R.I.C.H. in Preaching: Transforming Strategic Leaders within an Afro-Caribbean Congregation to Become Agents of Radical Inclusive Christian Hospitality towards the LGBTQ Community through Preaching

By Antonio LaMar Torrence

As many black churches attempt to become welcoming spaces for LGBTQ people, preachers are navigating ways to develop sermons that are more inclusive and welcoming. Pastors and ministers can begin transforming their congregations to become extensions of Christ through preaching sermons about radical inclusive Christian hospitality (RICH). RICH preaching encourages its hearers to embrace those of the queer community as neighbors deserving of love, compassion, and healing.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Wipf and Stock
• Release date: Dec 22, 2020
• ISBN: 9781725252561

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R.I.C.H. in Preaching

Transforming Strategic Leaders within an Afro-Caribbean Congregation to Become Agents of Radical Inclusive Christian Hospitality toward the LGBTQ Community through Preaching

Antonio LaMar Torrence

R.I.C.H. in Preaching

Transforming Strategic Leaders within an Afro-Caribbean Congregation to Become Agents of Radical Inclusive Christian Hospitality toward the LGBTQ Community through Preaching

Copyright © 2021 Antonio LaMar Torrence. All rights reserved. Except for brief quotations in critical publications or reviews, no part of this book may be reproduced in any manner without prior written permission from the publisher. Write: Permissions, Wipf and Stock Publishers, 199 W. 8th Ave., Suite 3, Eugene, OR 97401.

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paperback isbn: 978-1-7252-5254-7

hardcover isbn: 978-1-7252-5255-4

ebook isbn: 978-1-7252-5256-1

10/13/20

Unless otherwise noted, the Scripture quotation contained herein are from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright @ 1989 National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

To the invisible congregation of LGBTQ people who were hurt by the exploitative and exclusionary preaching within some of the Afro-Caribbean Churches

List of Table and Charts

Figure 1. Assessment Results of Affinity Circles | 53

Figure 2. Assessment Results of Inviting Others | 54

Figure 3. Assessment of Ideal Equality at TBC | 55

Figure 4. Assessment of Actual Perception of Equality at TBC | 56

Figure 5. Table Assessment for Inclusion at TBC | 57

Figure 6. Questionnaire Results for Sermon One | 60

Figure 7. Questionnaire Results for Sermon Two | 62

Figure 8. Questionnaire Results for Sermon Three | 64

Figure 9. Questionnaire Results for Sermon Four | 66

Figure 10. Questionnaire Results from Sermon Five | 68

Figure 11. Questionnaire Results for Sermon Six | 73

Figure 12. Initial Assessment of Diversity and Inclusion | 77

Figure 13. Results from Final Assessment Questionnaire | 79

Table of Contents

Title Page

List of Table and Charts

Acknowledgments

Abstract

Introduction

Chapter 1: RICH Ministry

Chapter 2: Literature Review

Chapter 3: Methodology

Chapter 4: Ministry Implementation, Analysis, and Evaluation

Chapter 5: Summary, Conclusion, and Reflection

Appendix A: Strategic Planning Initial Assessment Questionnaire

Appendix B: Strategic Planning Participant Feedback Form

Appendix C: Strategic Planning Final Assessment Form

Appendix D: Sermon

Appendix E: Sermon

Appendix F: Sermon

Appendix G: Sermon

Appendix H: Sermon

Appendix I: Sermon

Appendix J: RICH One-on-One Interviews

Bibliography

Acknowledgments

The opportunity to engage and minister as my authentic self has been an invaluable experience. This ministry which began as a research project was made possible by those willing to extend love and hospitality to others. I am grateful to my former congregation, the Cross of Life Lutheran Church in Plainfield, New Jersey, for a mutually rich transformation; to the participants in this ministry from Trinity Baptist Church in Brooklyn, New York; to the covenant group of Dr. Glenmore Bembry, Chris Halverson, Jordan Barbakoff, Dr. Michael Horan, and Dr. Patrick Horan, who reviewed and critiqued various materials; to my advisors and professors, Dr. Carol Patterson and Dr. Lorena Parrish, for planting the idea; to my colleagues at Princeton University, Verita Murrill, and the Diversity and Inclusion Steering Committee for their feedback; to my friends in the New York City Gay Men’s Chorus for providing community; and to my mother, Betty E. Jackson, and my husband, James Horan, for their unconditional love.

