Working Toward Racial Reconciliation, Part 3: Words of Encouragement for Pastors of Color

H ere are some words of encouragement to our pastors of color. By me being a pastor of color, and being around pastors of color, I would encourage them as it relates to this racial reconciliation piece: Don’t get frustrated. Keep initiating and doing what you’re doing.

Related: A conversation on calling, leadership, the Black church, and soul care

This material was originally recorded as part of the Renovations Project. It has been lightly edited and condensed for clarity.

Don’t be frustrated with the process

I was at a pastors’ retreat just recently. And I found that I was the only person of color there, or maybe one of two. I just got frustrated, and I’ve never gotten frustrated like this before. I was like, “God, why I am here? Why do you keep putting me in these positions? I am here, and I have to work so hard to get attention, or to fit in, or to simulate. I’m just tired of that, God.” I think it was our lunchtime, and I left. I was like, “I’m finished, I’m frustrated.” And this is the way that I was talking to God.

As I was walking to my room, there were four white pastors who were together. We walked past one another, and they asked if I wanted to go to lunch with them. I kept saying no, but they kept asking. I decided to go with them to lunch. I went—some things broke—and I had a great time. We were laughing together, enjoying one another, then we went to the lake and the sand dunes, and all of that. I learned a lesson there: you have to keep going, James, and not get frustrated with the process. That’s one thing that I would tell pastors of color and leaders of color: don’t get frustrated with the process.

Demonstrate compassion

Secondly, I really believe prophetically that the times that we are in, God is giving a voice to those who have been oppressed. You’re seeing it in the sports arena, and you’re seeing it in government. God’s raising up people who have been oppressed in the past. Now, when we’re raised up, and our voices are heard, I believe that God is raising us up to demonstrate and to show compassion. To show compassion towards those who might be a part of a system, or might even be a person who oppresses, to show compassion because the goodness of God leads man to repentance. 

Related: “As we also have forgiven our debtors”: a justice and racial reconciliation devotion

Where do I get this from? The story of Joseph, who was mistreated by his brothers, harshly mistreated. God raised Joseph up. In Egypt, he raised him up. Those who had oppressed Joseph and mistreated him were brought before Joseph, and they thought that Joseph was going to demonstrate revenge against them, but Joseph said, “Who am I? I’m not God to judge the situation.” As Joseph’s brothers were being brought towards him, Joseph cried. He loved up on his brothers. 

God is raising up those who are of color, and those who have experienced oppression, to demonstrate this compassion, to demonstrate the love of God towards individuals who probably have hurt us. Jesus demonstrated this so well. Jesus was persecuted, Jesus was afflicted, Jesus was oppressed, and Jesus was hung on a cross. He gets on the cross and says, “Father, forgive them; they don’t know what they’re doing.” Powerful. 

So, leaders of color, again, I just think we need to continue to see the times, don’t get frustrated, and use the platform and the voice that God has given us to continue to promote and demonstrate reconciliation and unity.

Related: A call to justice and mercy

Equip, engage, enhance, and encourage

We’re making a shift in how we raise up disciples and equip people. We recognize at Trenches Community Church that individuals have gotten used to the assembly and gathering and coming together, which is beautiful. I love people coming and assembling. But you have to have the balance between the coming and the going—sending people out, being missional.

God has given us this discipleship model called E4, where we’re intentionally equipping people when we teach, when we do things. We’re letting them know that we’re equipping them to do something, not just to receive information from us. When you leave here, you are to demonstrate the information that you just received. So our first E is equipping the saints, and we’re always looking to do that.

We’re encouraging the saints to lean into that second E, which is engaging your community. Who are your community? Your family members, your coworkers, your neighbors. Engage them with what you have been equipped to do. When that happens, the engaging, we should be able to experience the enhancing of the kingdom of God. Everywhere we go, we should see the kingdom of God increase. For example, if there’s darkness somewhere, then we are carriers of the light. That darkness has to be removed because we are light carriers. If there’s deception somewhere, we should bring the truth and remove the deception. Enhancing the kingdom of God, increasing the rule of God wherever you are, on the platform that God has given you. That’s the third E.

We believe that if you’re equipped, if you engage your community, if the kingdom of God is enhanced, then when we gather together on Sundays, that gathering should be a time of encouragement. That’s the fourth E. We’re encouraging one another concerning what God has done in, for, and through us throughout the week. So the encouragement is coming as the body of Christ assembled, because the Bible tells us to stir up love and good works. That doesn’t come from up front; that comes from the many members of the body that have assembled together to stir up love and good works and to encourage one another.

So currently, that’s our discipleship model, and we’re just so looking forward to what God is going to do in the near future, through that model.