El pastor de Texas Dwight McKissic es conocido por desafiar a sus compañeros bautistas del sur sobre la equidad racial y, más recientemente, por la controvertida declaración de los líderes de los seminarios de su denominación sobre la raza. Pero en la última semana, al enfrentar sus propios desafíos de la Madre Naturaleza, McKissic recibió una oferta de ayuda de uno de esos presidentes de seminario.
La casa de Arlington que McKissic comparte con su esposa, Vera, se enfrió a principios del 15 de febrero cuando se cortó la electricidad durante la tormenta de nieve y las temperaturas bajo cero que azotaron el centro de los EE. UU. la semana pasada. Un viejo amigo y miembro de la iglesia ayudó a la pareja a conseguir una habitación difícil de encontrar en un hotel cercano y pagó para que se quedaran allí hasta el viernes.
Mientras esperaban que las luces volvieran a encenderse, los McKissic, al igual que otros en el área de Dallas, se enteraron de que las tuberías habían estallado en su casa, dejándola inhabitable.
Debido a que estaban temporalmente sin hogar, McKissic inicialmente canceló una reunión con el ex presidente del Seminario Teológico Bautista Southwestern, Ken Hemphill, un viejo amigo. Hemphill, a su vez, llamó al presidente actual, Adam Greenway, sobre la difícil situación de McKissic.
Greenway “ofreció sus oraciones y apoyo y ofreció alojamiento en el campus mientras estemos sin casa por el tiempo que necesitáramos sin costo alguno”, dijo McKissic, quien aceptó la hospitalidad del seminario el martes (23 de febrero). “Pasé mi cuarta noche allí anoche”.
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Más de 40 familias se han mudado al Centro Riley del seminario, que es tanto un hotel como un centro de conferencias.
James A. Smith, vicepresidente asociado de comunicaciones del seminario, dijo que la escuela de Fort Worth, Texas, ha acomodado “principalmente a estudiantes, profesores y personal, pero algunos relacionados con el seminario de otras maneras, como los McKissics, y una familia necesitada en el vecindario inmediatamente adyacente al campus.”
McKissic dijo que no está seguro de cuánto tiempo se quedará, pero anticipa que podría ser de dos a tres meses. Él estima que tomará solo dos semanas limpiar el “espantoso desorden” creado por los daños causados por el agua en los techos, alfombras y pisos de su casa.
El pastor inicialmente esperaba que él y su esposa pudieran mudarse a una casa de huéspedes en su propiedad que a menudo abren a otras personas en crisis.
Pero la casa de huéspedes de dos pisos, dijo, está en “peor estado que la casa principal”.
McKissic y su esposa se graduaron de Southwestern en diciembre y obtuvieron sus títulos de Maestría en Estudios Teológicos. Ella es la ministra de educación y de los ministerios de la mujer en su Iglesia Bautista Cornerstone, que está afiliada a la Convención Bautista Nacional, EE. UU., una denominación históricamente negra, así como a la Convención Bautista del Sur.
Su iglesia anunció recientemente su salida de la Convención de los Bautistas del Sur de Texas después de que ese grupo estatal declarara que “avanzará el lenguaje bíblico y evitará la promoción de la Teoría Crítica de la Raza y la Interseccionalidad, y otras ideologías seculares”, haciéndose eco de una declaración similar de Greenway y otras cinco SBC. presidentes de seminario.
La teoría crítica de la raza, o CRT, es un marco académico que examina cómo opera el racismo sistémico. Mckissic dijo el no esta de acuerdo con el reciente determinación del Consejo de Presidentes de Seminario que CRT es incompatible con la declaración de fe de los bautistas del sur.
Pero McKissic dijo que cualquier diferencia que pueda tener con Greenway sobre CRT no lo motivó a rechazar la oferta de hospitalidad.
“Las personas maduras no permiten que las diferencias en asuntos secundarios y terciarios afecten su amor por el evangelio, el reino y el uno al otro”, dijo el pastor. “Así que nunca sentí que el Dr. Greenway tuviera animosidad, angustia u objeciones personales hacia mí, ni yo las he tenido hacia él”.
Además de tomar clases durante décadas en el seminario, McKissic dijo que ha apoyado a la escuela de otras maneras, pagando las matrículas de los estudiantes y donando miles de dólares a la institución, incluso desde la llegada de Greenway hace dos años.
“Dad y se os dará”, dijo McKissic, destacando la bendición de estar a poca distancia de seis de sus 13 nietos mientras él y su esposa se quedan en el campus del seminario.
“Dios se está asegurando de que nuestras necesidades sean satisfechas”.
Adelle Banks es editora de producción y corresponsal nacional de Religion News Service.
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6 Respuestas
What I don’t understand here is why no one told anyone who had no heat to turn off their main water supply and drain the water in it? This would have resolved untold amount of damage. Doesn’t anyone in governance think?