Abstract

The Black Church is stereotypically known for its anti-gay and homophobic stance against the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transsexual, and queer (LGBTQ) community. Although statistics have shown a growing amount of support for same-sex couples and gay persons, the patriarchal and heterosexual power structures within the church have been slow to provide welcoming spaces for LGBTQ persons. Furthermore, Afro-Caribbean churches have been reluctant even to address the issue. This ministry measured the responses of the participants within one Afro-Caribbean congregation as they heard transformative sermons about radical, inclusive Christian hospitality (RICH). The ministry sought to inspire them to move from a culture of homophobic hostility toward a community of greater inclusiveness. In doing so, LGBTQ persons would find a safe space for worship and fellowship in the house of God. By using quantitative surveys and qualitative personal interviews, this ministry documented the transformation process of strategic leaders within an Afro-Caribbean church as they heard sermons on RICH.

Introduction

Cornel West once said, Never forget that justice is what love looks like in public.¹ If that is true, then many LGBTQ persons may have never witnessed any justice in the Black Church, though they heard words declaring I love you and We love the sinner but not the sin. But love without justice is just a form of oppression. For many in the LGBTQ community, love was clearly displayed by the former president of the United States Barack Obama, in an interview, where he stated, At a certain point, I’ve just concluded that for me personally, it is important for me to go ahead and affirm that I think same-sex couples should be able to get married.² It was the first time that a sitting president affirmed the LGBTQ community and its efforts for equality. Yet, many in the Black Church spoke against him and vowed to discontinue their support. For them, President Obama had broken the code of silence regarding the invisible population within the Black community and church. He gave LGBTQ persons a voice by advocating for their equality. This former parishioner of a Black liberation preacher, the Reverend Jeremiah Wright, used his presidential status to extend the privilege of liberation to an oppressed group. Jesus once declared:

The Spirit of the Lord is upon me because he has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.³

The former president knew what others before him (Mahatma Gandhi, Martin Luther King Jr., and Harvey Milk) already advocated: no one is free when others are oppressed.

As many in the United States anticipate the elections for 2020, it seems to be a unique time to be a part of the LGBTQ community. The era since the Supreme Court rulings on marriage equality has seen a complexity of populism of White LGBTQ privilege in mass media. For the first time in its history, the Democratic Party has its first openly gay male candidate, Indiana Mayor Pete Buttigieg, pursuing the presidential nomination. However, in stark contradiction, Black LGBTQ liberation is still bleak. Through it all, it seems that the majority of Black churches remain silent. Since the massacre at the Pulse nightclub in Orlando, Florida, many churches have not advocated for the safety of LGBTQ persons in this country. It may be that some Black churches are afraid that by supporting the LGBTQ victims of hate crimes and violence, they may send a message that they endorse homosexuality. Whatever the reason may be, churches that embrace radical, inclusive Christian hospitality (RICH)⁴ recognize that if one group is oppressed, we all are oppressed. As this ministry hopes to serve as a positive example of one church’s step toward inclusion, it recognizes that the call to set at liberty those who are oppressed is synonymous with advocacy for those without power and voice.

RICH embraces the concept that to be radical is to see a vision of the beloved community where justice, peace and love reign.⁵ It echoes the Negro Spiritual You got a right. I got a right. We all got a right to the tree of life.⁶ It is a call to liberate the oppressed by extending an invitation to sit at the table with other brothers and sisters and to be included in the kingdom of God. RICH is love in action, establishing a relationship with a diversity of persons, regardless of their race, nationality, gender, gender expression, sexual identity, and orientation. It cannot occur without love. In fact, love without inclusion is neither tokenism nor representation. It is superficial compliance with one’s normativity in the social construct of tolerance. In Radical Love: An Introduction to Queer Theology, liberationist Patrick Cheng offered an appropriate definition of radical love:

Radical love, I contend, is a love so extreme that it dissolves our existing boundaries, whether they are boundaries that separate us from other people, that separate us from preconceived notions of sexuality and gender identity or separate us from God.⁷

RICH reminds us that nothing can separate us from the love of God. It is childish to think that anything and/or anyone can.

For Black congregations, such as the one used for the context of this research, this ministry sought to use transformational preaching to dissolve the barrier of inauthentic acceptance attached to the don’t ask, don’t tell (DADT) culture within some of the Afro-Caribbean churches. Chapter 1 establishes the foundation for this ministry through a description of the problem of homophobic worship spaces in the Black Church. Using participants of an Afro-Caribbean church as the context for ministry, I offered the purpose of this study, objectives, and definition of terms as related to the ministry.

Chapter 2 provides a description of the biblical, theological, and ministerial issues confronting LGBTQ people of color who are either excluded from the Black Church or exploited for their contributions while complying with its DADT culture. The chapter comprises the literature and resources that informed the sermons and workshops used in RICH.

Chapter 3 discloses the methodology used for RICH in the context of the church chosen for this ministry. It offers the homiletic and hermeneutical methodology for sermons used for the transformation of those participating in RICH. It also documents some of the challenges and adjustments made to the ministry as it grew during implementation.

