DEAR BLACK CHURCH: DON'T FORGET WHERE YOU CAME FROM

    

Dear Black Church,                                                       

December, 21, 2024

 (Highsmith, C. M., photographer. (2010) Statue of Booker T. Washington "Lifting the Veil of Ignorance," by Charles Keck located at Tuskegee University in Tuskegee, Alabama . Alabama United States Tuskegee, 2010.)

So many of today's African American professionals and social elitists in traditional careers (non-sports or non-theatrical) did not possess successful experiences nor premium credentials prior to their elevations; someone gave these prior seekers an opportunity to shine. However, it is grossly noticeable that since these same prior seekers have "arrived" to their top statuses... they appoint, hire, or select only fellow elite credential carriers. These prior seekers seem to forget their humble, inexperienced, and uncredentialed beginnings... the time when when someone opened the door of opportunity, despite their lack of qualifications. However, leaders in Black Church History, the Bible, as well as contemporary leader reflect and provide a timeless practice for assisting in the oppressed in becoming partners of progress.  

In the Bible, when David became King, he asked, "Is there no one still left of the house of Saul to whom I can show God's kindness?" Ziba answered the king, "There is still a son of Jonathan; he is crippled in both feet." "Where is he?" the king asked. Ziba answered, "He is at the house of Makir son of Ammiel in Lo Debar." So King David had him brought from Lo Debar, from the house of Makir son of Ammiel" (II Samuel 9:3-5). In short, David remembered where he came from, how he became King, the promise that he made, and then chose to bless a crippled man to sit and live in his kingdom. Jesus did the same as he selected the Disciples, who eventually blossomed into successful, world-changing Apostles. Consequently, David became one of Israel's best Kings throughout its history, and Jesus became Savior of all... far beyond his death.

Similarly, in Black Historic Church history in the U.S., these sanctuaries were dually used to help lift the formerly enslaved. These houses of worship served as schools/training institutes, and later colleges and universities,[1] where learned parishioners taught prior enslaved people literary arts as well as vocational skills,[2] so that they could strive and thrive in the new, albeit harsh, society.[3] Thus, the Bible and social history, are filled with these, what I call, metanarrative blessings, or what practical theologians called the praxis from Black phronesis (aka educational phronesis).[4] Similarly, Paulo Friere, a Brazilian scholar in education, viewed oppressed people's plight in schools for increasing their economic and qualities of life mobility, as limit-acts for countering their oppressive limited situations.[5] Resultantly, these select institutions' works significantly aided in lifting their people's belonging and liberation in their local vicinities and nations.

What lessons can we glean from David, Jesus, the m/paternal institutions of mentioned oppressed people, and other metanarrative blessers? First, today, when arriving to your status of elite business professional, noted professor/dean, successful pastor, or other leading roles in society, reach back and offer interns, recent graduates, aspiring ministers, or other seekers, an opportunity to grow and blossom as you have. Martin Luther King said it best in a speech in Montgomery Alabama in 1957, “Life's most persistent and urgent question is: 'What are you doing for others?'”. Second, don't forget the opportunities given to you, when you were seeking and uncredentialed. Last, when you critically reflect, like David and even Jesus, who both began humbly, but helped seekers to achieve, you will create opportunities for yourself to rise even higher in fulfilling one's personal vision and engaging God's mission in your life. Simply put, remember where you came from, and chose to be a blessing to someone else seeking achievement along the way. Then your living will not be in vain.


Dr. Troy L. Denson
MTS, M.Div., M.Ed. Admin, D.Min., (Ph.D.)
Executive Director of National Collaborative Institute of Leadership

References:

[1] Denson, Troy Lee, Sr, Reframing Urban Black Historic Church Leadership’s View of the Mission of God: Increasing African American Legacy Congregations' Relevance for Effectively Ministering in Their Changing Communities of the Twenty-First Century, (Boston University ProQuest Dissertations & Theses, 2021), pgs. 10-12, DOI 28769919.

[2] C. Eric Lincoln, and Lawrence H. Mamiya, The Black Church in U.S. History (Durham, NC: Duke University Press, 1990), 251-252.

