Resistant Church/Resistant Culture: Surviving Post-Christianity

“The voice of the church is losing its roar. ”

Team Members/Contributors

Duane T Kay First Baptist Church, Inc. Contact Me

About this pastoral study project

Post-Christianity is alive and well in North America. While this phenomenon has been evident within the Euro-centric context of church for several years, it has now reared its head within the African-American church community. Perhaps the greatest expression of this has been the dichotomy between the Black Lives Matter Movement and the traditional black church. The string of police killings of unarmed African-Americans throughout the 2010's provided the impetus of protests led by African-American millennials. While some of these protests resembled a portion of the Civil Rights Movement, such as the march, the Black Lives Matter Movement is seen as being resistant to the church whose leaders gave voice to that movement. The resistance of the Black Lives Matter Movement toward the African-American church is one that questions the relevance of the resistant church that speaks truth to power, and advocates for the oppressed. I believe that this resistant response to the church is one that is generational, but is broadening across multiple generations. In short, it is my belief that this is an expression of post-Christianity. My project will seek to explore this dichotomy and provide solutions for the church to reach those who are currently ignoring her voice. I will seek to do this through reading and research of faith-led liberation activities, formal conversations with faith leaders, and protest leaders within the Black Lives Matter Movement, and the convening of a Sanctuary-Street Summit to allow for collaboration between faith and millennial protest leaders. Additionally, I will seek to offer the church a guide through future publication, as a result of this study. It is my hope that my study will help lead the church in having her voice heard, again, while stopping the progression of post-Christianity within our community.