The kingdom of God is a diverse, multiethnic, multicultural thing of beauty. All people have been fearfully and wonderfully made in the image of our triune God. At the end of the age, Christ followers from every tongue, tribe, and nation will worship before the throne. Every ethnic group is beautiful and valuable, representing different facets of his glorious nature.
Our desire as a local church is to reflect the beauty and diversity of God’s global Church.
As a majority white congregation, we see the injustice in our country and respond in the spirit of the Old Testament prophets and of Jesus and of the early church: We lament the brokenness of the world, we are one with those who are being mistreated and marginalized, and we commit to leading the way in ethnic conciliation.
(We try to avoid using the phrase “racial reconciliation.” “Ethnic” is a better descriptor than “racial” for God-designed social groups. And “conciliation” is more accurate than “reconciliation,” which suggests that there was once ethnic unity in our country; instead we are praying and working for an equality and justice that has never existed in our country.)
We long to see increased ethnic diversity in our congregation and we want to serve all of our members and regular attendees by helping each other think biblically and sensitively about the very real and unjust challenges facing our African-American brothers and sisters.
As a result, Pastors Jeremy and Casey put together this page for those who have asked for more resources (and for those who haven’t asked but need them anyway). This is not a perfect or comprehensive list, we will add to or edit it occasionally, and we may not agree with every word on every page or in every podcast episode. But these resources—in addition to conversations, friendships, and experiences—have been profoundly important for us.
We also include a link to local African-American owned businesses and encourage members to support these places. If there are resources you want to see added to this page, please email us with links to your favorite books, articles, podcasts, organizations, businesses, and so on.
Books on Ethnic Conciliation and the Church
One Blood: Parting Words to the Church on Race and Love by John M Perkins
Dream with Me: Race, Love, and the Struggle We Must Win by John M Perkins
Roadmap to Reconciliation: Moving Communities into Unity, Wholeness, and Justice by Brenda Salter McNeil
The Color of Compromise: The Truth about the American Church’s Complicity in Racism by Jemar Tisby
Be the Bridge: Pursuing God’s Heart for Racial Reconciliation by Latasha Morrison
The HD Leader: Building Multiethnic Churches in a Multiethnic World by Derwin Grey
How Africa Shaped the Christian Mind: Rediscovering the African Seedbed of Western Christianity by Thomas Oden
Books of History and Culture
A Testament of Hope: The Essential Writings and Speeches by Martin Luther King Jr.
Why Are All the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria? by Beverly D Tatum
The Warmth of Other Suns: The Epic Story of America’s Great Migration by Isabel Wilkerson
Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates
Ethnic Conciliation Reading List
Jamaal Williams is the pastor of Sojourn Midtown in Louisville, one of our sending churches. He is a great friend and a scholar in the African-American church.
This is his list of 60+ resources, including categories of social justice, history, literature, social sciences, the church, and biblical studies.
Resources for Children and Parenting
“Teaching Your Kids about Race and Reconciliation” Trillia Newbell and Lindsay Schwartz
God’s Very Good Idea by Trillia Newbell
The Gospel in Color for Kids by Curtis Woods and Jarvis Williams
God Made Me and You by Shai Linne
Podcast: All God’s Children: Growing kids who embrace a biblical view of racial unity
Community Group Study
We own several copies of Undivided: Your Church and Racial Reconciliation, a 5-week video series with discussion questions, by Dhati Lewis and JD Greear.
If your community group is interested in using this resource, contact Jeremy and he will get these to you.
Biblical & Theological Studies by African-American Scholars
The Witness maintains a great list of biblical studies, theology, and church/ministry books by African-American scholars.
Local African-American Owned Businesses
Thank you to Hoot Design Co. for compiling this comprehensive list of 60+ African-American owned businesses in Central Missouri.
Important Organizations, Podcasts, and Websites to Follow
The Front Porch: Conversations about Biblical Faithfulness in African-American Churches and Beyond
The AND Campaign: Biblical Values & Social Justice
The Witness: A Black Christian Collective and Pass the Mic podcast
Phil Vischer on Race in America