MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Pastors serve as changemakers in all types of communities. Many of them have called racism one of the worst issues plaguing humankind.
Pastor Ricky Floyd at Pursuit of God Church Memphis wants to bring people of different backgrounds together to continue talking about ways to end racism. He hosted a conversation called "Let's Talk, Teach, & Transition" and invited a panel of pastors on Sunday to discuss their solutions for racism.
"It is the responsibility of the Church to call on all people to record to look in the mirror and ourselves to come up with some creative ways, consistent actions that are going to eliminate the spirit and danger of racism," Floyd said.
He said it starts with who you bring to your table to have these uncomfortable conversations that need to happen right now.
"I’m going to have to cross over to the other side and build healthy, viable, crucial and important relationships with people who don’t look like, talk like, think like, and sound like me," Floyd said.
Floyd invited pastors from different communities to share their experiences with racism and how it has shaped them into being catalysts for change.
Pastor Jim Hall, who is a pastor of a church in Fayetteville, Arkansas, shared how his wife was once asked to leave their church for bringing a friend who was Black to a service. Recounting the story brought tears to his eyes, but he said that moment decades ago sparked his desire to create a more inclusive community.
"It incited me to think of ways and solutions to help and I’ve basically been involved with doing that ever since," Hall said.
Pastor Daniel Henley of Journey Christian Church said the solution for racism is within us and something we can fight together. All the pastors said we can find strength in Scripture to be changemakers.
"We are who we’ve been waiting on," Henley said. "Not somebody else, but it’s us."