Overview

Not long ago, most white American Christians believed that Jesus blessed slavery. God wasn't bothered by Jim Crow. Baby Jesus had white skin. Meet Plantation Jesus: a god who is comfortable with bigotry, and an idol that distorts the message of the real Savior. That false image of God is dead, right? Wrong, argue the authors of Plantation Jesus, an authoritative new book on one of the most urgent issues of our day. Through their shared passion for Jesus Christ and with an unblinking look at history, church, and pop culture, authors Skot Welch and Rick Wilson detail the manifold ways that racism damages the church's witness. Together Welch and Wilson take on common responses by white Christians to racial injustice, such as ""I never owned a slave,"" ""I don't see color; only people,"" and ""We just need to get over it and move on."" Together they call out the church's denials and dodges and evasions of race, and they invite readers to encounter the Christ of the disenfranchised.With practical resources and Spirit-filled stories, Plantation Jesus nudges readers to learn the history, acknowledge the injury, and face the truth. Only then can the church lead the way toward true reconciliation. Only then can the legacy of Plantation Jesus be replaced with the true way of Jesus Christ.

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9781513803319

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Reviews

Plantation Jesus is a healing triumph. It exposes white Christian supremacy with fearless urgency. Then it invites broken believers to dare dismantle the worship of racism in exchange for surrender to the reconciling Christ. A courageous call; may all God's people respond in kind. --Patricia Raybon, author of My First White Friend Plantation Jesus provides a raw, unflinching, and yet ultimately hopeful survey of white supremacy in the church, complete with stories, conversation starters, and practical ideas to help turn conviction into action. A must-read for those ready to confront racial bias in their church and in their lives but aren't sure where to start. --Rachel Held Evans, author of Searching for Sunday and Inspired I've long felt that churches, filled with people of faith, ought to be the vessels within which the difficult, transformative conversations about race could be held. Yet for the most part, this has not been the case. Plantation Jesus boldly shows us why not, and then shows us a path forward. Read this book. Then get busy. --Thomas Norman DeWolf, executive director of Coming to the Table and author of Inheriting the Trade Plantation Jesus is a unique book that is real and raw about the challenging nature of conversations about race, ethnicity, faith, and the role of the church. The examples and stories provide a practical view of the long-term implications of the church when it unwittingly perpetuates racism. Plantation Jesus also provides hope that an authentic view of Jesus can reemerge if people are willing to have the difficult conversations. --Kyle Ray, lead pastor of Kentwood Community Church Plantation Jesus is a well-researched and straightforward work that will contribute to the dismantling of racism if readers will heed the authors' words. . . . Please read this book, give a copy to somebody in your church, and then put the words into practice. --Dennis Edwards, senior pastor of Sanctuary Covenant Church America is in deep trouble. White supremacy should not be the guiding principle of an enlightened society, and people of faith need to be at the forefront of changing the paradigm, just as they were during the periods of abolition and civil rights activism. The only way to transcend the past is to confront it honestly, and Plantation Jesus is a powerful guide for doing just that. --Sharon Leslie Morgan, coauthor of Gather at the Table and founder of Our Black Ancestry Skot Welch and Rick Wilson imagine a church that floods both sanctuary and streets with Christ's love. Anything less would be a failed life. Plantation Jesus will challenge you. You may not like what it says. But please ask the Lord for help as you read. Then ask Jesus to use you as a neighbor and healer, as one who binds up the wounds of the brokenhearted. --Scott Hagan, president of North Central University

""Plantation Jesus is a healing triumph. It exposes white Christian supremacy with fearless urgency. Then it invites broken believers to dare dismantle the worship of racism in exchange for surrender to the reconciling Christ. A courageous call; may all God's people respond in kind."" --Patricia Raybon, author of My First White Friend ""Plantation Jesus provides a raw, unflinching, and yet ultimately hopeful survey of white supremacy in the church, complete with stories, conversation starters, and practical ideas to help turn conviction into action. A must-read for those ready to confront racial bias in their church and in their lives but aren't sure where to start."" --Rachel Held Evans, author of Searching for Sunday and Inspired ""I've long felt that churches, filled with people of faith, ought to be the vessels within which the difficult, transformative conversations about race could be held. Yet for the most part, this has not been the case. Plantation Jesus boldly shows us why not, and then shows us a path forward. Read this book. Then get busy."" --Thomas Norman DeWolf, executive director of Coming to the Table and author of Inheriting the Trade ""Plantation Jesus is a unique book that is real and raw about the challenging nature of conversations about race, ethnicity, faith, and the role of the church. The examples and stories provide a practical view of the long-term implications of the church when it unwittingly perpetuates racism. Plantation Jesus also provides hope that an authentic view of Jesus can reemerge if people are willing to have the difficult conversations."" --Kyle Ray, lead pastor of Kentwood Community Church ""Plantation Jesus is a well-researched and straightforward work that will contribute to the dismantling of racism if readers will heed the authors' words. . . . Please read this book, give a copy to somebody in your church, and then put the words into practice."" --Dennis Edwards, senior pastor of Sanctuary Covenant Church ""America is in deep trouble. White supremacy should not be the guiding principle of an enlightened society, and people of faith need to be at the forefront of changing the paradigm, just as they were during the periods of abolition and civil rights activism. The only way to transcend the past is to confront it honestly, and Plantation Jesus is a powerful guide for doing just that."" --Sharon Leslie Morgan, coauthor of Gather at the Table and founder of Our Black Ancestry ""Skot Welch and Rick Wilson imagine a church that floods both sanctuary and streets with Christ's love. Anything less would be a failed life. Plantation Jesus will challenge you. You may not like what it says. But please ask the Lord for help as you read. Then ask Jesus to use you as a neighbor and healer, as one who binds up the wounds of the brokenhearted."" --Scott Hagan, president of North Central University

Author Information

Skot Welch is the principal/founder of Global Bridgebuilders, a firm focusing on cultural transformation and inclusion that serves a wide range of clients in the U.S. and in more than seven countries. Welch has worked in international business and diversity and inclusion management for nearly twenty years. Welch received his bachelor's degree from Albion College and his master's in management and international marketing from Aquinas College. He and his wife, Barbara have two children. Rick Wilson was an Emmy-winning producer and writer in print and broadcast media. He was cohost, with Skot Welch, of the popular radio program Radio in Black and White, which covered topics related to race, ethnicity, and cultural competence. Wilson died in 2014 and is survived by his wife, Laurie, five children, and four grandchildren. Andi Cumbo-Floyd is a writer, editor, and writing coach whose books including The Slaves Have Names, a book of creative nonfiction that tells the story of the people who were enslaved on the plantation that she calls home. She holds an MFA in Creative Nonfiction from Antioch University, an MA in Literature from Case Western Reserve University, and a BA in English and History from Messiah College. She and her husband Philip run a small farm in central Virginia.

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