As a church, we believe that the gospel of Jesus Christ calls us to seek biblical justice and reconciliation in the midst of racial brokenness. The same gospel empowers and uniquely equips the Church to pray and work to that end.
"In Ephesians 1:10, the apostle Paul helps us understand that God's plan of salvation is much more magnificent than individual people confessing and repenting of their sins and believing in Jesus Christ. That is surely magnificent, but the glorious gospel is God's plan to unite everything in Jesus Christ, both things in heaven and things on earth. Every rupture in the cosmos will be repaired. This is where we are headed—the reign and rule of Jesus Christ over everything and everyone. If the church is anything, it is a real-time, tangible expression of this future reality."
—from The Beautiful Community: Unity, Diversity, and the Church at Its Best, by Irwyn L. Ince, Jr.
To Inform and Equip
We offer the following as a quality sampling of the many thoughtful resources available to help us be more informed and better prepared to be the beautifully diverse church God calls us to be.
Books: Current Perspectives
- The Beautiful Community: Unity, Diversity, and the Church at Its Best, by Irwyn Ince, Jr.
- United: Captured by God's Vision for Diversity, by Trillia Newbell
- Beautifully Distinct: Conversations with Friends on Faith, Life, and Culture, edited by Trillia Newbell
- Free at Last? The Gospel in the African American Experience, by Carl Ellis
- All Are Welcome: Toward a Multi-Everything Church, Leon Brown, General Editor
- Black and Reformed: Seeing God's Sovereignty in the African-American Christian Experience, by Anthony Carter
- Glory Road: The Journeys of 10 African-Americans into Reformed Christianity, edited by Anthony Carter
- Weep with Me: How Lament Opens a Door for Racial Reconciliation, by Mark Vroegop
- For God So Loved the World: A Blueprint for Kingdom Diversity, by Dayton Hartman and Walter Strickland
Books: Historical Background
- Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave, by Frederick Douglass
- Reconstruction: America's Unfinished Revolution, 1863-1877, by Eric Foner
- The Second Founding: How the Civil War and Reconstruction Remade the Constitution, by Eric Foner
- The Color of Compromise, by Jemar Tisby
- The Color of Law: A Forgotten History of How Our Government Segregated America, by Richard Rothstein
Books and Resources for Children and Parents
- God's Very Good Idea: A True Story of God's Delightfully Different Family, by Trillia Newbell (Preschool & Elementary)
- ColorFull: Celebrating the Colors God Gave Us, by Dorena Williamson (Preschool)
- Uncle Jed's Barbershop, by Margaree King Mitchell (Preschool & Elementary)
- God Made Me AND You: Celebrating God's Design for Ethnic Diversity, by Shai Linne (Preschool & Elementary)
- The Gospel in Color: A Theology in Racial Reconciliation for Kids, by Jarvis J. Williams and Curtis A. Woods (Upper Elementary & Middle School)
- Podcast: Risen Motherhood: Helping Our Kids Celebrate God's Beautifully Diverse Design, with Trillia Newbell
Articles
- “Tragedy, Tipping Points, and Trust” by Irwyn Ince
- PCA Pastoral Letter on Racism (PDF)
- "The Bible and Race" by Tim Keller
- “The Sin of Racism” by Tim Keller
- “A Biblical Critique of Secular Justice and Critical Theory” by Tim Keller
- "Justice in the Bible" by Tim Keller
While we cannot give a blanket endorsement of every viewpoint shared in this list of resources, we value and recommend to everyone the insights that can be gained by reading a broad range of views and perspectives.
Visit your favorite bookseller or check your library for any of the titles listed.