I`m Black. I`m Christian. I`m Methodist., , Smith Lillian C., Beasley Erin

Its uncertain that Howard Thurman made the remark often attributed to him, I have been writing this book all my life, but there is little doubt that he was deeply immersed in reflection on the times that bear an uncanny resemblance to the present day, which give voice to the Black Lives Matter movement.

Our lifes book is filled with sentence upon sentence of marginalization, pages of apartheid, chapters of separate and unequal. Now this season reveals volumes of violence against Blacks in America.

Ten Black women and men explore life through the lens of compelling personal religious narratives. They are people and leaders whose lives are tangible demonstrations of the power of a divine purpose and evidence of what grace really means in face of hardship, disappointment, and determination. Each of the journeys intersect because of three central elements that are the focus of this book. Were Black. Were Christians. Were Methodists. Each starts with the fact, Im Black, but to resolve the conflict of being Christian and Methodist means confronting aspects of White theology, White supremacy, and White racism in order to ground an oppositional experience toward domination over four centuries in America.

The confluence of the everyday indignities of being Black in America; the outrageous, egregious, legalized lynching of George Floyd; and the unforgivable disparities exposed once again by COVID-19 have conspired together to create a seminal moment in America and in The United Methodist Church--in which we must find the courage to say unambiguously Black Lives Matter. To stumble or choke on those words is beneath the gospel, says Bishop Gregory Palmer, who wrote the foreword to the collection.

Praise for Im Black. Im Christian. Im Methodist.

This book made me shout, dance, rage and hope--all at once As a cradle Methodist, I have deep love for my church and bless it for nurturing my walk with Christ and my passion for social justice. At the same time, I lament that my church is also the place where I have witnessed and been most wounded by virulent racism, sexism, heterosexism, and ageism. Yet, I stay and struggle for the soul of the church because I am a Black Christian woman fired by the love of God-in-Christ-Jesus. I stay because this is MY church and the church of my ancestors. Although I regularly question my decision to remain United Methodist, it is stories like these--from other exuberant love warriors--that remind me that I am called by God to stay, pray, fight, and flourish
--M. Garlinda Burton, deaconess and interim general secretary, General Commission of Religion and Race, Washington DC

Racism continues to be the unacceptable scandal of American society and the American churches. In spite of some gains such as the diversity of supporters for Black Lives Matter, even the best intentioned among us remain largely ignorant of the actual life experience of those who are other than ourselves. This collection of testimonies, edited by Rudy Rasmus, helps remedy that by simply recounting personal stories of being Black, Christian, and Methodist in the United States. White Methodist Christians in particular need to read these stories and take them to heart so that racism and its divisiveness is countered by shared experience and recognition of common humanity across difference. More White Methodists need not only reject racism in our society and church but become active anti-racists willing to do the hard work to create the beloved community, dreamed about by Martin Luther King in the 1960s civil rights movement.
--Bruce C. Birch, Dean Emeritus and Professor Emeritus of Biblical Theology
Wesley Theological Seminary, Washington DC