Racial Reconciliation: A Theological Approach to Building Relationships

By Dr. Calvin Glass

Racism within the Christian community in America has resulted in social unrest and has plagued the Christian church in a way that mandates urgent solutions.

Dr. Calvin Glass, the senior pastor of Lord of Lords Ministries and the president of Ministers United, shares a practicable methodology based on biblical principles to promote racial reconciliation.

Having interviewed and taught focus groups representing a Black Christian congregation, a non-Black Christian congregation, and a group of local diverse senior pastors and ministers in the metro Detroit area, he shares a plethora of wisdom that Christians can put to work in their own houses of worship.

The objective of the research was to describe the reality of historical racism in the Christian community and to motivate and implement multicultural change that will enhance the building of theologically healthy and loving relationships among all races.

With the Christian church struggling to find its footing in modern times, attaining true racial unity and harmony lingers as a thorn in the flesh. Discover biblical truths that will promote racial reconciliation with the wisdom and insights in this book.

• Language: English
• Publisher: WestBow Press
• Release date: Apr 25, 2023
• ISBN: 9781664294660

Dr. Calvin Glass

Dr. Calvin Glass is the senior pastor of Lord of Lords Ministries and the president of Ministers United. He holds a doctoral degree from Liberty University. He is also the author of I’m on the Right Road Now: Keys to Understanding Your Spiritual Journey. He and his wife live in Van Buren Township, Michigan.

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CONTENTS

Abbreviations

Preface

Acknowledgments

Poem—My Window of Pain

Introduction

My Study

The Discussion of My Thesis

Principles to Building Relationships

Theoretical Foundations

My Methodology

Research Results

My Summary of Interviews

Research Findings

Bible Study Survey Analysis

Corrective Racial Reconciliation Theology

Steps to Racial Reconciliation

Conclusion

Poem—Building Bridges

Appendix A: Interview Questions

Appendix B: Racial Reconciliation Bible Study

Bibliography

ABBREVIATIONS

PREFACE

Racism within the Christian community in America has resulted in social unrest and has plagued the Christian church in a way that mandates urgent solutions to this untamed malady. This book’s focus is on learning a practicable methodology based on biblical principles that address racial reconciliation (building God-approved relationships with all ethnic groups) that will combat racial disunity and disconnect among Christians. The study method used BBR (Building Better Relationships), which consisted of interviewing and teaching focus groups representing a Black Christian congregation, a non-Black Christian congregation, and a group of local diverse senior pastors and ministers in the metro Detroit area. The focus-group participants received teaching and training on biblical racial reconciliation directives through a six-session curriculum and bimonthly meetings. Ten individuals—five Black Christian leaders and five non-Black Christian leaders—made up the first two focus groups. Another group of local Christian leaders made up the third group. The objective of the research was to describe the reality of historical racism in the Christian community and to motivate and implement multicultural change that will enhance the building of theologically healthy and loving relationships among all races (ethnic groups).

Dr. Calvin Glass’s life, ministry, and passion are dedicated to ensuring that Christians worldwide experience the reality of building intimate relationships with God through His Son Jesus Christ, and know the transferable anointing of the Holy Spirit as it relates to the God-ordained ministry of reconciliation that every believer should demonstrate with God and His created world. In this book, you will learn a theological perspective for racial reconciliation and a practical and workable methodology that will bring racial healing to the Body of Christ and the world we serve.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

I would like to express my gratitude to my wife Nina, our eight children; Pastors Melvin and Sandy Gower; my mentor, Dr. Zabloski, Lord of Lords congregation; Pastor Allen and His Church Anglican congregation; the pastors and leaders of Ministers United and Greater Detroit Partnership; the research participants; and all my family members and friends who encouraged me that racial reconciliation was a theme worth researching.

MY WINDOW OF PAIN

There are many ways of observing life

With the Joy of things that remain.

Yet I grasp a different sight

Of a well-structured window of pain.

These undeserved barriers keep men apart

Separating the Land of the Free.

A reality of this mindless heart

Has destroyed much dignity.

Why is there such a frame?

Where Love doesn’t seem to count

But hate is shown unfeignedly so,

Promoting countless doubts.

The more I look, the more I see

The problems we must face.

Despite the many progresses

Of my vigilant race.

Blame it on lost history

Or even those of the past.

But don’t you think the one to blame

Is he who blocks freedom’s path?

The soldier knows what he must do

To win against his foes,

And bring them to a point of defeat

Through judgment, truth, and woes.

So I stand in total dejection

Hoping for positive change.

Asking God for a better revelation

Of my unwanted window of pain.

