Are we, as church planters, losing our authenticity in the face of subtle white-washing? How far have we strayed from our mission, and more importantly, can we find our way back to our communities? The journey of Black and brown church planters is not just a personal mission. Becoming and serving as a pastor in the black community is deeply intertwined with identity, cultural history, and societal nuances.

In my journey of serving, I've seen church planters, brimming with passion and fire, make the same recurrent mistake: an overwhelming emphasis on theological constructs. They confidently proclaim, "The hood needs good theology." True, but let's not forget: before they need our theology, they need our understanding.