by dan robling
This message is dedicated to Grandmother Williams who was born a slave, her daughter Grandmother McDonald who was mistreated throughout her life because of her heritage, and to my mother Wilma McDonald Robling who felt compelled to leave the city and county of her birth to escape the pains of racism.
Due to the fact that racism in the church has historically paralleled racism in society, we people of Black African heritage have found it necessary to organize frequently for leading godly change.
The Union of Black Episcopalians stands in the continuing tradition of more than 200 years of Black leadership in the Episcopal Church, a tradition that began when a group of black members of a Methodist Church in Philadelphia left their church. Some were carried out while others followed them out. They formed St. Thomas African Church. St. Thomas and their pastor, The Reverend Absalom Jones, applied for and received Episcopal parish status in 1794. When Absalom Jones was ordained in 1802, he became the first ordained black Episcopal priest. Our people THOUGHT we were on our way to recognition, reception, and respect.
In 1856, we organized to fight the exclusion of blacks from Episcopal seminaries and diocesan conventions. We formed an organization that was eventually called the Protestant Episcopal Society for Promoting the Extension of the Church Among Colored People.
We were compelled to organize again in 1882 when a priest launched a virulent attack arguing that there was little growth in the number of black Episcopalians due to intellectual, moral, and leadership inferiority. A group of bishops developed the "SEWANEE PLAN." Their plan was to segregate the church by forming a racial diocese putting all black parishes in the black diocese. Our people formed an organization that became the Conference of Church Workers Among Colored People. The Conference lasted into the mid 60s and made some accomplishments. We kept Segregation from becoming Canon law!
RACISM IN THE CHURCH HAS HISTORICALLY PARALLELED RACISM IN SOCIETY.
In February 8, 1968, in response to a plan to remove the Black Desk from the National Church, we organized what is known today as the Union of Black Episcopalians. The UBE encourages involvement of black people in the total life of the Church on every level and in every way. We have 55 chapters in the US, Caribbean, Canada, Africa, and Latin America.
My home parish, St. Anthony on the Desert of Scottsdale, celebrates the Feast of Absalom Jones (found in Lesser Feasts and Fasts) on or shortly after February 13 each year. Last month as Fr. Jon Coffey was celebrating the Feast of Absalom Jones, he described Absalom Jones as a revolutionary. Fr. Jon also described Jesus as a revolutionary. Yes, our sweet Prince of Peace was and is a revolutionary. He came with a sword to turn the world upside down, to make old things pass away and all things new. The revolutionary Jesus caused the blind to see, deaf to hear, lame to walk, and a friend to rise from the grave. He turned water into wine and, as we heard in the Gospel reading appointed for today, he fed a multitude of five thousand people from five barley loaves and two fish. He came to change the hearts of people, replace sin with righteousness and to replace hate with love.
As a twenty-one year old pastor of five southern United Methodist rural churches, I observed the special days designated by the Church Calendar of the Methodist Church. One of those special Sunday observances is called "Race Relations Sunday." Preachers are expected to preach about race relations on the specified day.
I prepared a special sermon about the "Brotherhood of Man and the Fatherhood of God" concluding that with one father all people are brothers and sisters.
After the service at my first scheduled church for the day, while shaking hands with a seventy-five year old lady, she said, "I have been coming to church every Sunday for seventy-five years and this is the first time I have ever heard that subject discussed at church." She continued, " Wasn't that interesting? (Southern expression for 'you ought to mind your own business Yankee Preacher')."
At the close of service at another of the five churches, a gentleman said brusquely, "I WANT TO SEE YOU OUTSIDE!" After shaking hands and bidding the other parishioners goodbye, I proceeded outside to the church yard. There stood Mr. Goodman with his feet planted firmly and far apart, fists clinched, face beet-red, and his lips quivering. He said, "I liked you up til now even though you are a Yankee. But once you stopped preachin from the Bible and started meddlin in politics, you have done gone too far." I respectfully replied that I was not aware of "The Brotherhood of Men" as being a political issue and that it was in fact very biblical as taught by Jesus.
