The Dance of Inclusion: African American Leadership in Dominant Culture Churches by Bianca Davis-Lovelace

When I first answered the call to ministry, I remember that my biggest desire was to be a bridge builder. I often envisioned myself pastoring a church that was filled with people from all walks of life. Ministry for me was supposed to be multi-cultural. However, I underestimated the challenges that come with being young, Black, and a woman in ministry. I quickly found out that the inter-workings of ministry are political on so many levels.

In my denomination (United Church of Christ), one of the requirements for ordination is that we receive a call before one is ordained into Christian ministry. I noticed that many of my African American colleagues would wait long periods of time for ordination. I learned through observation that there were two major reasons why my colleagues weren’t being ordained. In a predominantly white denomination, qualified African American ministers were not getting calls from majority white congregations. I witnessed white seminarians receiving calls right after graduation while many African American seminarians would have to wait years after graduation to receive a call. Another reason why African Americans weren’t receiving calls was due to the fact that some don’t feel comfortable serving white or multicultural churches. A majority white church is not seen as safe space for many people of color. Some do not want to deal with the struggles of being a Black pastor in a majority white church.

Through both observation and experience, I have arrived at the conclusion that many white churches who claim to be ready for diversity within their congregations were not ready to take leadership from someone who is African American. Many only wanted diversity for appearance, but when it came to leadership and decision making, it was whites only. It is my experience that a so called “multi-cultural” church is nothing more than whiteness with a splash of color. Whiteness is still centered in worship, governance, and programming.

For those of us who are African American and pastor majority white churches, this journey is not easy. Pastoring in a majority white church will make one ask the question, “Is there any safe space for us to just exist?”  Black pastors deal with oppression both inside and outside of the church. As for myself, it is magnified when you add the extra layers of being under 40 and a woman.

The struggles of being a Black pastor in a majority white church centers around trying to co-exist in this environment while honoring who you are as a person of color. Many times, this struggle puts you in a constant state of discomfort while your white counterparts are seeking to make sure that they are comfortable at all times. The dominant culture expects their Black pastors to assimilate to their culture inside of the church instead of figuring out ways that they can be more welcoming and inclusive of clergy of color. This was evident to me as I went through the search and call process and was asked the question “How do you think you would fit in this environment?” This is code for, “How do you as an African American woman, a woman who was an associate pastor in a majority Black church, fit into ‘our’ world?”

What they do not realize is that being Black in America means that we are forced to navigate white spaces all the time. Therefore, the question really should be, “How would your white congregation welcome and accept a Black pastor for who she or he is and the unique gifts and experiences that they may bring to the table?”

The dance of inclusion as an African American pastor centers around navigating spaces where white privilege is guaranteed to manifest itself. It’s a dance between appearing non-threatening and bringing your authentic self to the table. It’s a dance between speaking truth to power after a major incident like Charlottesville and not scaring “the good white folks” who often tend to shut down whenever you speak about power, privilege, and white supremacy. It is walking into the church on Sunday morning after some form of racial injustice has taken place that week and knowing that your congregants are more concerned with the football game than the well-being of their Black or Hispanic neighbors. It is preaching with sacred passion and fire on social justice issues (which is celebrated in the Black church) without someone mistaking it for anger. We live in a society where our voice is threatening. Our protest is threatening. Our very being is threatening. In this context, you are bound to meet someone who is just not ready to accept African American leadership; yet we persevere through all the microaggressions to bring the word of God to broken people.

There can be a laundry list of challenges that an African American pastor can face while serving a predominantly white church. However, the gift of creating space for important, long-overdue conversations around race is just one of the gifts that come with this position. We are a sacred bridge between two worlds that never really get to interact with each other beyond a surface level. We navigate the dominate culture’s world and their systems to advocate for less privileged communities. We do this with the hope that someone within this community will get inspired to take action against racism, violence, and other issues that plague marginalized communities.

It is my hope that our pastoral leadership will break down barriers and open doors that have historically been shut to other people of color within our denominations. So, I stay and fight for those who feel like their ministry won’t be accepted in white spaces. I stay and fight against the white supremacy that exists inside of our religious institutions. I stay and fight even in the midst of encountering racism, sexism, and ageism because I know that my ministry will set someone else free. In this era of resistance, we must resist anything that seeks to further divide us as people of God. It is my prayer that barriers will be broken and that we as followers of Christ will see the Christ that dwells inside of ourselves and our neighbors.

Reverend Bianca Davis-Lovelace is an ordained United Church of Christ pastor, and the Co-Founder of Progressive Millennials for Action, an organization that seeks to empower the millennial generation through awareness, service, and direct action.

Rev. Bianca earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Speech from Jackson State University and a Master of Arts Management degree with a focus in Nonprofit Management from Columbia College Chicago. In 2010, Rev. Bianca answered the call to ministry and matriculated to Chicago Theological Seminary, where she earned a Master of Divinity degree in 2013.

In addition to her pastoral ministry, Rev. Bianca Davis- Lovelace was formerly employed with Chicago’s Cook County Health & Hospital Systems as an Early Intervention Services Specialist and Health Educator for clients diagnosed with HIV and at-risk communities. In 2015, she was chosen as Princeton Theological Seminary’s Black Theology and Leadership Fellow and one of Union Theological Seminary’s top 50 Millennial Leaders for the Millennial Leaders Project. In November of 2015, she was honored for her leadership in activism and ministry through Chicago’s 40 Under 40 Young Women Professionals League. Recently in 2017, she was selected to serve as a Community Engagement Fellow for President Barack Obama’s Organizing for Action organization. She is a proud wife and mother.