I want to share a recommendation of a short book that I finished last night. The title is Called to Allyship: Preparing Your Congregation for Leaders of Color. It is edited by Rev. Angela !Kebab, and includes chapters written by a variety of leaders of color in the ELCA. Each of the chapter is focused on one specific aspect of ministry/ministry call, and the chapters are all excellent. They are short, well written, to the point, and full of practical advice, including a brief list of further resources at the end of most chapters.
The Introduction by Rev. !Kebab is very good, and includes a helpful glossary and a short overview of the chapters. Chapter 2, by Dr. Kelly Sherman-Conroy, focuses on intersectionality and elaborates an invitation to storytelling and story sharing as as a way of breaking down barriers and bridging gaps. In her chapter, Bishop Patricia Davenport uses the wonderful call story of David in First Samuel to talk about the call process itself. I love her opening line in this chapter: “The Lord delights in calling the unexpected one into ministry.” This is an extremely helpful chapter for a congregation in a pastoral transition, especially a congregation who is considering calling a pastor of color.
I loved Chapter 4, “Embodied Ministry,” by Pastor Jenny Song. The way she values and invites us to attend to our bodies and what we are feeling is such a welcome change from the assumptions we make about all important knowledge being “head knowlege.” She writes, “Understanding how your body is showing up in time and space can help you better recognize what is helpful and supportive and what is not, both for you, and for others. Our bodies are the first to be impacted by information. Being in relationship with your body can help bring understanding to the particular ways you communicate and embody experiences.” So true! In her chapter, there are several points where she invites us to stop and take a moment for a breath practice. This one is my favorite:
On the inhale, remember: God calls me.
On the exhale, remember: One faithful step at a time.
The Rev. Dr. Andrea Walker has a lovely chapter on Allyship, which in her view looks like L.O.V.E.: Listening, Observing, and Valuing to engage. And finally, the last chapter is by Bishop Felix Malpica, offering very practical dos and don’ts for embracing the gifts of leaders from historically marginalized communities. He emphasizes that “building relationships across cultures can be messy. There will be misunderstandings, feelings will get hurt, assumptions will lead you astray, and things will get uncomfortable.” Yet, in spite of all that, he encourages us: “Stick with it and don’t give into the powerful inertia of the status quo.”
The authors do not sugarcoat the difficultities, and some of the personal experiences they share from leaders of color are hard to read. I gained a much greater appreciation for these challenges through reading the book. But, I want to emphasize that the book is also hopeful and encouraging–don’t give up, keep learning and growing; we can change, congregations can change. For that reason, and so many others, I found the book so incredibly helpful; I think every single congregation should read it, regardless of where they are in any call process, and regardless of where they are in their thinking about possibly calling a leader of color.
Allyship and change are the responsibilities of each one of us.
Happy Lutheran 