“I believe that if we are servants of the gospel of Jesus Christ, we have no choice.” This is Chris Hobgood’s concluding sentence in his recently published book Born Apart, Becoming One: Disciples Defeating Racism. His book is a strong affirmation that the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) will dismantle our institutional racism by 2030 and become a truly anti-racism pro-reconciliation denomination.
Chris is steeped in the life and mission of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). He is the right person writing at the right time. He is one of the core anti-racist pro-reconciliation trainers of our family of Disciple churches. He has served as General Minister and President of the Church, as a consultant with the Alban Institute, and is currently pastor of the Bethany Christian Church in
Chris writes with authority when he asserts that dismantling racism fits authentically into the core values of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). Historically we have affirmed five core values that define the very covenantal character of who we are as Disciples:
- We believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God, and we accept him as our Lord and Savior. (Mt. 16:16)
- We believe the Lord’s Supper to be an open and inclusive call to radical hospitality. (I Cor. 11:28)
- We affirm the ministry of the priesthood of all believers: i.e., by our baptism we are all ministers.
- The love of unity, wherein we are called to lead in the healing of a broken church and a broken world, has always been a passion for those of us called Disciples of Christ. (John 17:21) Chris calls this value (a search for unity) the polar star of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ).
- A passionate commitment to creating a just and humane world is the kind of ethics that grows out of our love for God and God’s love for us and the whole world.
These qualities, these values, are the defining marks of who we are as a particular family of God. To these five historical values Chris adds a sixth. One that is consistent with these five but lifts up a current challenge God places before the church today:
- The intent to dismantle racism in the Christian Church (Disciple of Christ).
Born Apart, Becoming One: Disciples Defeating Racism is a document of challenge. It is not naïve about our past for it calls us to confession and repentance for our individual and institutional participation in the sin of racism. The book draws our attention to our history of going along with the dominant culture: whether it’s the treatment of native Americans as we as a frontier church moved westward, or our support of slavery, or our participation in lynching during the reconstruction period, or our continuing arrogance of believing that we (as whites) are inherently superior.
This sixth value of dismantling racism is inherent in our affirmation of the Lordship of Jesus the Christ, the radical hospitality of the Lord’s Table, the priesthood of all believers, our passion for unity and the radical commitment to justice.
The power of racism, he concludes, hurts people of color, bestows evil and arrogant domination to white folks, and, in the process, destroys all of us. So, in Chris’ own words: “I believe that if we are servants of the gospel of Jesus Christ, we have no choice” but to dismantle racism.
The Anti-Racism/Pro-Reconciliation Team of the Illinois and Wisconsin Region recommends to individuals and churches William Chris Hobgood’s Born Apart, Becoming One: Disciples Defeating Racism. There are practical suggestions for study and action in the last chapter for congregational use.
Chris will be at the General Assembly and there will be opportunities to visit with him about the book and about the denominations work on “Dismantling Racism.” Born Apart, Becoming One: Disciples Defeating Racism will be available at the General Assembly and can be ordered from Chalice Press.
Be aware that the Region’s Anti-Racism/Pro-Reconciliation Team eagerly seeks opportunities to dialogue with you around the themes of this book as we all seek ways for “defeating racism.” Talk about race with us.
Comment to: thersthatmatter.blogspot.com
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TEAM MEMBERS
Dwight Bailey, Chair
Karon Alexander, Brittany Barber, Darron Bowden
Gloria Carey-Branch, Minta Colburn, Ann Marie Coleman
Don Coleman, Ellen Culpepper, Carol Josefowski
Jennifer Kottler, Wookbin Moh, Leila Ward
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