Mr. Goodman blurted, "I'll have you know that I am not racist. When my 'nigras' are picking my cotton, I let them eat on my back-porch from the same pot of food that I eat. But when you start tellin me that they are equal to me, you have done stopped preachin and are meddlin in politics. By the way, I hear that you are causin trouble at the hospital. They say you are tryin to integrate the hospital (a county owned facility.)" I replied, "Yes sir, I am." He went on, "Do you know they are talking about hangin you at the Court Square?" I replied, "Yes sir, I know it." He continued, " Is that funny lookin little collar thing you are wearing part of a Communist uniform?" I replied, "No sir, it is part of the uniform of a church clergymen." He shook his head and said, "There's gonna be lots of trouble." There was lots of trouble!
RACISM IN THE CHURCH HAS HISTORICALLY PARALLELED RACISM IN SOCIETY.
Two years later, as Student Pastor of a Presbyterian church in a small town in Southern Illinois, I traveled one hundred twenty miles round trip to school three days each week. Each boring mile looked just like the past boring mile. It was always a pleasure to have passengers with which to pass the time. There was a lady living in our town who had a daughter and grandchildren that lived in the college town. She would occasionally ride along to visit her grandchildren. We often had interesting and entertaining conversations.
One Monday morning as we were heading out for the day, she turned to me and inquired, "Reverend Robling, what do you think of the World Council of Churches?" I sensed that she did not really want to hear my answer. She was about to reveal some important information to me. I astutely responded to her question with a question, "Mrs. Jones what do YOU think of the World Council of Churches?" She quickly replied, "I think it is a communist organization." I responded that her revelation was interesting and inquired as to how she had reached that conclusion. She said, "It is run by the Jews and you know that all of them Jews is Catholic." Astounded by her confidence in the logic of her conclusions, I inquired as to the source of her information. She replied, "Reverend Lester told us so at Church Sunday." Mrs. Jones was offering her newly discovered knowledge in the name of our Lord.
RACISM AND ETHNIC PREJUDICES IN GOD'S CHURCH HAVE HISTORICALLY PARALLELED THOSE OF SECULAR SOCIETY.
Some say we have come a long way. I say we have just begun Christ's Revolution of Love.
Father Harry, while praying today, mentioned that we are involved in a process for selecting new leadership for our diocese. I have heard that we are also searching to fill eight to twelve positions for priests. Next year, after all of the positions have been filled and we have the same number of African American priests in our diocese as we have now (zero), what will we say?" Perhaps we will say that we could not find "qualified African American priests." Or maybe we will say, "You know that not all people are as enlightened as we are and the majority would just not be comfortable with a black priest." "You understand, of course."
RACISM IN THE CHURCH CONTINUES TO PARALLEL RACISM IN SOCIETY.
Jesus did not say, "Feed my white sheep." He did not say, "Those among you that are white, feed my sheep." In Matthew 11:28 Jesus is quoted as having said, "Come unto me ALL who labor and are heavy laden and I will give you rest."
I have spent a life-time of fighting racism in Church, outside the Church, in business, in communities, and in government. It has been a painful process.
I have looked into the eyes of evil, escaped the hangman's noose, and ducked the rifle bullet whizzing past my head on its way to shatter the glass window behind me. I KNOW EVIL WHEN I SEE IT! I KNOW EVIL WHEN I HEAR IT. Prejudiceand racism are the subtlest forms of hatred. Hatred in any form is evil. Evil keeps us from the full joy of the salvation Jesus died to provide.
Sometimes people say, "Dan, you sound angry when you talk about racism." The voice you hear today is the voice of my heart. It is not an angry heart. It is an agonizing and pain-filled heart. The agony is shared with the revolutionary Jesus that looked down over Jerusalem and wept. It is pain shared with Jesus as he looks down on his world today, on this state, his church, and into the hearts of people that have not embraced his love.
The revolutionary Jesus that fed multitudes has left US in charge of continuing his revolution. WE must lead his family to love and understanding.
If anyone listening today is uncomfortable with hearing about racism and is angered by this sermon, please understand that there is not room in a human heart (the soul of a person) for the love that accompanies a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ and the hatred that accompanies racism. The two cannot dwell in the same heart.
I have a message for you today. It is from Jesus………. He loves you!
I love you in name of the one true God who is Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Amen
NOTE: Three years have past. There are still no African American priests in this diocese.