Since the #LeaveLOUD movement began, the most common question we have been asked is “Where do we go now?” Every person who is taking the journey toward finding healthy spaces of flourishing will inevitably encounter “The Wilderness.” We feel stuck, weighed down, insecure about the season that we’re in.
In this episode, Tyler and Jemar talk about what it means to walk through the wilderness. They discuss shame, learning and unlearning, patterns of growth, and some perspective about what’s happening in this season of our lives. If you’re in the wilderness, please know you are not alone. Many are walking through the same thing you are.
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What is #LeaveLOUD?
In 2018, the New York Times published an article tiled: A Quiet Exodus: Why Black Worshipers Are Leaving White Evangelical Churches that chronicled the plight of Black Christians who quietly exited their churches after their pastors and fellow believers failed to denounce state-sanctioned violence against Black people, white Christian Nationalism, systemic racism, and everyday bigotry. Since that time, things have gotten worse, not better.
In recent months, we’ve seen a surge of Black leaders and congregants in predominantly white or multiethnic churches and Christian spaces decide that it’s time for them to go. We bear witness to the hurt, harm, and frustration that our siblings have experienced. Enough is enough. It’s time to #LeaveLOUD
To #LeaveLOUD is to tell our stories, to name things for what they are, to take back the dignity we’ve lost while being in institutions that don’t value the fullness of the image of God within us, and to go where we are celebrated and not just tolerated.
For the next several weeks, we will be sharing stories of Black Christians who have made the decision to #LeaveLOUD. We will also be providing thoughtful analysis, words of wisdom, and resources for those who have already left or who are discerning whether they should #LeaveLOUD. We invite you to share your stories using the hashtag #LeaveLOUD.
The Witness BCC exists to empower Black Christians to live into the fullness of who God created us to be. You are not alone.
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