Calvin Glass

INTRODUCTION

Since the origin of civilization, humanity’s identity and imagery have been challenged, distorted, and debated. Authentic conversations concerning racial reconciliation, race status, and race relations are still among the most curious, misunderstood, and researched subjects of modern academia. As the Christian church faces the many struggles of modernity, the age-old fight for true racial unity and harmony still lingers as a major thorn in the flesh. My research for this book identifies my pure motive and desire to implement biblical truths that will change unbiblical thinking and behavior when it comes to race relations. My optimistic pursuit is that the battle for racial reconciliation among most Christians is in alignment with Jesus’s prayer for Christian unity. In the Lord’s Prayer, he said,

My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us that the world may believe that you have sent me. I have given the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one: I in them and you in me. May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me. (John 17:20–23, NIV)

Many other scriptures in the Bible (some we will discuss) encourage multiethnic oneness and promote intentional human efforts toward real congregational and social fellowships among Christ’s followers and the world we serve. This research process is to examine racial reconciliation from a historical and theological perspective with a core focus to bring collaboration and methodology to the Christian community that will help all races to live with divine truth and harmonious affirmations.

Christians possess a moral compass that, if used, effectively establishes a model of ethical goals and behaviors that has the potential to improve race relations in the Christian community and the world. Our public profession of faith in Christ Jesus will always advance Christ’s agenda and purpose on earth. The conceivability of kingdom unity connected to a Christian biblical worldview dictates the proper functioning of the Christian who has accepted his/her call to become Christ’s ambassador for his reconciliation ministry. The kingdom ambassador’s job is crucial for end-time ministry and must be understood as urgent work. Establishing the trust factor among races that will set standards for unselfish norms and practices resulting in respect and care for each other is a core ingredient of this work. This book can lead you to a deeper look at this complicated transforming ministry. As you read this book, keep in mind that there are some traditional values and unbiblical privileges among Christians that require a new level of investigation and attention. These new eyes can lead to a bolder initiative that challenges a code of conduct and recommends a serious call for aggressive leadership training and modeling.

The solution to racial disparities within the Christian community must propose key disciplines that remedy obtained knowledge and the biblical-based mobilization of truth. The charge of scriptures for the kingdom ambassador on improving racial relations and the move of the Holy Spirit within the lives of the transformed believers are the ingredients for connectional fellowship, unconditional love, and freedom from many forms of bondage. The immediate results of racial reconciliation teaching have brought about a high level of expectancy for change among the students and a hunger to meet individual and congregational needs by creating an environment where mistakes are not fatal and where collaboration is encouraged, recognized, and applauded. The removal of racial manipulation will help the Christian leader to persuade their congregants to do something that may be uncomfortable and unpopular but worth the time and effort invested. This high-morale partnership calls for contagious enthusiasm glued to theological hope, which is the foundational tool for achieving kingdom unity as a divinely prescribed accomplishment. The challenge to serve God, support a worthy socialization cause, and, at the same time, honor all races is the proper kingdom agenda for multiethnic success. My understanding is that we should not separate antiracism from the biblical ministry of reconciliation.

MY MINISTRY CONTEXT

Lord of Lords Christian Church (LOLCC) in Detroit, Michigan, began on January 16, 1990, as a church plant under the leadership of my dad, Pastor Clyde Glass Sr., and the King of Kings Missionary Baptist Church of Detroit. This church plant began as, and still is, a predominantly all-Black congregation. The location is on the east side of Detroit, the inner city, where low-income families reside. This area contends with a weak educational system, high unemployment, prisoner reentry concerns, and single-parenting homes, to name a few of our challenges. It is considered one of the top crimes, gang-related, disadvantaged environments in the United States.

The congregation is outreach-oriented, in that we provide groceries and clothes weekly to close to fifty families. The ministry is known for its neighborhood cleanup efforts, meeting the needs of seniors, back-to-school supplies for the neighborhood children, distributing turkeys for Thanksgiving Day, and bikes and toys for the Christmas season. These programs are essential programs that engage the Christian community to address social needs with the collaboration of community stakeholders. The educational level of the average congregant is under a four-year college-degree level. This limits the benefits of professionalism that many suburban Christian congregations enjoy. The heartbeat of the congregational life points toward discipleship orientation and implementation of diversified socialization. The discipleship program teaches the pupils to represent a moral and loving Creator God on earth. This is the biblical approach to racial reconciliation called the Great Commission found in the last chapter of the book of Matthew. "And Jesus came and spoke to them saying, all authority is given unto me in heaven and on earth. Go