The first Black woman in the office of ELCA bishop reflects on her church’s work both in the fight against racism and in building the “beloved [faith] community”
(Lutheran World Information Centre) – A year ago, Rev. Patricia Davenport was elected the first African American woman to the office of bishop in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (hereinafter ELCA), which has 3.5 million members. As the head of the Southeastern Pennsylvania Synod, she serves Lutheran congregations in five counties in the area around the city of Philadelphia, encompassing a broad spectrum of rural, suburban and urban congregations. “We are one of the most diverse synods in the ELCA,” she said proudly to the Lutheran World Information Centre, looking back on her first months in office.
It is nearly a year since you took up your new role as bishop. Tell us about the people who make up the church in the USA in your area.
We have Liberian congregations, Spanish-speaking congregations, congregations with a predominance of white people and congregations with a predominance of people of African descent, as well as multicultural communities. The same is true of our roster of pastors – on which there are 28 pastors of African descent, which is nearly ten percent. Just as many pastors are under the age of 40, and nearly 40 percent are women pastors, and we are grateful for this diversity.
Such ethnic diversity is uncharacteristic of the ELCA, which is predominantly made up of white people, is it not?
A Pew Foundation study indicates that 96% of our [ELCA] members are white (https://www.pewforum.org/religious-landscape-study/religious-denomination/evangelical-lutheran-church-in-america-elca/). Our congregations report that seven percent of our worshippers are of African descent and 91% are white. That is why I emphasise that the Southeastern Pennsylvania Synod is unique, and it is not because of me alone!
Is racism in the church still a problem today?
It is at various levels. A denomination to which 96% white people belong is systemically not accustomed to listening to people and perspectives of another skin colour. In our community, many of the worshippers of another skin colour are in congregations that serve in poor neighbourhoods, and many of those on our roster do not receive adequate compensation.
Addressing the problem of racism is one of our priorities, and we have established an anti-racism team in order to teach the churches and to show our stakeholders that it is a priority – to tear down the barriers that hinder people’s full participation.
Our work is done by promoting education, because I believe that when people “know” better, they “do” better. When I go to larger, predominantly white congregations, I tell them: look around your office, who does which jobs, and see that you have the power to change things.
What do you set as the priorities for your ministry?
I just took part in my first Southeastern Pennsylvania Synod [assembly], and we have agreed that the fight against racism is a priority. Because we believe that one should put one’s treasure where one’s heart is, we allocated 10,000 dollars to anti-racism training and to investing in leadership, in which participation will be open to all.
The theme of the assembly was connected with “building the beloved community” – and that is not about race alone, but also about poverty and homelessness. We have a large number of people who experience food insecurity. We have a crisis with opioid users who are losing their jobs, their health, their families and sometimes their lives. We need restorative ministries where we can care for people who have fallen into addiction and for their families. In our synod there is a large LGBTQIA community, and we continue the conversation about the inclusion of all our brothers and sisters, knowing that we are all called to proclaim the good news of Jesus Christ.
Like the majority of traditional churches in the global North, the Lutheran church in the USA has experienced a drop in attendance. How are you coping with that?
We are all experiencing a decline in people’s participation and in funds, so at the top of our priorities is helping congregations understand what the signs of a living faith community are. It is not a story about individuals, money and buildings – which was the old way we measured how a church grows. Now the question is: is something changing in society? There may be a small congregation of 15 people, but if that congregation provides food banks, holds AA [Alcoholics Anonymous] meetings, and organises art and music programmes for children, a vacuum would arise in the community upon its closing. Other congregations of 1,500 people may, on Sundays, be able to “tick off” achievements and even carry out important ministry on their premises, but would the community suffer if they were closed?
Shortly after your election, a synagogue shooting took place in Pittsburgh, the deadliest attack on the Jewish community in the USA. How would you describe the relationship with other churches and faith communities?
I am glad to be able to say that my predecessors had already worked with “Interfaith Philadelphia” – which is formed by the cooperation of Christian, Muslim, Jewish, Baháʼí, Sikh and other religious representatives. We work together holistically – creating opportunities for learning, dialogue, service and work in promoting social harmony. So, for example, when the shooting took place at the Tree of Life [synagogue], that evening we were together at the synagogue, standing side by side with government representatives. The synagogue was full, and we stood shoulder to shoulder, condemning – and not only praying together, but also affirming a twofold commitment to do what we do to fight this kind of hatred.
“The Lutheran church’s motto [lit. from English – mantra] is ‘Marked with the cross of Christ, claimed by God and sent for the sake of the world,’ and every time we mark ourselves with the sign of the cross, it reminds us that our relationship with God must lead to a relationship with our neighbours in need,” emphasised Bishop Patricia Davenport, ELCA Southeastern Pennsylvania Synod.
How might people of faith be more successful in resisting these narratives of hatred, fear and exclusion?
As a church, we must be a model of the “beloved community,” not only in congregations but also in the wider society, showing it what it really means to look beyond a person’s colour and beliefs, to look at their humanity and to be able to stand together so that none of us suffers. We meet with the mayor, the police commissioner and the district attorney to ask how we can cooperate with them in order to reduce Philadelphia’s high crime rate. They say that the church really needs to reclaim its voice as the first to respond to people’s needs.
We must once again open our doors seven days a week, so that people have a place to go. It is not only about the practice of our faith, but about addressing the needs of others. The Lutheran church’s motto is “Marked with the cross of Christ, claimed by God and sent for the sake of the world,” and every time we mark ourselves with the sign of the cross, it reminds us that our relationship with God must lead to a relationship with our neighbours in need.
What personal challenges did you have in this work?
When I learn something new, I like to see it as an opportunity to be a witness in the public space. That is why I go onto Benjamin Franklin Parkway with a Welcoming congregation, in order to be together with homeless people, because we must fulfil our commitment. I go to our congregations in Hope Park, handing out care kits to people with addictions, in order to be together with teenagers who have run away from home, not just to hand something out, but to pull a person out, offering not just care kits, but prayer and human relationship. I am very grateful for the opportunity to do not only administrative work, but also to be on the front lines. 31/05/2019.
Philadelphia, USA / Geneva
Photo: Bob Fisher-SEPAComm
Source: Lutheran World Federation news