Reflections on the Proctor Conference

By: Pastor Tina

As I probed the website and literature for the conference immediately my thoughts were “I am about to get a good old fashion history lesson about the struggles of my people (African Americans).” Even with these thoughts I don’t think they enlightened me for what was about to “reform” and “enhance” the way I view ministry. One of the most impacting experiences was to hear the voice of cry from a people that even though they have been the least likely the left out and the looked over, they possessed wisdom to know that the way to seek justice was to be inclusive and not bias or prejudice.



Reckoning with Power: Destroying Caste and Restoring community is a mission to mobilize faith, civic, cooperate and philanthropic leaders. A mission that has taken the words of Dr. Martin Luther King to heart, “the gospel at its best deals with the whole man, not only his soul but also his body, not only his spiritual well-being but also his material well-being. A religion that professes a concern for the soul of men and is not equally concerned about the slums that damn them, the economic conditions that strangle them, and the social conditions that cripple them is a spiritually moribund religion.”

The enlightenment of how history and memory has played a dominate role in the ignorance of stereotype, biases and prejudices of black people is horrendous and heart wrenching for me. Emilie Townes writes,  "A history that contains the ultimate mammy, the emasculating bitch, the tragic mulatta, the castrating matriarch, and the pickaninny continue to ooze from the pores of videos and magazines and television radio and music and the pulpit. These images of Black women and girls rest solidly in the imagination of U.S. culture and must be deconstructed and understood for the awful impact they have on how a stereotype is shaped into 'truth' in memory and in history."

It was affirming to see a diversity of people with hearts full of compassion and justice for all. A people that despite past and present prejudice understand that united we can stand against the wilds of the fiery darts of evil that knows no gender, race, age or religion, that  seeks to steal kill and destroy the human race. It was affirming to hear the inclusive language in the fight against mass incarceration. It was affirming to witness the astronomical amount of donations contributed to the efforts of dismantling social injustice by building infrastructures of empowering conferences, seminars, webinars, lectures, debates, social service agencies, resource centers, advocacy outreach teams, and the like, worldwide. It was affirming to view the legacy of one man, inspired in the hearts of many, to bring about a change in a world where we all in reality have the same needs (God, clean air, food, water and love).

With tears of sorrow and joy, I am conflicted within of the facts that the systemic issues causing prejudice today are birth in the church. Distorted sermons that fail to teach we all are traveling from Mt. Sinai to Mt. Calvary together undermines the  unity and love that Christ died for. But to know that these very flaws of humanity are covered in the love that God has for humanity brings me joy. One of the most impactful experiences that have enhanced the way I view and do ministry was the “Covenants of Presence.”
These covenants are sacred vows we make to one another about how we choose to show up together in this space. It consist of twelve but the one that impacts me the most is 8) Turn to Wonder: if you find YOURSELF becoming judgmental, cynical or certain about what you know, try turning to wonder: “I wonder why he/she shared that story or made those choices?” “I wonder what my reaction teaches me?” “I wonder how my story connects to their story?”

Remember, how can we influence the rules-you cannot have a care about public good when you have anxiety about who is in the public. May God burden the readers of this article to make a difference right where you are is my prayer in Jesus’ name!

Pastor Tina is a chaplain and a middler in the Master of Divinity program at McCormick Theological Seminary.