I Still Don’t Trust The Church After The 2016 Presidential Election. Here’s 3 Reasons Why.

1. The American Church Functions As A Color Blind Entity

Trace Allen
Sep 3, 2018 · 4 min read

Can I get a show of hands for how many of you have heard a white church member or Christian friend say that they don’t see color? Go ahead, I’ll wait. I thought so. This is an all too common refrain by mostly well-meaning white Christians.Why is this problematic? This colorblind approach leads to three significantly negative outcomes.

First, a colorblind church will almost always fall into a white liturgy where the cultural perspectives of people of color are not represented let alone appreciated and valued as an integral part of the worship experience. This looks like the the gold standard of worship music being Hillsong or Chris Tomlin and the epitome of teaching being the likes of John Piper or Joel Osteen while marginalizing artists such as Kirk Franklin or Tasha Cobbs and teachers such as Cornell West or TD Jakes. A more visible representation of this is awkward racial makeup of many churches. More than half of American congregations are at least 80% white. Yes, there are many churches that can point to pews with white a variety of skin tones and hues, which is not a positive. However, that anecdote distracts from one of the most sinister aspects of a colorblind church, power structures. In many of these diverse congregations, the leadership still looks predominately white and predominantly male. When people of color and women are part of leadership they are often relegated to rolls such as worship leader/choir director, children’s ministry, or women’s only ministry.

Secondly, colorblind congregations often end up practicing a white theology. In short, white theology can be understood as seeing Christianity through the lens of whiteness, resulting in a theology that emphasizes individual behaviors and “right thinking” over collective liberation and freedom. It is a theology that sides with power and the oppressor at the direct expense of the oppressed. You often see this play out in colorblind congregations through the belief and practice of mind-body dualism. These congregations are often obsessed with “winning” and “saving souls” that they neglect the very real and material needs of the bodies in their communities. This is a rather jarring experience for people of color, as we are very aware of the perpetual risk that our bodies are exposed to.

Lastly, church bodies that adopt a colorblind framework, don’t truly see people of color. When white Christians practice this framework, they are effectively stripping people of color of their culture, their lived experiences, their philosophies, and their humanity. Our racial and ethnic identities are completely integral to who we are and cannot be separated from us. This leads to white Christians and colorblind congregations seeing everything from a white default leading to them marginalizing issues and experiences that affect POC in their communities. By adopting this practice, white Christians are passively participating in white supremacy’s oldest game.

2. The American Church Is Silent on Behalf of Marginalized Communities (Unless It Positions Them as a Savior)


The Christian Church can be pretty vocal when it wants to be. Over the last few years, many Christian leaders have engaged in what many have dubbed “culture wars” where they clearly took sides. The two issues most famously discussed in the public arena being marriage equality and women’s reproductive health. These two issues became the de facto rallying cry for a majority of American Christians, more specifically, white, evangelical Christians.

It is clear then that the Church has a voice and they used it fervently during these periods. What is striking is just how quickly it lost its voice when other issues moved into the mainstream of the public arena. Let’s use Black Lives Matter as a case study. In May of 2016, it was reported that only 13% of evangelicals supported Black Lives Matter.

Why so silent?

When Alton Sterling was murdered? Silence.
Sandra Bland? Crickets.
Deportation of Dreamers? Tumbleweeds.

But if there is some poor black or brown child in a foreign country that makes for a compelling story or “testimonial”? Or if one feels the need to volunteer their time post-disaster because it makes a great photo op? They raise their collective voice to the heavens, they tweet, they post, they fundraise, all in the name of “justice”.

The Church has consistently sided with empire (power & privilege, especially that of the state) at every possible avenue and will only defect from this pattern when individuals can appear as “righteous heroes” or “saviors”.

3. The American Church’s Lack of Acknowledgment and Atonement For It’s Contributions to Racial Oppression


This one might be the toughest pill for many to swallow, as the dominant culture often functions in an ahistorical manner, meaning that they do not consider how historic contributes to the dynamics of today.

From the European conquest of indigeneuous peoples and the desire to “Christianize” to the slave owners and preachers alike declaring that Bible is unequivocally in support of slavery to the overwhelming silence of white Christians during the Civil Rights Era. The dynamic between Christianity and racial oppression in this country is a long and messy one.

It appears to me that the Christian Church today has not fully come to terms with its complicity and direct support of its role in these injustices. This is deeply troubling because until the Church does, it cannot begin to make atonement for its actions, therefore American Christianity will always be overshadowed by racism.

So Now What?


Quite frankly, I’m not sure. Because while this article primarily focuses on the damages done by white Christians and the white church, people of color are complicity as well. Many churches founded by and stewarded by people of color have adopted a whiteness and white theology into their beliefs and practices.

So where does this leave us? I think it leaves us with the opportunity to create a new paradigm in how we engage in faith, race, and social justice. I don’t have the answer but I am always down to have the conversation.

Join our community and continue the conversation at The Affirmative.


Originally published at www.theaffirmative.co.

Trace Allen

Written by

Advocate|Innovator|Joy-Filled|Shifting the culture of toxic masculinity by engaging in convos on race, justice, faith, and mental health at theaffirmative.co

Welcome to a place where words matter. On Medium, smart voices and original ideas take center stage - with no ads in sight. Watch
Follow all the topics you care about, and we’ll deliver the best stories for you to your homepage and inbox. Explore
Get unlimited access to the best stories on Medium — and support writers while you’re at it. Just $5/month. Upgrade