Rev. Randy Jackson, Part 4: Racial Reconciliation
December 13, 2019
Intentionally – that’s the word Randy uses to describe how racial reconciliation should be handled in churches. In this episode, Randy shares a gracious and constructive perspective on how racial and cultural biases manifest in churches and how to address with them.
Although it may seem obvious that racial reconciliation deserves attention, as Randy points out, humans are more inclined to stick with what’s familiar to them – people who are similar, ideas and opinions that have been handed down – than to address problems or include someone who’s different. That’s why churches, business, and individuals have to be intentional in order to deal with racial and cultural issues. This involves confronting prejudices and consulting or hiring people outside of the dominant culture.
Listen in to this episode to learn about areas where churches can confuse white culture and Christian culture and to hear Randy talk about the responsibility of churches to reflect their surrounding communities.
Jump Through the Conversation
[1:05] People have to intentionally focus on racial reconciliation
Question about pastoral titles
People tend to group together
[5:22] Importance of a church reflecting the demographic of its community, congregationally and pastorally
[9:41] The PCA’s Reconciliation Justice standing committee
[11:26] Dealing with (white) cultural standards in churches
[13:16] What to do if your church is lacking in representation
[15:01] Inherited/subconscious views of people in authority
[17:32] The celebratory feature of African American church culture
A resource of the Chattanooga House of Prayer