Racial Justice and Equality
Black History Month at HTB
At HTB we want to celebrate the racial diversity we have with over 100 nationalities calling HTB church their home. Last year we celebrated our ‘Legacy Builders’ highlighting the journeys and contribution of first-generation immigrants and their children.
This year our focus is ‘Young, Gifted, and Black’. Building on from the legacies that our grandparents and parents made we are celebrating all that our young are achieving. We will explore their achievements, struggles, hopes for the future, and what it means for them to be uniquely black.
Over the course of Black History Month we will be releasing a short video each week on social media, our children will be exploring a story as part of HTB kids, and we will be celebrating on Sunday 20th October across all sites.
Expect this month to be full of celebration for all our young people contribute to our society. Their hopes, achievements and stories are part of our wider story that we all benefit from.
Click HERE to see how HTB celebrated Black History Month in 2023.
Young, Gifted, & Black
Young, Gifted, & Black
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Kiera
"If God has called you to do something He has called YOU to do it, he has given you gifts and there are particular things that you might not even see until way down the line. It’s your assignment for a reason."
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Kelvin
“It’s a position of strength that should be celebrated because you never know who you can encourage.”
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Santhy, Matt, JJ, JD
"Where they’re from makes them who they are but it doesn’t stop them from being able to do what they want to do."
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Judd
“I’d want future generations to hold onto their cultural identity because being a Christian doesn’t remove your cultural identity. In any case, it would exemplify all the good aspects of your culture. Hold onto your culture and let Jesus define you.”
At HTB, we aspire to be a church which is vibrant, multi-cultural, multi-ethnic and multi-racial with a leadership and team which reflects London. We believe every person is made in the image of God (Genesis 1:27) and we are committed to listening and learning from one another, educating ourselves on racial diversity and playing our part to address racism wherever it exists.
"The reason we place such a high priority on racial diversity is because it’s the Gospel. At all the pivotal moments of the Gospel, such as the birth of Jesus, the calling of the Disciples, the people gathered around the Cross, the coming of the Holy Spirit and the birth of the Church at Pentecost – we find diversity. The Church is by definition not monochrome but multi-cultural." - Archie Coates, Vicar of HTB
Building a community that mirrors the picture of Heaven given to us from Revelation 7:9 where every people group, tribe, nation and language is welcomed, included, valued, respected and celebrated requires intentional effort and a passionate pursuit of both unity and diversity.
While recognising that we still have a long way to go, we are committed to pursuing Gospel-centred racial justice and racial equality in addition to addressing systemic inequality. Together we can all play our part in making HTB a community where diversity of race and culture are not just accepted, but celebrated.
What are we committed to doing?
In 2020 Pastor Agu Irukwu of Jesus House and Nicky Gumbel, together with a group of church leaders of different denominations, developed the following 10-point plan as a response to racial injustice in the church. Archie Coates renewed his and HTB’s commitment to this plan when he became Vicar of HTB in 2022.
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An acknowledgment of the issue of racial injustice and its systemic and institutional nature.
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An honest look at ourselves and our churches and where we are in relation to the issue of racial injustice.
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Facilitating a series of conversations - creating the spaces for open, honest and frank conversations. Listening to the voice of the black community, starting with those in your sphere.
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Bridging the knowledge gap. What is it like to be a black person in the UK today? Understanding the historical context. The damage to the psyche of black people by sustained and systemic racism.
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Using our platforms to speak out against the evil of racism. This would be speaking out into the larger society but also speaking out into our own churches and organisations.
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Using our influence and reach to be advocates for racial equality. It is the changes in structures that can deal a death blow to racism.
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Creating systems, structures and processes that encourage representative leadership in our churches and organisations.
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Developing short, medium and long term plans for action.
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Encouraging prayer as a group and within our churches over the issue of racial injustice.
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Discerning God’s mind clearly and ensuring that our actions and narratives are driven by this and centred very clearly around Jesus and rooted firmly in the word of God.
What can you do?
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Be open to welcoming into our church those who are different to you, listen to their stories and help us to create a safe space for all who come to HTB.
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Pray for our church, our city and our world to reflect the Kingdom of God on earth.
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Take time to reflect on your own beliefs and behaviours. Ask the Holy Spirit to help reveal to you any ways you could grow in this area.
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Church is for everyone, share the invitation far and wide. not just to the people who look like you and have the same background as you.
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Let us know what is going well and what we could be doing better.