Bryan Loritts planted a multi-ethnic church in one of the most racially divided cities in America.
He joins Neil to share what his journey has taught him about race, faith, and reconciliation. Along the way, Loritts has been named among the top thirty emerging Christian leaders by Outreach Magazine, and he is the author of four books including A Cross-Shaped Gospel: Reconciling Heaven And Earth.
Bryan wrote an article for Christianity Today on the strife in Ferguson, Missouri, and he breaks down his views on the aftermath of what took place. He says that the facts are important, but there is an important first step before we can get there.
He shares how as a minority in America, you are always in tune with the reality that you’re different. This is a divide that is 450 years in the forming.
“We need to move from colorblindness to celebration.”
We talk about Bryan’s church and the pro-active fashion in which diversity has been sought in the different ministries and staff of the organization.
Our natural inclination is to be silent on racial issues.
Bryan shares how we glorify God in how we deal with the racial issues in our churches and country.
“Vertical reconciliation naturally leads to horizontal reconciliation.”
There is a difference between “ethnicity” and “culture”. Not every church needs to be or even can be multi-ethnic. Region plays a big role in that. However, the overarching trend nationally is towards increasing ethnic diversity, and it’s a reality the church needs to see and understand.
Bryan address the Kainos Movement, which you can learn about further here.
