Gospel Integration on Race
Many of us feel exhausted, fearful of saying the wrong thing, or uncertain how to pursue genuine Christian unity across color lines. This series is designed to lean into the hardest parts of our modern reality, bringing the healing lens of the Gospel to the most complex and sensitive issues of our time. In this seminar, we focused on a topic where conversations often break down into polarization, defensiveness, and painful silence: talking about race.
Our guest speaker was author, pastor, and founder of United We Pray, a Birmingham-wide prayer movement, Isaac Adams. I do want to highlight Isaac's highly acclaimed book: Talking About Race: Gospel Hope for Hard Conversations (published by Zondervan). Rather than treating racial dialogue as an ideological battleground to be won, Isaac uses a brilliant narrative framework—a fictional local church tragedy—to lower our defenses and allow us to see through multiple cultural lenses. He reminds us that this book isn't the finish line; it points to the starting line when it comes to following Jesus amid race relations, inviting us to show a divided world a Kingdom landscape.
We are fresh off of the Reawakening Conference where our churches gathered together to worship and pray in different languages, and to be built up in the grace of Christ and the depth of His Word. We have a very diverse population in our diocese—and we are eager to love one another well in the name of the Lord and to love our neighbors well. We are grateful to Isaac for helping us to have the heart of Jesus in conversations about racial issues.
These seminars are always powerful in person. But in case you missed it, want to re-watch, or share it, here is the Webinar Recording: Webinar Recording of Gospel Hope in Conversations about Race
We invite guests to submit questions ahead of time. Below are a few questions submitted by members of the Anglican Diocese in New England, along with responses from the Rev. Isaac Adams.
Question: When facing racial tragedies and historical injustices, how can we acknowledge the pain, trauma, and lived experiences of African and African American communities while working toward healing, reconciliation, and meaningful change?
Rev. Isaac Adams' Response:
"I would say host a lament prayer service at your church. These can be very powerful."
Question: How can we learn from the differences and shared experiences between African cultures and African American culture to challenge systemic racism, build understanding, and create a more just and unified society?
Rev. Isaac Adams' Response:
"Have different people share a testimony about their experiences in the Sunday service. This too can be very powerful."
Reflections from Attendees
A Testimonial from Nicholas Karinge
"Pastor Isaac’s mention of the potentially damaging nature of 'colorblindness' was so affirming, as I've felt that way my whole life, yet have seldom heard another speak of, especially in the Church! 'God painted the world in color,' Rev. Adams said, and the beauty of that ought to be acknowledged and celebrated!
"As a young Black man born and raised in this country, it was a needed reminder that the love and grace of God extend to us and that we should extend that same love and grace to our neighbors, regardless of race, when conversations like this need to happen! Being also the son of immigrants, I especially appreciated the question highlighting the immigrant experience and its particular juxtaposition in the national conversations on race, as it's often one that gets jumbled and misconstrued, to say the least!
"Above all, it was a joy to hear a conversation about race and racism rooted in the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ, one that was peaceful, educational, and FILLED with hope! The reality is that such a conversation is tough, and, as a son of this diocese, I'm so glad conversations like this can be had without being muddled with things that can take us away from Christ!"
— Nicholas Karinge
United We Pray has a treasure trove of resources for churches to use to pray across racial lines. Check it out for starters: https://archive.uwepray.org/ For example, there is a whole "kit" built for churches filled with resources: https://archive.uwepray.org/kits/church-kit/.
Join us for the next one: January 27 Forgiveness in the Parables of Jesus with Eric Sorenson! These seminars are powerful in person so save the date. Watch it with your small group, watch it with a friend, watch it in your pajamas!
Church planter, podcaster, and anchor on the 1517.org network, Eric Sorenson, will follow up the Reawakening Conference by looking at forgiveness in Jesus’ parables. The parables can be confusing or troubling. They have been interpreted in all sorts of unhelpful ways. Sorenson will unpack Jesus’ mighty stories with the power of God’s two words: conviction (Law) and forgiveness (Gospel). This is an essential tool to hearing the grace of Christ in every passage.
Please send in your questions ahead of time!
Your questions will be shared anonymously. Email them to the Rev. Canon Micah Thompson micah.thompson@adne.org or the Rev. Canon Kate Norris kate@dandelionministries.org.