Our Hearts Were Strangely Lukewarm: The History of Anti-Black Racism in The Church

How did the U.S. Christian movement founded by John Wesley stray from his strong abolitionist teachings to largely embracing anti-Black racism for more than two centuries? And why did so many of white Methodism’s highest decision-makers throughout history balk at declaring racism as antithetical to the Gospel of Jesus Christ?

This three-session, self-directed course—based on the book, Our Hearts Were Strangely Lukewarm: The American Methodist Church and The Struggle with White Supremacy by the Rev. Dr. John Elford—offers a no-holds-barred look at the denomination’s checkered history of systemic and institutional racism targeting African American people.

Open to all, this course challenges white Christians to face the past and chart a more faith-filled, anti-racist future so that United Methodists may become co-workers with Jesus Christ to transform the world.

In this course you will:

• Learn about early American Methodism’s struggle to reconcile God’s message of love for all people with the practice of enslaving Africans to build colonizer wealth.
• Examine how Methodist General Conferences historically failed to take unflinching, unequivocable public stands and deliberate actions to counter white racism and white supremacy.
• Witness the work of generations of anti-slavery Methodists who challenged the church throughout history to embrace the sacred worth of people of all races.
• Follow the self-determination movements among Black Methodists, who created their own denominations and church groups to champion abolitionist, anti-Jim Crow, freedom and liberation movements.
• Examine ongoing challenges that racism and white supremacy present to the United Methodist Church and the world.