Racial Reconciliation Resources
Hispanic Heritage Month
Dr. Nathan Cartagena: How does Jesus point us towards diversity?
Right Words, Right Hearts, and Right Actions
The Inaugural Rodney Sisco Symposium Right Words, Right Hearts, Right Actions: Framing the Narrative and Behaviors for Diversity and Inclusion Panel Discussion Facilitator: Minister Ray Chang Panelists: Dr. Theon Hill, Dr. Brian Howell, Dr. Nathan Cartagena, Director, Crystal Cartwright.
Starting Point Books, Articles and Videos
Hermanas: Deepening Our Identity and Growing Our Influence
(Ms. Natalia Kohn Rivera, Ms. Noemi Vega Quiñones, Ms. Kristy Garza Robinson)
God calls Latinas to lives of influence. He created his Latina daughters to partner with him, live into the incredible plans he has for each of us, and walk in his grace and strength to help change this world. But many of us have heard cultural messages that make us doubt our adequacy. We have not seen many Latina women in positions of leadership, and we need more mentors and role models. Natalia Kohn, Noemi Vega Quiñones, and Kristy Garza Robinson share their own journeys as Latinas and leaders.
Color Of Compromise
(Jemar Tisby)
The Color of Compromise is both enlightening and compelling, telling a history we either ignore or just don't know. Equal parts painful and inspirational, it details how the American church has helped create and maintain racist ideas and practices. You will be guided in thinking through concrete solutions for improved race relations and a racially inclusive church.
Divided by Faith: Evangelical Religion and the Problem of Race in America
(Michael Emerson and Christian Smith)
Through a nationwide telephone survey of 2,000 people and an additional 200 face-to-face interviews, Michael O. Emerson and Christian Smith probed the grassroots of white evangelical America. They found that despite recent efforts by the movement's leaders to address the problem of racial discrimination, evangelicals themselves seem to be preserving America's racial chasm. In fact, most white evangelicals see no systematic discrimination against blacks. But the authors contend that it is not active racism that prevents evangelicals from recognizing ongoing problems in American society. Instead, it is the evangelical movement's emphasis on individualism, free will, and personal relationships that makes invisible the pervasive injustice that perpetuates racial inequality.
Find it here.
Many Colors: Cultural Intelligence for a Changing Church
(Soong-Chan Rah)
The United States is currently undergoing the most rapid demographic shift in its history. By 2050, white Americans will no longer comprise a majority of the population. Instead, they'll be the largest minority group in a country made up entirely of minorities, followed by Hispanic Americans, African Americans, and Asian Americans. Past shifts in America's demographics always reshaped the county's religious landscape. This shift will be no different. Soong-Chan Rah's book is intended to equip evangelicals for ministry and outreach in our changing nation. Borrowing from the business concept of "cultural intelligence," he explores how God's people can become more multiculturally adept.
Find it here.
Building a Healthy Multi-Ethnic Church: Mandate, Commitments, and Practices of a Diverse Congregation
(Mark DeYmaz)
Through personal stories, proven experience, and a thorough analysis of the biblical text, Building a Healthy Multi-Ethnic Church illustrates both the biblical mandate for the multi-ethnic church and the seven core commitments required to bring it about. Mark DeYmaz, pastor of one of the most proven multi-ethnic churches in the country, writes from both his experience and his extensive study of how to plant, grow, and encourage more ethnically diverse churches. He argues that the "homogenous unit principle" will soon become irrelevant and that the most effective way to spread the gospel in an increasingly diverse world is through strong and vital multi-ethnic churches.
Asian Americans
(PBS Documentary)
Asian Americans is a five-hour film series that delivers a bold, fresh perspective on a history that matters today, more than ever. As America becomes more diverse, and more divided while facing unimaginable challenges, how do we move forward together? Told through intimate personal stories, the series will cast a new lens on U.S. history and the ongoing role that Asian Americans have played.
Find it here.
Starting Point Videos: Addressing Mass Incarceration
Grace, Justice, & Mercy: An Evening with Bryan Stevenson & Rev. Tim Keller
In an age of mass incarceration and growing racial tension, how can a church committed to the flourishing of a whole city engage as ambassadors of reconciliation and restoration? Bryan Stevenson & Tim Keller will help us explore ways to sustain hope through a grace filled pursuit of justice and mercy as they draw from their own calling and work.
Addressing Asian American Lament & Reconciliation
(Pastor John Jou)
If you want to see a short summary about why we as a church address racial reconciliation, check out this short clip (from March 21, 2021). “I would gently suggest to you that the church is not going liberal when we dialogue about racial reconciliation, but that the church is being Christian…it’s just a Christian issue; it’s not a liberal issue.”
Next Steps
Read: How To Have Dialogue Around Politics & Race (John’s blog post)
Participate: A 5-week Racial Reconciliation community began on January 17, 2021 and finished on February 24, 2021. Find more info here.