[3] Carter G. Woodson, The History of the Negro Church (DC: Associated Publishers, 1921), 23-24, 26, 37, 40, 62, 143, 150-153, 167-171, 199.

[4] Robert L. Smith, From Strength to Strength: Shaping Black Practical Theology for the 21st Century (New York: Peter Lang, 2007), 201.

[5] Paulo Freire, Pedagogy of the Oppressed (New York: Bloomsbury, 2018), 97, 99-101.

DEAR BLACK CHURCH: LET'S BEGIN SHIFTING OUR GEARS                

November 21, 2024

The opposing themes in our "Black Thematic Universe" have shifted from capitalism, racism, and consumerism... to bigotry, classism, and hyper-homophobia. By the way, the theme also has changed from "Black Thematic Universe"... to "People of Color Thematic Universe." Theologians, Pastors, and Black Church Leadership Studies (such as myself) propose that by adding the new people/new sufferers (cultures and statuses) according to our emerged challenges, all create fresh opportunities for witnessing the miracles of God in new ways. This divine move also generates reframed mission positions, recentered vision statements, as well as fresh messages/ sermons that will include a broader audience who share the exact same plight as African Americans. Admittedly, I hold many religious positions from my Congregational/Baptist upbringing, and through my own lens, that of a preacher, researcher, and family-man, I include all people as equal, equitable, and worthy partakers of God's salvation and Church membership. 

 

In my following articles, "Dear Black Church," I will address various implications, consequences, risks, and neutralities as a result of societal shifts, and propose updated practices from researched praxes of the Black Church from Antebellum and Postbellum eras in the United States.  These articles will chiefly glean from the accounts of witnesses of new miracles in the Bible, via their historical changed contexts: Mark 7:24-29, Matt.15:21-28, Acts 1:8, 11: 20-26, 13:1-3. These scriptures will speak to/address contemporary changed contexts from an array of researches, scholars, practitioners, and theologians, in comparison to positions of Robert L. Smith, Jr., a Practical Theologian who employs Paulo Freire's thematic universe proposal, in "Pedagogy of the Oppressed."    

Dr. Troy L. Denson

MTS, M.Div., M.Ed. Admin, D.Min., (Ph.D.)

Executive Director of National Collaborative Institute of Leadership

References: 

[1] Robert L. Smith, From Strength to Strength: Shaping Black Practical Theology for the 21^st Century (New York: Peter Lang, 2007), 75.

              [2] Paulo Freire, Pedagogy of the Oppressed (New York: Bloomsbury, 2018), 96. 

DEAR BLACK CHURCH: OFFER LESSON OR SERMON-TO-PRACTICE OPPORTUNITIES

November 27, 2024

Dear Black Church,

Aren't you tired of people joining your memberships and then disappearing? Whenever people gathered for Jesus's teaching/preaching moments, they received both, a transformative lesson and expected corresponding practices. For example, in the "Sermon on the Mount," (Matthew chs. 5-7), the first 14 verses provide theoretical information to shape mindsets; then the following scriptures (15-28) and chapters 6-7 offer corresponding/ expected practices. He never gave lessons without either performing a practice or expecting corresponding practices from attendees. Jesus followed this lesson-to- practice method throughout his Kingdom of God crusade, throughout his crucifixion experience, throughout his resurrection, and throughout the empowering of the disciples to become Apostles that carried out Christ's same lesson/sermon-to-practice opportunities for which today's church has inherited. 

                                         

Black Church historians depict Postbellum African churches inherently following lesson-to-practice methods. Their practices resulted in the development of schools/colleges, employment, and public services, which, arguably, led to their reception of citizenship, voting rights, and Civil Rights. Today, in Black churches, without this immediate inclusion, people often loose purpose, then are religiously loss, then absent from the ranks of attendees. We Christian Leaders should "renew" this lesson-to-practice inherent paradigm, rather than giving endless sermons and Bible Study with very few practice expectations beyond attendance. I offer this sermon-to- practice opportunity to this lesson: In next Sunday's sermon responses, rather than solely praying for and taking responders' information, as a sermon-to- practice expectation, join the person(s) to a designated/ required "entrance ministry" (choir or ushering). Does it really matter whether a few new people can sing or offer perfect usher signaling? Are not the development their of faith, faithfulness, and relationships, the characteristics for developing people into strong Christians and/or faithful church members?

