Rev. Michael Culbreth attends conference for cross-racial congregations
Rev. Michael Culbreth, senior pastor of ConneXion Church in Savannah, attended the Facing the Future Conference in November sponsored by the General Commission on Religion and Race. He shares his experience below.
As a pastor of a cross-racial congregation it was a privilege for me to represent the South Georgia Conference at the 2023 Facing the Future Conference held November 14-16 in Atlanta. The conference followed the theme: “Being, Belonging and Becoming.” More than 290 people representing annual conferences from across the United States attended the conference. Participants worshipped together, listened to powerful speakers, and attended various workshops such as “Clergy and Financial Wellness,” “Empathy & Burnout,” “Navigating Bias,” and others.
The purpose of the conference, sponsored by the General Commission on Religion and Race, was to provide inspiration, support and resources for pastors serving cross-racial and cross-cultural congregations. In a statement about the conference, the conference coordinators noted that we are living in a deeply divided and highly polarized society as communities become more diverse. The church has to increase her capacity to appreciate diversity. Pastors serving in cross-racial and cross-cultural congregations are prophetic agents whose job it is to create the beloved community in the midst of cultural divisions.
On the first day of the conference, we as participants were reminded to remember our baptisms. By remembering our baptism, we focused upon who we are as God’s people and upon how God has called us to serve. We were challenged to love ourselves and avoid being hypocritical. Each of us has to “remove our masks” to reveal who we really are. Each of us is one of God’s chosen and beloved children. God values each of us despite our race, culture, or background.
Further, each of us belongs to God because we have responded to God’s call. Dr. Kendrick D. Weaver, a conference speaker, noted that God initiated our call. God calls us because God considers us to be worthy of the creator’s attention. God speaks to us only when God has our attention. In order for God to speak to us, each of us has to be attentive so that we can hear God’s voice. Weaver identified this attentiveness to God as “hinneni,” which in Hebrew means, “I am here.” Hinneni is being present for God and for others. Weaver challenged us as religious leaders to evaluate how we can be more attentive to God’s presence in our lives.
On the final day of the conference, we were reminded to be strong, courageous, and to trust God who leads us. God is leading us into a “new land.” We are journeying with God, which requires us to work together, rethink how we are addressing racism and facing a changing world while striving to build God’s kingdom on earth. As we strive to build God’s kingdom, we must seek direction from God and strive to destroy racial barriers by continuing to address systemic racism.
Overall, I found the conference to be inspirational, informative, and enlightening. It was great to meet colleagues who are serving cross-racial and cross-cultural congregations across the nation. The pastors who are serving racially and culturally diverse congregations are confronting numerous challenges. As we prepare for the future, we as United Methodist must take destroying systemic racism seriously. Otherwise, nothing will change. We as cross-racial and cross-cultural pastors are committed to destroying racism. As it was stated in the closing session of the conference: “We resist. We refuse to let hatred in. We rise up. We won’t back down. We’re in this until the end.”