It’s that time of the year again—time to review Faithfully Magazine’s most popular stories of 2017. The 10 most popular posts include op-eds, news reports and social media roundups, and touch on topics related to race, missions, sexism, and more.
The list of 10 most popular stories of 2017 is presented in ascending order.
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- The 3 Types of Christians We See Today — Which One Are You? What if science produced an incontrovertible piece of evidence that proves Jesus didn’t die for our sins? Would you continue trying to live a life centered on loving God and loving your neighbor? If the resurrection was debunked, would the lived example of Jesus be enough for you to continue identifying as a Christian? Why are we really doing all of this praying and going to church every week? Are we exercising our faith, or are we searching for certainty? (By Danny Cardwell)
- Stop Talking About Racial Reconciliation and Start Talking About White Supremacy Recently people have asked me, “Why isn’t talking about white privilege enough, why white supremacy?” There is an obvious discomfort with the term among Whites and Asian Americans. The one exception to that is when things like Charlottesville happen. When people march around with Nazi flags, most folks I know feel comfortable saying, “I’m not down with that.” That is a pretty low bar, but OK. However, when the term “white supremacy” is used for anything less obvious than tiki torch-wielding Nazi flag-waving people, lots of folks get uncomfortable. Most of my crowd was taught to use the terms “white privilege” and “racial reconciliation.” Here is why I no longer focus on them and instead teach on white supremacy. (By Erna Kim Hackett)
- I Am Tired of Being Black I need to interrupt your newsfeed for this quick alert: Black people are tired. I shouldn’t speak for everyone but as for myself, I am TIRED of being a woman of color, in the age of social media. I am tired of listening to you debate the lives of Black males at the water cooler, and I am tired of trying really hard to be unoffensive in my approach, while Larry Loose Lips shoots from the hip every chance he gets. (By Heather Day)
- Southern Baptist Convention Rejects Resolution Condemning Alt-Right, White Supremacy Among the submitted resolutions rejected at the annual meeting of the Southern Baptist Convention in Phoenix, Arizona, this year was one calling for the condemnation of the alt-right movement and white supremacy. The resolution was submitted by the Rev. William Dwight McKissic, Sr., a prominent pastor in the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC). (By Nicola A. Menzie)
- Joel Osteen to Reconnect With Pentecostal Roots at Church of God In Christ Convocation Joel Osteen, pastor of Lakewood Church in Houston, Texas, will be the Special Guest Speaker when members of the country’s largest Black Pentecostal denomination gather in St. Louis for their annual Holy Convocation.
- An African Explains Why @TGC’s Article on Africa and Western Missionaries Is Offensive and Wrong Dear TGC, Your website is one of my favorite online ministries and I highly admire the work you all do. However, I recently read an article on your website that disappointed me so much that I had to share why I wholeheartedly disagree with the article’s approach. Here are a few reasons why. (By Mekdes Haddis)
- Black Christian Women Break Silence on Facing Sexism and Racism in Church Black Christian women revealed their own heartbreaking experiences on Twitter after observing that a popular hashtag about the negativity Christian women face was mostly centered on White women. (By Nicola A. Menzie)
- John Piper’s Response to Lecrae Shows White Evangelicals Have More Work to Do The above excerpt includes powerful words from the song “Facts” by rapper Lecrae (born Lecrae Devaugn Moore), who recently released the track on his eighth studio album, All Things Work Together—described as his Blackest album to date. Since 2014, Lecrae has become more engaged in social activism related to racial divisions in the U.S., writing op-eds in response to Ferguson, Charleston, Alton Sterling, and Philando Castile. Speaking both in formal functions, such as a Yale University talk, and informal functions such as his public Twitter account, Lecrae—a longtime favorite on the White Evangelical circuit—has received heavy backlash from White fans for his public statements on race and victims of police killings. (By Timothy Isaiah Cho)
- White Evangelical Churches Use ‘Race Tests’ on People of Color, Study Claims A study by two university professors, one White and one Black, found that White Evangelical churches are not as race-forward as some would like to believe. In fact, according to the study’s findings, White Evangelicals apply “race tests” on people of color to see if they can be kept in the fold, or need to be expelled. (By Nicola A. Menzie)
- White Christian Dean and Faculty Pose as Gangsters in Controversial Photo A White dean of a Texas seminary affiliated with a Christian denomination once known for its staunch defense of Black enslavement posted a controversial photo of himself and other White professors apparently dressed as gangsters on Twitter Tuesday. (By Nicola A. Menzie)
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