5 Things You Should Never Say To Black Pastors

As a Black pastor serving an international congregation in Europe, I often encounter people whose only exposure to Black Christianity is either films filled with stereotypes or podcasts by prosperity preachers. On a few occasions I have met people who have visited a Black American congregation (usually Baptist or Pentecostal), but despite this exposure they often assume that all Black congregations are like the one they visited. They assume every Black congregation has Bapti-costal style worship, and that every Black pastor shouts their sermon while asking for an AMEN.

In truth, a lack of sufficient exposure to real Black Christianity leads many people to say some silly things to Black pastors. I cannot tell you the number of times I have heard, “Pastor Scotty, when are you going to stop holding back? When are you going to ‘preach Black’?” Or even worse, some people have encouraged me to just “let the Spirit move” and say “Can I get a witness?”

Sadly such people have no idea how hurtful, and sometimes offensive, these comments can be.

What many people fail to realize is that the “Black Church” is not a single entity; instead it is a diverse community that encompasses congregations of various denominations, theological views, polities, and liturgical styles. Apart from Baptist and Pentecostal, there are Methodist, Lutheran, Anglican, Presbyterian, Catholic, and Eastern Orthodox congregations within the Black Church. Also, along with different types of congregations, the Black Church has different types of pastors of various denominations, theological perspectives, and preaching styles. Though we might share certain traditions/cultural distinctives and be more emotional than other types of pastors, we Black pastors are not all the same.

In the end, the Black Church is a diverse community where one will find pastors and congregations that are loud and spontaneous and quiet and orderly. Therefore, in light of this rich diversity, here are five things one should never say to Black pastors (the first two have already been given):

The Gospel is powerful enough to get an AMEN without any help from the preacher.

1. Preach more in the “Black” style – Though Black preaching has certain distinctives, there is no single Black preaching style. Within the Black preaching tradition one will find more reserved pastors who preach like high-Church Anglicans (ex. the late Rev. Peter Gomes), and more unreserved pastors who preach like Methodist circuit riders (ex. the late Dr. C.A.W. Clark). Nevertheless, like all good preaching, the most important thing in Black preaching is getting the congregation into the story of Scripture, glorifying God, and proclaiming the Gospel.

2. Ask the people “Can I get an AMEN?” or “Can I get a witness?” – Though some Black pastors do this, not all of us do. In fact, there are some of us who think it is downright silly or draws attention away from the true focus of the sermon. Also, if the Gospel is truly being proclaimed and touching hearts, then one need not ask for an AMEN; in the Black Church we believe that the Gospel is powerful enough to get an AMEN without any help from the preacher.

3. Get the people to “loosen up” and start “moving” – Though Black culture tends to be more expressive, this does not mean that all Black pastors (and Black people in general) are. In fact some of us are very introverted while others are very extroverted. Also the point of worship is not to “loosen up” like you are at a coffeeshop or concert hall. The point of worship is to praise and glorify God, hear His Holy Word, and proclaim the Gospel in fellowship with others. Sure some Black pastors make people feel more relaxed and joyful, but no matter what the pastor’s personality it is Scripture, the Gospel, and the Holy Spirit that should get the people “moving”.

4. Help get more “Gospel” and “lively” music in the service – Though a Black pastor may come from a congregation that is very musical, this does not mean that they are automatically musically gifted. Sure some of us have musical gifts that could (as the old expression goes) “knock ’em dead”, but there are some Black pastors whose attempts at being musical would really knock the people dead. Also when many non-Black congregations bring Gospel music into their services, they assume that it will make things more “lively”. In truth, Gospel music (and any other genre of Christian music) will not give life to a service. What really makes a service lively is the presence of the Holy Spirit and songs that glorify God, reveal the Gospel, and are sung joyfully by people who delight in the Gospel.

5. Make the Church more “Charismatic” – Though Charismatic denominations and congregations exists within the Black Church, not all Black pastors are Charismatic. Not all Black pastors do things like cast out demons, speak in tongues, or believe that all the spiritual gifts are active in the modern Church; in fact there are some of us who are openly cessationist. Instead of making the Church more Charismatic, most Black pastors are seeking to help parishioners discover and grow in their spiritual gifts, use them for the glory of Christ, proclaim His Gospel, and advance His Kingdom.