To the Editor,
The Office of Public Witness of the Presbyterian Church (USA) has invited proposals for discussion during an upcoming webinar on white supremacy. I was delighted to learn of this webinar, because I believe white supremacy is an existential issue for predominantly white Christian congregations as they struggle to recover from decades of declining membership.
I have read the book “White Too Long” and attended presentations by its author, Robert Jones. The book reports the findings of a national survey of white Christians in both evangelical and mainline congregations regarding opinions typically held by white supremacists. Its findings suggest that predominantly white Christian churches of all stripes share responsibility for systemic racism.
The historic responsibility of white Christian churches for racism in America is well known. Prior to the Civil War, many white Southern congregations were told that God favors the white race and that Blacks were created by God to serve whites. There were few serious challenges to these teachings in most white Christian churches in the North. Today, white Christian churches no longer preach white supremacy. Many offer adult education programs, prayers, vigils, exhibits, and support for direct aid to victims of racism. “White Too Long” does not deny the value of these ministries but points out that they can enable progressive white Christians to deny systemic racism while masking the fact that white Christian churches rarely do anything that would threaten whites’ interests. As it notes with reference to white evangelicals, “The system protects white Christian interests on the one hand and white consciences on the other” (p.105).
White Christian churches must confront and actively work to eradicate white supremacy or be guilty of it.
My proposal is for the leadership of a church to authorize a delegation to meet with their elected representatives — not as concerned individuals, but in the name of the church. The delegation could (1) convey the conviction of their church that God abhors white supremacy and expects their church to do everything in its power to eradicate it; (2) invite representatives to come to their church and discuss their view of white supremacy and what they are willing to do to eradicate it; and (3) ask representatives whether they would commit to working for the defeat of a candidate of either political party that refuses to denounce white supremacy.
Grant Grissom
Media