Following the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis, Minnesota, Open Bible East had an open dialogue between our Regional Executive Director, Pastor Josh Grimes, and African-American pastors in our region. Over the course of two hours, many topics were discussed in an effort to better understand the racial disparages in our country and within the church. It was heartfelt and educational.
Our panelists gave great insight into the pain and frustration in the black community. With great candor, Pastor Frank Collins shared a story from his childhood. He recounted one of his first experiences with segregation and how it didn't make sense to him as a little boy. It was gut-wrenching to hear but articulated the point that racism isn't subjected to only our distant past.
This open dialogue was recorded with a desire to share it with others in order to use it as a tool to stamp out the sin of racism in our churches and communities. It has been edited down to 1hour and 45 minutes from its original length on Google Meets. We want to encourage you to make this resource available to your church and leaders in whatever capacity you see fit. Take two Wednesday nights and use this video for a class. Invite your church leaders to watch it with you or on their own and compare notes/thoughts. However you chose to use it, walk in love, grace, and understanding.