Faith Facts

• Wes Crawford, a professor at Abilene Christian University, documents how mid-20th century Churches of Christ responded to racism.
• The book shows that influential leaders who broke the silence on racial issues often paid a heavy personal price.
• De facto segregation still exists today in many neighborhoods, schools, and congregations across America.

Author Wes Crawford examines how the silence of influential White leaders in Churches of Christ during the 1950s and 1960s affected the body of Christ and the nation. His research draws from documented records of preachers, educators, and editors who held power to shape the church’s direction on racial matters.

Part One of the book covers those who openly endorsed white supremacy, those who ignored the problem entirely, and those who recognized racism yet chose to remain quiet. Part Two turns to leaders who spoke out against the status quo and paid the cost for their convictions.

“Courage in the Sheer Silence: Challenging Racism in the 20th-Century Churches of Christ”

Each chapter title gives readers a clear preview of the evidence that follows. Crawford’s work makes plain why some White leaders today still face backlash for affirming that Black lives matter.

The author recounts a personal story from 1976 when a White Christian woman in Utica, Mississippi, asked a Black visitor, “What are you doing here?” The book helps explain the attitudes behind such encounters.

“Courage in the Sheer Silence: Challenging Racism in the 20th-Century Churches of Christ”

The text also notes that many challenges from the 1950s and 1960s persist because racism remains systemic and institutionalized. Neighborhoods, public schools, and congregations across the country continue to show patterns of de facto segregation.

“Courage in the Sheer Silence: Challenging Racism in the 20th-Century Churches of Christ”

Despite these ongoing realities, the book highlights current White leaders who continue to press the church and the nation toward greater racial equality. Readers are urged to study the record so they can better understand both past failures and present responsibilities.

Let us know what you think, please share your thoughts in the comments below.

Faith Facts

• The Church is called to welcome all people with the love of Christ.
• Welcoming others does not mean endorsing every belief or behavior.
• Christian discipleship requires discernment rooted in Scripture and prayer.

The news that members of the Patriot Platform movement have begun attending church services has sparked discussion among believers. Some wonder how the body of Christ should respond to individuals whose political views differ sharply from their own.

Rick Hill, a respected Christian leader, offers clear guidance rooted in biblical truth. He insists the Church must extend welcome to everyone who enters its doors. At the same time, Hill stresses that hospitality should never be mistaken for agreement or approval of every idea.

“The Church must welcome everyone – but welcome should never be confused with endorsement,” Hill said.

Scripture repeatedly calls believers to show love and hospitality to strangers. The book of Hebrews reminds readers not to forget to show hospitality, for by doing so some have entertained angels without knowing it. This command remains unchanged regardless of political affiliation or past history.

Yet the Bible also calls the Church to guard sound doctrine and to test every spirit. Pastors and elders bear responsibility to shepherd their flocks according to the whole counsel of God. True Christian love never requires abandoning truth for the sake of false unity.

“The Church must welcome everyone – but welcome should never be confused with endorsement,” Hill said.

Many local congregations are now considering how to balance open doors with clear teaching. They recognize that every person needs the transforming power of the gospel. At the same time, they understand that Christian fellowship rests on shared faith in Jesus Christ alone.

Let us know what you think, please share your thoughts in the comments below.

Faith Facts

• Christians traditionally view Aslan as a Christ-figure in C.S. Lewis’s Chronicles of Narnia.
• The Magician’s Nephew, the next film in Greta Gerwig’s adaptation series, is based on Lewis’s prequel to The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe.
• Tabbi Kibugi argues that a female voice for Aslan does not necessarily constitute blasphemy against Christian doctrine.

News that Meryl Streep will voice Aslan in the upcoming film has stirred strong reactions among believers who see the casting as an affront to the character’s symbolic role.

Tabbi Kibugi, writing in response to the controversy, maintains that the decision does not have to be understood as an attack on Christianity.

“Christians need not view this decision as an attack on our faith,” Kibugi writes.

Defenders of the choice note that Lewis himself experimented with different narrative forms and that the heart of the story centers on themes of redemption rather than the precise gender of the lion’s voice.

Critics counter that the move departs from the clear masculine imagery Lewis used to portray Aslan, a figure widely understood to represent Christ.

“Meryl Streep as Aslan doesn’t have to be an attack on Christianity,” Kibugi concludes, urging fellow believers to judge the film on its faithfulness to the gospel message rather than the casting announcement alone.

Let us know what you think, please share your thoughts in the comments below.