joshua Scott In 1967 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. wrote the book, Where Do We Go from Here: Chaos or Community? King describes the state of America’s race relations and proposes a unified way forward. I recently reread this book, and King’s work rings ever true. We find ourselves in a world that increasingly … Continue reading
Category Archives: racial justice
Choosing Community & Delivering us from Chaos: Reflecting on the Words of Dr. King
By Paul Baxley Normally on the Martin Luther King Holiday, we find ourselves listening to Dr. King’s inspirational address given during the 1963 March on Washington, in which he challenged all who heard him with his powerful dream that “my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be … Continue reading
CBF Podcast: Drew Hart, Who Will Be A Witness?
By Andy Hale While this has been one of the most challenging years on record, it has generated a lot of healthy conversation about overdue change in our communities. No more critical discussion has been amplified thus than systemic racism and disparity. And yet, that phrase alone draws a line in the sand as to … Continue reading
The Legacy of White Supremacy in American Christianity: A Conversation with Robert P. Jones
By Andy Hale “If you were recruiting for a white supremacist cause on a Sunday morning, you’d likely have more success handing out in the parking lot of an average white Christian church than approaching whites sitting out of service at the local coffee shop,” said Robert P. Jones, the CEO and Founder of the … Continue reading
Held together in community
By Michelle Carroll Wednesday started strangely. Before I even got to my church office, our Senior Pastor was calling to tell me that we’d just learned the Attorney General’s announcement of the Breonna Taylor investigation results had been moved from Louisville to the Kentucky Historical Society, which is about two blocks from the church. “Oh, … Continue reading
Emmanuel McCall Racial Equity Fund tops initial fundraising goal
Because of you, the Emmanuel McCall Racial Equity Fund tops the initial fundraising goal before August 20 deadline! Since the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship and the CBF Foundation launched a fund on Juneteenth to support the current and long-term racial justice and inclusion work of the Fellowship, you have given or committed more than $126,000 in support of … Continue reading
The log in my own eye
By Laura Stephens-Reed I vividly remember (20 years ago now!) walking from the parking deck to my seminary classroom building when I saw an undergrad, talking on her phone, stride boldly into a crosswalk. An oncoming car screeched to a stop to avoid hitting her. The student never turned her head. I began to notice … Continue reading
Black Lives Matter in Rural Churches Too
By Chris Hughes Elkin, North Carolina, is a town not known for its civil rights activism. The tiny textile town tucked into the Piedmont foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains is more famous for the many vineyards that dot the gentle slopes between Winston-Salem and Boone. With a population of around 4,000 people, it is … Continue reading
Lewis and Vivian: Giving thanks and following their lead
By Paul Baxley In a single day, we saw the death of two giants. Today, all of us who follow Jesus should offer prayers of gratitude for the Rev. C.T. Vivian and Congressman John Lewis and their extraordinary lives of faith. We should certainly surround their families in prayer and rejoice in the promise of … Continue reading
The White Church and Complicity in Racism: A Conversation with Malcolm Foley
By Andy Hale I’m not sure if the magnitude of this moment in America’s history has registered for many people. For many, they just don’t get it. Far too many white Americans do not believe there is a racism issue in America. The evidence of this comes in subtle ways, such as the response to … Continue reading