PCA Mission To North America (MNA) Employee Argues For Black Segregated Events/ Safe Spaces
Kellie Gordon Brown is the Operations Director at African American Ministries for the PCA’s Mission to North America and “serves as a mentor to cohort participants for the Institute for Cross-Cultural Missions. (ICCM).
She works under Irwyn Ince, who was involved in a bit of controversy after it was announced that he would be the guest speaker at a black-only segregated church event at Resurrection Oakland Church in Oakland.
Along with being involved in Church planning, Brown also helps organize LDR Weekend.
LDR stands for Leadership, Development, and Resource. LDR Weekend is an “annual gathering for African Americans in the PCA” that is “designed to be a ‘family reunion,’ an opportunity to connect with and encourage one of our denomination’s most underrepresented demographics.”
With black only plenary speakers and panelists, their site’s FAQ states that “The event is specifically geared toward the African American experience in the Reformed tradition of Christianity. Since space is limited, we try to make registration available to this community first.”
Furthermore, Brown and her husband Howard Brown are currently planting a church for the PCA, “Kindred Hope,” which advises white Christians to become “allies” and financial backers rather than congregants.
In an unearthed video she reveals the importance of black only safe spaces, crediting them for her remaining in the denomination for so long:
“There’s a lot of conversation around diversity. And a lot of, sadly, Christians are saying that we shouldn’t have spaces for black folks, that it’s divisive and whatnot. And I actually am a testimony that that’s just not true.
When minority people have a safe space to be themselves and to share their hearts, and that space is protected and initiated and supported by the majority culture that’s around them, then that makes them feel even safer, and it actually pushes us closer to being one church.
And a lot of voices out there would lie and manipulate that and make it seem like it creates divisiveness, but Christ Central is a testimony that that’s just not true. And I’m still here in the PCA after 30-some odd years because of safe spaces and places like you had with Pastor Omari [Hill, of Perimeter Church] and other brothers to help navigate.”
About Author
Imagine the uproar if this was a “white only” event! Racism is racism. I don’t care your skin color. But then the PCA has been gone for a very long time. Someone asked me recently was I going to the Montreat music conferene? I couldn’t stand being near them for one day much less one week.