S2:E28 Segregation, Race, and Equity in the Church, Part 1

Spiritual Directors Talking About Stuff

In this episode, Christopher and Maggie sit down with Chrystal Brown, Chris Battle, and Mary Terry. Their bios are below. We discuss Chrystal's and Chris's experiences being Black in America and in the church, in particular. We cover alot of ground in this episode, so this is the first part of a two-part conversation. We also recorded this video, so you can watch that here: https://youtu.be/jYHFjikPkx4.

Christopher and Maggie are spiritual directors that like talking about spiritual things. Spiritual direction is a listening ministry that creates a sacred space for you to listen to God, see where God is at work in your life, and grow in awareness of who you were created to be. We would love to hear from you! Email Christopher and Maggie at [e-mail].

Resources Mentioned:

Racial Diversity in U.S. Congregations, 1998–2019 (https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/jssr.12681)

Chris Battle: Chris Battle is a native of Cincinnati, Ohio. He did his undergraduate studies at Morehouuse College in Atlanta, GA. He furthered his education with a Masters of Divinity at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, KY, he would later do a Masters of Arts in Hebrew Bible at Cincinnati Bible College. He has pastored congregations in Bowling Green, KY, Hackensack, NJ, Cincinnati, OH and Knoxville, TN. In 2018 his life trajectory changed when he began a community garden and started understanding the effect of food disparity in his community. This led to the creation of multiple community gardens, The Eastside Sunday Market and Battlefield Farm and Gardens. He presently is the Lead Pastor of the Underground Collective and he his wife Tomma are the parents of 20 children. Chrystal Armstrong Brown: Passionate about equity, justice, and inspiring the next generation of kingdom thinkers, Chrystal Armstrong Brown has served in nonprofits, ministries, and educational institutions across the country for fifteen years. She is a writer and consultant, currently completing her MBA in Leadership while working as the VP of Program Development for Emerald Youth Foundation in Knoxville, TN. She spends her weekends in urban ministry, cheering on the UT Vols, and creating adventures and memories with her three year old daughter, Keris. Mary McMillan Terry: Mary McMillan Terry’s desire to follow Christ in fighting racism led her and her family to the multiethnic Knoxville community where they live. She teaches on justice and racism. Her passion for equity in education has led her to volunteer and serve on the board at Shora Foundation (an after-school and summer program for children) and to serve in her children’s school system. She also loves hiking with her spouse and two sons and writing. Her poetry, nonfiction, and fiction have appeared in small-press journals and books.

Our ministries:

Christopher: Steppingstoneslife.com

Maggie: Ravachministries.org