In a recently unearthed sermon clip from 2018, SBC Pastor and former International Mission Board President David Platt described how because he has white skin, he has blind spots when teaching the scriptures.
Platt was last seen telling congregation members if they were upset and contemplating breaking fellowship with other congregants who were promoting, working for, or voting for the pro-baby-killing Democratic party, then perhaps they should leave.
In this clip, however, he describes himself as “part of the problem” of racial injustice. Platt earnestly vows to teach on issues in the bible pertinent to black congregation members too, and not just white members as perhaps he’s done in the past.
He condemns church growth ideology that says he should not speak on race issues and affirms that it’s important to declare that white people are part of the problem when it comes to those very issues. He says:
I want to sacrifice more of my preferences as a white pastor. I need to grow. And my laying aside of preferences for members of this body because I want Christ to be exalted through increasing diversity in our leadership and our membership.
On a related note, I do not want to speak from the bible on issues that are popular among white followers of Christ while staying silent in the bible on issues that are important to the non-white followers of Christ. That’s not faithful pastoring.
I actually read this week how studies have shown that white church leaders are less likely to speak and act prophetically on race issues because white church leaders have more to lose when they do. Basically, if you want to draw a crowd in general, stay away from racial issues.And if you want to draw a crowd of white people or black people or this type of person or that type of person then stay away from saying any one of those types of people is part of the problem on racial issues.
Because the reality is many people mainly want to be comforted when they come to church, and as people, we’re naturally drawn to that which brings the most benefit with the least cost.
So if you give people a choice between the church of comfort and the church of comfort but you need to make sacrifices to charge your life, people will choose the church of comfort most every time. Which is why we’ve designed so much of the church culture the way we have today.It’s why we’re so prone not to talk about issues that are uncomfortable to us and I just want to see the bible doesn’t give us that option. Like Amos 5 doesn’t give us that option. We cannot truly worship God while we stay silent on injustice in all kinds of areas.
And I know as a white pastor I have blind spots. So I am part of the problem. I need friends and fellow pastors around me from different ethnicities who help me see those blind spots.
And I’m committed to listening and learning and loving- laying aside whatever contemporary church growth methodology says the best way to grow the church. I ignore the issues. I want to do the exact opposite. I want us to hear God’s word clearly on these issues and then we can trust him with the growth of this church.
David Platt is right about one thing: he is a part of the problem, but not in the way he thinks.
H/T to @WokepreacherTV for the clip
