Are White People able to Respect and Follow Leadership From People of Color?

Saturday, May 18, 2019, 10am-3pm

Fort Street Presbyterian Church, 631 Fort Street, Detroit, MI 48226

Are we only comfortable with the optics of diversity, seeing a picture that shows multi-culturalism? What happens when we actually try to create and effect change with people that have different perspectives from different upbringings and approaches to conflict?

Why is there still such disparity when it comes to CEO’s and other executive level roles held by people of color?

What happens to white Christians when they are asked to trust the leadership, pastorship, direction, or spiritual counsel of a person of color? Do they freak out, do they accept it, do they act polite in person, but quietly show disrespect in other ways?

When Marvin and Matthew co-led mission trip teams at DOOR Los Angeles, white Christian leaders often avoided taking directions from Marvin…why?

Co-Founder Matthew‘s father, a retired medical doctor in suburban Detroit, noticed that his black female colleagues were sometimes assumed to be custodial staff at the hospital. Why is this?

The Presbytery of Detroit and The Table Setters are coming together to set multiple table events in 2019.  Like many organizations in our country today, the P.o.D. is grappling with how to transform an appreciation for multi-culturalism into active steps towards anti-racism and healing.

Marvin and Matthew will share stories about the real challenges of working through biases, microaggressions, and systemic racism within the evangelical Church context.  It is not always Kumbayah, but they believe their hard-forged friendship is an example of iron sharpening iron, and something God calls us to do with a heart for justice and reconciliation.

Please join us for this by registering here, and invite friends and family

And if you plan to come and can spare 5 minutes, we’d also appreciate you taking this anonymous survey: