Repudiating Any and All Forms of White-Supremacy by Bishop Emeritus David Kendall
Bishop Emeritus David Kendall
Making clear and informed statements about racism is a necessary part of leadership. This is true not only of those who are now leading churches, businesses and organizations, but those who influence the leaders of our world. Free Methodist Bishop Emeritus David Kendall is one of those influencers. Having served faithfully for many years as pastor, superintendent and Bishop, Dr. Kendall also has an earned doctorate in Biblical studies. Writing from this wealth of experience and training, Kendall recently wrote a blog on Racism.
He says in part:
“As a follower of Jesus, I repudiate racism. This is a matter of commitment to Jesus as Lord. It strikes me as unthinkable that any trace of racism should lodge in my heart, mind, spirit, sentiments, tendencies, actions or reactions. Truly. As soon as I say/write this, though, I recall other attitudes, feelings, tendencies, responses that once lingered within me for some time before I even knew it and then remained for some additional time as I dealt with them and put them aside. I’m talking about things that are unworthy and contrary to the way of Jesus, such as anger, envy, bitterness and unforgiveness. Likewise, there are things I once put off by the grace of God only later to resurface, sometimes worse than before. So, I do repudiate racism, and yet I am asking what lingers in my heart that I never knew was there?