White Awake: An Honest Look at What It Means to Be White

by Daniel Hill

pastor of a large, suburban, white church asked for advice on diversifying his congregation. He shared his enthusiasm about a recent epiphany he’d had about racial justice and told me he and his board had made a commitment to add at least two nonwhite employees to the team over the next twelve months. He then asked for guidance on setting that process up. Rather than giving him suggestions, I asked, “What do you hope will happen to the church as a result of hiring two staff people of color?” He was ready for this question and answered quickly: “I want my congregation to know that our leadership is serious about this vision. I believe that the best way for them to know how serious we are is to back it up by hiring people of color.” That sounded great, and I could see he was serious about it. I also recognized it may be the beginnings of a transformational awakening, so I continued to probe. “How will you create structures and systems for allowing these staff members to speak into any vestiges of white supremacy that they discover in the culture of your church?” This question threw him for a loop. He hadn’t thought about this angle, and to his credit, he was very transparent about that. He said, “I don’t think I could use the phrase white supremacy within my church. They aren’t ready for it yet.” I thanked him for his humility and candor. I told him that if he continued to walk in spirit of truth, love, and humility, he would come to see God’s kingdom in new ways. We spent t...