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Where the Church Was Silent: A Reckoning With the History We Would Rather Not Own

James Bell
5 min read

The church in America has a history that is not primarily the history of courage and faithfulness. It is, in significant stretches, a history of silence in the face of injustice.

The church in America has a history that is not primarily the history of courage and faithfulness, though it contains that. It is, in significant stretches, a history of silence in the face of injustice — a silence that was often theological, often institutional, and almost always served the interests of the church's own comfort and cultural position more than the interests of the people the silence abandoned.

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James Bell

James Bell

LEAD TEACHING PASTOR • FOUNDER

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.