The Church Has a Credibility Problem
The church's silence on justice has cost it something very difficult to recover: the credibility that comes from being genuinely trustworthy in the moments that matter.
The witness that survives is the witness willing to speak when speaking is costly. Everything else is brand management. The church known, among the people it claims to care about, for its silence when they needed its voice has sacrificed something very difficult to recover.
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James Bell
Lead Teaching Pastor at First Baptist Church in Fenton, Michigan, and founder of the Pastors Connection Network. For over 15 years, James has served in full-time ministry—planting churches, leading revitalization efforts, and consulting with pastors and ministry leaders across the country. Out of his own seasons of burnout and isolation, he founded the Pastors Connection Network, a growing community of leaders committed to gospel-centered relationships and long-term faithfulness in ministry.