The Sins of White Supremacy Culture
I have growing concerns about my church.
For a while, this church was the organizing center around which my entire life revolved: spiritually, socially, even professionally. For a few years, I was hired as an assistant pastor to help the church grow during a fruitful season when it seemed like the whole town was interested in what our congregation was doing. People are drawn to an expression of Christianity that is both aesthetic and intimate, inviting yet demanding, creative yet unpretentious. We attract a diverse group of college and graduate students who make up almost half of our community, and our outreach programs are very focused on building connections within the immediate community, such as art clubs for minority kids and Mentoring program for refugee families. I had truly believed that I would die in this church community and base my entire ministry career here.
But that was before the senior pastor presented us with a new “vision.” He moved our headquarters from the city center to a new location off the highway, which was isolated from the local population. Support for college students was reduced and instead priority was given to young white suburban families commuting from outside the city. As demographics change, the makeup of our ministry leaders and volunteer coordinators is changing rapidly. I quickly became the only person of color in any leadership position and was appalled by the regression in the cultural makeup of the community. For many years we have proudly considered ourselves a multicultural reflection of the early New Testament church, but it would now seem ridiculous to call ourselves such a church. After years of success fostered by our diverse resources, we are now a white church.
I sent the senior pastor an email expressing my reservations and emphasizing how terrible it felt to be a token minority. I don’t want my presence to give the illusion of inclusivity when policy is clearly moving in the opposite direction. As a former staff member, I encourage pastors to do some self-reflection and try to develop long-term strategies to make people from other cultures feel like they have a place here. There is reason to believe that there were once so many young people who were excited to be part of this community, and I hope that the church will return to those principles of openness, equality, and collaboration. I told myself it was still possible.
But as I read the pastor’s response, I finally realized that nothing was going to change—because I understood that what I was dealing with was a culture of white supremacy. My suggestions are not taken as seriously as they once were, even though I have always cared deeply about the vitality of our community and they have always been accepted in the past. This time, however, I was harshly reprimanded and classified as a provocateur. Suddenly I was the bad guy. In the senior pastor's mind, a good group should be obedient and "easy to lead," but now I have become a suspicious outsider, sowing the seeds of discord. He said my words were "full of distrust" and that if I couldn't give the elders complete, unadulterated blind trust, then the problem was with me and my theology. And, of course, there’s a bit of “mental manipulation” [1]. My feelings about token minority status don’t matter because it makes the pastor feel “insulted” who prides himself on choosing leaders based on character. "Skin color is not a factor," he wrote, which made the alarm bells ring even louder in my head. After this exchange, my wife and I were invited to continue the discussion face-to-face with the elders, an invitation we were more than willing to accept. We thought that with the participation of more thoughtful voices, we could foster a more productive discussion about how to move toward a multicultural leadership model…but it turned out to be a bait-and-switch tactic. The pastor held this "disciplinary hearing," and we could tell from his tone that he was ready to kick us out of the church if we didn't plead hard for forgiveness.
Many people are like me at the time, trapped in white supremacy culture without even realizing it—no one seems to notice until something goes wrong. One might argue that accusations of white supremacy are harsh and unfounded, as no congregation would willingly admit to being an elitist and oppressive institution. White supremacy culture, however, is a different story: culture that is pervasive, subconscious, and can become insidious if left unnamed. I wish I had the language to expose the insidious ways in which white supremacist culture undermines our so-called gospel-based way of life. But I can now at least share what I’ve learned[2] so that others are better equipped than I was then to make healthy choices in who they choose to give spiritual authority.
Simply put, white supremacy culture is an ideology that views white people and their thoughts, beliefs, and behaviors as superior to people of color and their thoughts, beliefs, and behaviors. If you're not sure whether your church culture is based on the principles of white supremacy, here are four key characteristics you need to be wary of:
1. Expectations of perfectionism
Churches that expect perfectionism are often highly hierarchical and authority-driven, with the most important decisions being made from the top down, not the bottom up. There is often only "one right way to do it," and this approach is often stubborn to the point of dogmatism. Communities have difficulty learning from their mistakes because perfectionism creates a constant worry about underperforming and "looking consistent" with gospel cleanliness and decency. Individual actions are scrutinized while collective growth is ignored. The senior pastor is seen as a model of moral perfection, to whom all others are held to be the standard.
2. Concentration of power
Decision-making power is concentrated in the hands of the top, even to the point where suggestions for change are seen as threatening or even unbiblical. Patriarchy is rampant and leaders insist they know what is best for everyone, often making decisions without consulting those most affected by policy decisions. Elders and pastors spend a lot of energy on defensive postures, such as explaining abuse and limiting ways people might feel heard.
3. Happy Majority/Silent Compliance
A community dominated by the privileged will try to avoid open conflict and run away from issues that feel uncomfortable or are too complex. Whenever minorities reveal discriminatory practices, they are often the target of investigations and accused of being troublemakers. Honest inquiries often fail to lead to a meaningful examination of organizational shortcomings. Leaders will win debates by claiming a superior point of view of "objectivity," contrasting their supposedly neutral approach with the mood swings of minority protesters. Changes are often temporary solutions designed to temporarily appease church members so that procedures can "get back on track."
4. Progress is more/greater
Church growth is measured in quantitative terms (membership and giving), while pastors ironically preach from the pulpit about the importance of qualitative growth (discipleship and faithfulness). Under the capitalist assumption that “bigger is better,” church workers feel a constant sense of urgency to produce visible results—making it difficult for them to spend time becoming more inclusive or improving their decision-making processes. Burnout is common due to an underlying pressure and ambition on everyone's part to expect the church to appear more "successful."
A cursory look at the biblical narrative arc makes it easy to see that expectations of perfectionism, concentration of power, pandering to the majority, and desire for material success are completely contrary to the ways of Jesus. There are so many verses in the Bible that serve as counterexamples that I can’t list them all here, so I’ll just end with this: Luke 12:2 says, “Nothing is hidden that will not be revealed.”
Part of the reason white supremacy culture persists in the church is because its contours have long gone unrevealed, hidden beneath a veneer of religiosity. I hope that exposing the evils of white supremacy culture will awaken my brothers and sisters to better ways of living the Kingdom of God in the 21st century. But even after what’s hidden is exposed, sincere Christians often still choose to stay in the oppressive institutions they’re in because they convince themselves there’s no better place out there or think God has appointed them to stay and be something part of the solution. I have many unhappy friends who have chosen this path. Fighting oppression is a worthy calling for all who wish to live like Jesus, but don’t make the mistake of confusing enemies with friends. You cannot draw emotional support and courage from sources that are traumatizing your spiritual identity. The fountain of eternal life (John 4:14) does not come from oil-contaminated soil. Find people of God who will love you and accept your imperfections; people of God who are willing to sacrifice privileges and possessions; people of God who have supernatural peace in their hearts because they deeply understand that progress is not about being bigger or better - Progress is a mustard seed. When we all find one another, then the invisible body of Christ will be revealed.
Scott lives in Providence, Rhode Island, and writes and teaches, focusing on providing literacy education to underserved populations. Scott is a former medical student, former pastor, and now a cat dad.
References:
[1] "Gaslighting Effect" is a term based on the 1944 film in which a man manipulates his wife by making her question her perception of reality.
[2] The following list is adapted from the Montreal Center for Community Organizing’s White Supremacy Culture in Organizations workbook.
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