White Supremacy in Worship
Decolonizing Worship and Dismantling White Supremacy
One thing that most White folks struggle with is the idea that they are, in fact, complicit in the system of White supremacy culture. A HUGE problem is that one of the places we feel most comfortable with this culture in within the walls of our religious spaces. This, in my opinion, especially goes for progressive churches who tend to claim a commitment to anti-racism.
I’ve listed them below and tweaked each issue based on how they affect churches at worship:
✦Perfectionism, such as emphasizing “excellence” in worship and only encouraging “experts” or “professionals” to participate in worship so as to avoid “mistakes.” Instead, expect that everyone will make mistakes and that mistakes offer opportunities for learning and growing together as a community.
✦Sense of Urgency, such as prioritizing quick or highly visible results that can exclude potential allies. Instead, discuss what it means to set goals of inclusivity and diversity, particularly in terms of timing.
✦Defensiveness, such as spending energy trying to protect power or defend against charges of racism, sexism, homophobia, classism, etc. Instead, work on your own defensiveness and understand the link between defensiveness and fear.
✦Valuing Quantity Over Quality, such as directing church resources toward measurable goals. Instead, develop a values statement which expresses the ways in which you want to work, and make sure it is a living document that people apply to their daily work. This goes for Worship services as well. White worship services tend to add too many moving parts, worrying about getting in every aspect that “God would want” or “God ordered” as a part of a worship service.
✦Worshipping the Written Word, such as valuing strong documentation and writing skills. Instead, work to recognize the contributions and skills that every person brings to the organization. This is especially important with regard to Church bylaws, rules and regulations of the church, heteronormative and racist structures, and worrying too much about the way in which something was written i.e. “Introit” vs “Special Music” vs “Sermonic Selection.”
✦Believing in Only One Right Way, such as concluding something is wrong with people who refuse to adapt or change. Instead, never assume that you or your worship/church knows what’s best. i.e. “We don’t clap in this church,” “We don’t sing blood hymns, here,” or “We don’t dance because we’re a White church.” or “We aren’t charismatic at this church.”
✦Paternalism, such as decision-making processes that are only understood by those with power and unclear to those without it. Instead, include people who are affected by decisions in decision-making. This goes especially for decisions ministers make based on some “theological” move. If you seek to change something for the sake of theology, everyone needs to know. Everyone deserves a voice.
✦Either/or Thinking, such as trying to simplify complex things. Instead, slow down, encourage people to do a deeper analysis, and sense that things can be both/and. i.e. “We either believe in blood atonement or we believe in the universality of the cosmic Christ.” or “We are either a small church that loves one another or we are a growing church that is commercialist.” or “We are either a rock band church or an organ and choir church.”
✦Power Hoarding, such as feeling threatened when anyone suggests organizational changes. Instead, understand that change is inevitable and that challenges can be both healthy and productive. Many times in self-governing churches, the powerful (aka the members who have been their for years) feel threatened by suggestions of change, but that comes from a White supremacist point of view. Unlearn holding the power. It isn’t ours to hold.
✦Fear of Open Conflict, such as equating the raising of difficult issues with being rude or impolite. “Progressive” churches will often find that their LGBTQIA+ members and members of color will not always take White supremacy with ease or comfort. There will be anger, sadness, disgust, and possible a fight for change. Instead of getting offended, don’t require those who raise difficult issues to do so in ‘acceptable’ ways, particularly if you’re using the ways in which issues are raised as an excuse not to address them. i.e. “A member said something homophobic, but she responded in a very rude way.” Rightfuly so! Let folks respond with how they feel!
✦Individualism, such as wanting individual recognition and credit. Instead, make sure credit is given to everyone who participates, not just the leaders. Churches are really good at recognizing the Senior Pastor and leaving out all the folks who tithe and make things come together. Folks who just show up are rarely if ever recognized for their willingness to fill the pew. Recognize the community!
✦Believing I’m the Only One, such as thinking that if something is going to get done right, then ‘I’ have to do it. Instead, evaluate people based on their ability to delegate to others. This goes for ensuring those who are making the decisions are as diverse as the church — if not more diverse.
✦Believing Progress is Bigger and More, such as defining success as hiring more staff, developing more projects, or serving more people. Instead, make sure your goals speak to how you want to work, not just what you want to do. Especially when you have marginalized folks in your congregation, focus on how you can foster a community for them. That is progress.
✦Believing in Objectivity, such as considering emotions to be irrational and destructive to decision-making. Instead, push yourself to sit with discomfort when people express themselves in unfamiliar ways. White folks loves to prioritize thought & intellect over feeling and embodiment. This is opposite of our human nature. This manifests in many ways such as: “I come to learn and be intellectually stimulated by the sermon every Sunday, not to feel feelings or be emotionally manipulated.”
“We find that noise and talking or clapping is distracting in worship.” We need to be in our bodies. We need to feel them. There is no objectivity.
✦Claiming a Right to Comfort, such as scapegoating those who cause emotional or psychological discomfort. Instead, welcome discomfort as much as you can and understand that it is the root of all growth and learning. This is one of the biggest ones in worship. God forbid we do something different. Allow different things to be felt and understood. Again, feel your body. Feel your feelings. Be uncomfortable. It is the way to change.
We have a lot of thinking to do. None of us are exempt from this work. None of our “progressive” churches have “figured it out.” None.
✦How might your church work for a more inclusive, decolonized community?
✦How might you unlearn supremacy culture and live in your body?
✦How might we learn to be activists, yet minimize the space we take up?
✦How might we back our words with actions?
✦How might we take risks for the cause?
