• About
  • Archives
  • Subscribe
  • Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Facts & Trends

By providing practical information and relevant resources, Facts and Trends Online helps evangelical leaders navigate the issues and trends impacting the church in today’s world.

  • Articles
  • COVID-19 Resources
  • Pastors
  • Research
  • Videos
    • About / Contact
    • Advertise
    • Archives
  • App

3 Steps to Help Your Church Foster Racial Reconciliation 

Aaron Earls - March 28, 2019 Leave a Comment

hands together unity racial reconciliation

rawpixel photo | Pexels

By Maina Mwaura 

Two years ago, Nashville, Tennessee, area pastors Mike Glenn and Joseph Walker began an unlikely friendship.

“Bishop Walker is the guru on social media issues,” says Glenn. “So I decided to call him up to ask questions and get his advice on the matter, and from there we became friends.”

Glenn is the pastor Brentwood Baptist Church, a majority white congregation, and Walker leads Mt. Zion Baptist Church, a majority African-American congregation.

They recently brought their congregations together for a panel discussion on racial unity—something they both say is tough, but achievable. During the panel, Glenn and Walker outlined these three steps to get there.

1. Develop relationships.

“The first step pastors should take in starting relationships with other pastors from a different race is to first go to lunch to get to know one another,” Glenn recommends. “From the moment we sat down for lunch, we discussed everything from church life, sports, to politics.”

Although the relationship started off with Glenn wanting to know more about social media tips, it grew to something much deeper—and their wives began to talk regularly with one another.

Eventually their friendship turned into a gospel partnership—not only among them as individuals, but by bringing their churches together for events like the panel discussion where they explored the issue of racial unity together.

“To whom much is given, much is required,” says Walker. “The church is the central most important piece to healing and solving racism.”

2. Serve.

Glenn and Walker recall the first time their congregations came together. It wasn’t a worship service (although they’ve done that on occasion). It was a project serving the people of the Nashville area.

Glenn and Walker believe it’s necessary for the two churches to serve together because of what they’ve experienced and observed in terms of racial issues in their area.

“When Baltimore had their racial issues, the politicians got involved,” says Glenn. “When Charleston had their issue, the churches got involved, and you saw a revival happen.”

Glenn and Walker believe if anything to the magnitude of what happened in Baltimore or Charleston were to happen in Nashville, their churches would be on the front lines of reconciliation—together—because they’ve served alongside each other and have forged a bond.

Glenn and Walker say they believe the body of Christ here on earth needs to demonstrate the reality of heaven—a group of people of all colors and cultures worshiping and serving together.

3. Pray.

Glenn and Walker say the most important step any church can take to tackle the issue of racial unity effectively is prayer.

“There are some people who want to learn the experiences of other races,” says Walker. And the way to understanding, he adds, is praying for that clarity and wisdom.

Citing that, “Everything is from God, who has reconciled us to himself through Christ and has given us the ministry of reconciliation” (2 Corinthians 5:18), both pastors agreed that the prayers of the church should be undergirded in Scripture—the guide for praying for unity in the Church.

MAINA MWAURA is a freelance journalist and minister who lives in the Atlanta area with his wife, Tiffiney, and daughter Zyan.

Dig Deeper at LifeWay.com

The Gospel & Racial Reconciliation

Russell Moore & Andrew T. Walker

FIND OUT MORE

Related

Filed Under: Culture

Previous Post: « 5 Visible Ways to Show Your Church Is Working to Keep Kids Safe
Next Post: How One Pastor Shifted from Church Planting to Revitalization »

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Primary Sidebar

Latest Research

LifeWay Research video

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F4ueWJegE3A

FACTS & TRENDS NEWSLETTER

Never miss anything from Facts & Trends and get exclusive content delivered to your inbox.

@FactsAndTrends

My Tweets

Latest Articles

9 Tangible Benefits of Bible Reading for Your Church

10 Goals for Your Small Groups in 2021

The Crippling Disease of Ministry Comparison

Categories

Footer

Facts & Trends is designed to help leaders navigate issues impacting the church.

Follow Us

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • RSS
  • Twitter

Copyright © 2021   ·   Advertise   |   Contact   |   LIFEWAY CHRISTIAN RESOURCES   ·   ALL RIGHTS RESERVED