As far as I know, this is a first for the state of Texas. There are a lot of “unknowns” when dealing with a catastrophic issue of this magnitude for the first time.
Critical Race Theory does not just examine “how systemic racism operates “. It promotes racism by dividing people by race and classifying one group as the villain while encouraging the rest to identify as victims. SBC is right to reject it.
Suzanne, It’s unfortunate THAT was your takeaway from all this. NOT how they were able to overcome differences to focus on the unity and love of the gospel (which more of us need to do). But you HAVE to make sure that you jump in and are “right.” Ok, we heard you.
There is no question that Critical Race Theory is incompatible with the Bible.
There remains this confusion that to oppose Critical Race Theory and its close kin intersectionalism is to be racist. One can oppose racism and prejudice apart from CRT. Read about CRT. Martin Luther King and other heroes of the advance of Black civil rights are disowned as assimilationists. That’s why statues of King, Lincoln, and other early Black abolitionists were torn down. They weren’t pure enough for the CRT crowd.
CRT is guilty of overgeneralization and reductionism. The difficulties of Blacks are more complicated than racism alone. The primary assumption of CRT that ALL political systems and laws exist only to secure power for some dominant group is a self-defeating argument. If so, then Black Live Matter and Critical Race Theory can’t stand outside the arena to criticize the others. It too would be part of the same ALL and in no position to critique anyone.. It’s own basic claim disproves the theory. All political systems exist for more than keeping power in the hands of one dominant racial group. It’s like saying “There is no absolute truth,” when you’ve just proposed an absolute truth.
All White people are not guilty for slavery. My grandparents emigrated to America in the early 1900’s from a Slavic country. They settled in a northern state that never had slaves. My ancestors are called “Slavic” for slave. From the time of the Romans onward, my ancestors were enslaved by one group or another. Later, during the Middle Ages, they became serfs and were sold right with the land. Later they became basically share cropper peasants on large estates. Then they were slaves under Communist rule. I can trace 500 years of my ancestors as poor peasants. I say this only to say that the issue of equality is more complicated than CRT admits. CRT doesn’t begin to do justice to it. I’m the first college graduate in my family in 1,000 years. Pardon me if I don’t feel privileged by my race.
I embrace individual liberty, not group identity rights. Identity groups are arbitrary. I favor free speech, not censored speech. Silence is not violence. Violence is violence. The Southern Baptist leadership is more courageous than my denomination in speaking out. A minority person can be just as prejudiced as a White person. Diversity is more than an broach distribution of melanin. Equity is not an equal government determined outcome by identity group. Equality is the equal opportunity to succeed based on one’s character and talent. It is about individual opportunity, not some group right to a certain income, etc.
Critical Race Theory speaks about some important issues. But unfortunately, it’s understanding and proposed response to them is based on lies, on false assumptions.
“One of the greatest advantages of the totalitarian elites of the twenties and thirties was to turn any statement of fact into a question of motive.”
― Hannah Arendt, The Origins of Totalitarianism
I agree that it is complicated – race is a social construct that has permeated the very fabric of our society legally, socioeconomically, relationally, and (unfortuantely) spiritually. What further complicates it is our natural tendency to be more defensive than empathetic. We spend more time “right fighting” and defending our position and than “walking in another’s shoes” and listening to others experiences. We want to focus all the attention on defending our intent, paying NO attention to the IMPACT of that intent on others (even if it is good intentions).
In so doing, we have weaponized not only words but entire concepts around race. Like privilege. There are privileges to being white (like not being questioned by cops on “how I can afford to live in this area” – yes that happened and it was embarrassing, infuriating and alarming). Just like there are privileges to being Christian (I don’t have to take vacation days to celebrate Christmas, half my suburb decorates for the holiday, etc). A lot of that we had NOTHING to do with – these were woven into our society before any of us were born. Some privileges just come with being part of the majority culture or population. So no one is at fault. That doesn’t mean you ignore as if it doesn’t exist or belittle those who dare to call it out. It means speak up for those who don’t have it (thanks to my neighbors who wrote a letter to the police chief after I was asked for the FOURTH time in one year about how I can afford to live in my area; kudos to my job for allowing my Jewish and Hindu colleagues floating holidays for their holy days; etc).
So much of this can be resolved by the Word of God. The Bible should sit ON TOP of any other theories, experiences, or beliefs we hold. YES our culture and society is flawed, tilting opportunities and attitudes in favor of certain groups. But when the Bible is on top, we look to how GOD calls us to treat one another – and that includes being empathetic (even when we don’t understand or agree) and caring for the needs of others – like the example in this blog. I’m elated to see the gospel unify in this dire situation, and I continue to say prayers for those in Texas.