Dr. Troy L. Denson, 

(Ph.D.), DMin, M.Div, M.Ed-Admin, MTS, BS

Executive Director of National Collaborative Institute of Leadership

www.ncileadership.org

NORMALIZING YOUNGER LEADERSHIP

Authored by

Dr. Troy L. Denson, Sr.

Executive Director

National Collaboritive Institute of Leadership

Resaying this topic explicitely to an historic church, "Let us begin to normalize "Respecting Younger People's Vocation-Experience and Learning Credentials Regardless of their Age." If considering the successful ministry of Jesus and his newly empowered and appointed leaders, called Disciples, in advancing the Kingdom of God ministry and in healing people, one has present-day proof that younger people can be experienced and smart enough to offer advice and guidance to folks more senior in age and experience. However, despite these younger leaders' successes in their preaching and healing crusade with Jesus, the Jewish population continued suffering because the Pharisees and Sadducees did not receive the successors' radical leadership, and ultimately crucified their leader (Jesus). Despite the setback, Jesus's resurrection and empowerment of his youthful leadership proved the goodness of their learning, experience, and effectiveness, which changed their ancient world, and continues changing the present world. Similar to Jesus's rejection, nowadays when folks don't want to receive Godly truth and direction from a younger person, due to personal agendas/goals unmet or selfish pride, senior people label the younger people's credentials as "letters behind one's name," and/or overlook their valued experience. Consequently, many historic churches continue declining, relocating to survive, and even some completely closing down. However, if declining churches desire to begin experiencing numeric growth, practices' renewals, or church revitalization across generations, they must reflect on Jesus and his younger leadership's experiences, and begin to normalize => "Respecting Younger People's Vocation-Experience and Learning Credentials, Regardless of their Age," and receive their relevant leadership in today's context. Normalization of younger leadership does not imply silencing sagely wisdom and timeless lessons, however, it means offering intentionality to the input of younger leadership in order to increase relevance of the church to the younger people's growing/thriving families and working individuals in the present-day. After all, the younger generation seeks to live, thrive, and support their aging seniors in the present, as well as to ensure and pass-on coveted/sustaining values.

Dr. Troy L. Denson, Sr.

MTS, M.Div., M.Ed.-Admin, D.Min., (Ph.D.-candidate)

National Collaborative Institute of Leadership

Freedom + Liberation = Equity

As I reflect on the recent resignation of Dr. Gay, from the presidential role at Harvard University, I yet celebrate the scholarship and leadership given over the most recent 20 years. I am also reminded that in the contemporary American society, "individual persons" within all cultures, ethnicities, genders, and religions are thriving. However, the objectives of freedom + liberation is not the success of "individual persons," but rather the equitable existence and contribution of an entire population, among celebrating and championing the same for others. Equity is the sum of freedom + liberation, the quest for all lives conceived and living, the intentions for career/occupational efforts, the meaning within arts/religious expressions, and God's expanse even beyond matter (Gen.1:1-2, Ps. 24:1-2). Thus, there should never be surprise when individual persons from our minority cultures rise and fall from the dominant society's pedestals, because it was the individual's opportunity that was given and then retracted. Regardless of retraction, leaders, such as Dr. Gay, yet possess a wealth of academic and culturally endowed equity.  

      Interestingly, despite America's vast numbers of heroes/ sheroes having moved the nation forward due to the collective efforts of all ethnicities' contributions of their bests in each's own unique ways, there yet exists a dominant society, yet rendering and "taking back" meaningful opportunities. Reflectively, each populace must learn to appreciate, to cultivate, and to contribute its gifts, institutions, and representatives first to itself and then publicly towards collectively building a better society, for self-claiming its equity in that society. My father, Jimmy Denson, a steel-worker, a WWII veteran, who was 1 of 5 children of share-cropper parents, once said to me - as we carried out our weekend home lawn tasks - "Troy, don't look over and envy the neighbor's beautiful green grass. Let's keep watering and fertilizing our grass, and our yard will grow nice n' green, helping make our street one of the best streets in the neighborhood."

Troy L. Denson, Sr., D.Min.