Chapter 4 documents the implementation, analysis, and evaluation of RICH. In this chapter, the reader will journey with me as RICH is done in the ministerial context. The data from questionnaires, group discussions, and interviews will provide insight into the challenges of one Afro-Caribbean church struggling to liberate itself from a DADT culture.

Chapter 5 offers a summary, conclusion, and reflection of the ministry. As the participants of RICH are transformed, the chapter presents insights into possible next steps for their congregation.

Finally, this ministry is about inclusive liberation. It does not attempt to persuade the reader to employ inclusive hospitality by offering different critical reflections on scriptures that were traditionally used to justify homophobia. It does call the Black Church to continue the legacy of liberation theology by extending the privilege of justice, equality, and love to the LGBTQ persons in their midst and communities. As the Black Church advocates for movements such as Black Lives Matter under a presidential administration that considers Neo-Nazi and White Supremacist groups fine people, it is reminded that queer lives matter, too. Rather than continue to advocate policies of praying the gay away, the Black Church should begin to pray the hate away and embrace loving its neighbors as itself.

1

. West, What Love Looks Like.

2

. Gast, Obama Supports Same-Sex Marriage.

3

. Luke

4

:

17–19

NRSV.

4

. This is the acronym created by the author and used to describe the ministry entitled Radical Inclusive Christian Hospitality.

5

. Hobbs, Following the Drum,

19

.

6

. Pinn, Terror and Triumph,

85

.

7

. Cheng, Radical Love,

12

.

1

RICH Ministry

Statement and Analysis of the Problem

The Black Church stands at a threshold, one of embracing social justice for the oppressed LGBTQ community or closing its doors in the face of talented and gifted persons seeking a community of faith. As millennials challenge the social constructs of sexuality and spirituality,¹ the Black Church struggles to remain relevant to a generation bringing different values to its pews. While some Black churches are not facing the mass exodus of their millennials, many are still confronted with those who bring a mixture of faith with them when they enter the doors.² This ministerial project examines the efforts of one Black congregation to break through traditional cultural taboos and embrace LGBTQ persons through RICH as its strategic leaders hear transformative sermons preached by an openly gay Black preacher. Their mutual journey from a position of skepticism and fear to one of relationship and advocacy should demonstrate the possibility of transforming perceived homophobic congregations into welcoming spaces for all persons. Based upon the spiritual maturation that resulted from my pastorate of an Afro-Caribbean congregation formerly known as the Cross of Life Lutheran Church, I propose that transformational preaching can move similar congregations toward a spirit of radical hospitality that embraces the LGBTQ community.

A Personal Journey

As an ordained Baptist minister called to pastor an Evangelical Lutheran congregation bi-vocationally, I knew that this Afro-Caribbean congregation still held traditional views on homosexuality; that is, homosexuality and any variance of it was an abominable sin. As I struggled to reconcile my own sexuality with my spirituality, it was a choice to pastor them under the cloak of heterodoxy, wondering if it would be possible for this suburban Afro-Caribbean church to become a welcoming community to all people, including LGBTQ persons. What would it take for this to occur?

For Cross of Life, it took establishing a relationship of trust, love, and hospitality through transformational preaching. After years of practicing various hermeneutics and homiletics, my preaching still lacked authenticity. There was an invisible wall between the congregation and me that stood for some fourteen years. That wall was a lifelong struggle with my sexual orientation. How could I help shape the identity of this congregation without first acknowledging and embracing my own? After some years of preaching about inclusion and love, my personal transformation led me to come out to my congregation. I discovered that the transformative effects were binary for the church and me. Transformation occurred over time as a result of spiritual growth through constant contact with God’s word. Through dialogical learning, the spirit of hospitality that was characteristic of this congregation was extended to me. Although my initial encounter with the Black Church was one of exclusion under negative diatribes against the gay community, this congregation removed that cross of shame and replaced it with the hospitality of acceptance and inclusion. Resultantly, its members stood in witness of the church’s first same-sex marriage within its walls—my own. The congregation understood the intent of hospitality as noted in Deuteronomy 10:17–19:

For the Lord your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great God, mighty and awesome, who is not partial and takes no bribe, who executes justice for the orphan and the widow, and who loves the strangers, providing them food and clothing. You shall also love the stranger, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt.³

As an Afro-Caribbean congregation comprised of descendants of oppressed and enslaved people, they were reminded of their own liberation through the hospitality of compassionate people who sought freedom for all. They welcomed into their midst those who were also being oppressed and marginalized.

There may be other congregations within the Black Church whose members are yearning for inclusive hospitality that embraces the LGBTQ community. Moreover, although society has responded to the call for justice and equality, the majority of Black churches are still resistant to being liberated from its fear and