Leading in a Divided Time
Leading such a diverse congregation, how is this affecting the people of Emmanuel?
There are people in our church who aren’t citizens—they don’t have papers. They’re deeply concerned, either for themselves or for their families. They’re hearing stories and trying to make sense of it all—“Is it just criminals being deported, or should we all be ducking?” Then there are others who feel nothing but empathy for those in this position. Still others immigrated years ago, following a legal process, and believe that’s how it should be done. So the perspectives are wide-ranging. And each person comes in with their own news feed, their own social media, and their own interpretation of what's happening. Then we all gather for one hour on a Sunday, and the challenge is to help people center themselves in Scripture, stay unified, and be the Body of Christ.
By God’s grace, we are unified right now.
How are you personally stepping into the needs of the moment?
I’m continuing to clarify who we are as a church and what I can do as a pastor.
I met with our Spanish-speaking leaders and said: if you’re writing a letter to support one of our people, let me write a second letter to go with it. If someone has a court case—though many are scared to even go right now—I want to be there in the room, as their pastor.
I’ll be at the L.A. County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday, praying and advocating for a pathway forward.
I often tell young couples during pre-marriage counseling: “Conflict doesn’t mean someone has to lose. If you’re not aiming for a win-win, you’re not being wise.” That’s where we are as a country—we’re stuck in win-lose battles. But why can’t we have both? Why can’t we have border control and a pathway to citizenship?
In this time of potential division, how are you seeking to hold onto unity?
I spoke to this in the service after it all started (Sunday, June 8 video)
What I heard afterward was encouraging. People on the right said, “Okay, he quoted Romans 13, he affirmed our deputies, he loves them and wants them to be cared for.” And people concerned about deportation heard, “He wants a pathway to citizenship, he wants us to be safe, and we’re welcome here.” In both cases, they heard what was true.
What would you say to a young leader unsure of how to move forward in this divisive time?
We’ve got to stay grounded. Every day I go to the coffee shop and I read 10 chapters of the Bible, New Testament, Old Testament, Psalms, Proverbs, and I'm praying. I do this to get myself recalibrated and kind of healed again to walk into my day. When I was younger, I'd wake up to go save the world because I was very foolish. And I'm now older and I don't wake up to save the world. I go to the coffee shop and read my Bible and pray so I might live inside, in salvation and healing, because I need to get restored each day.
What aspects of Jesus' life or teaching are guiding you in this season?
In the Sermon on the Mount Jesus said, “Blessed are the peacemakers,” and I know I’m called to that. Also, “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness.” So we’ve got that role too. The biggest thing is I'm called to be in Christ and, by God's grace and power, embody the way of Christ, and be a person of peace, seeking peace.
And the church - the one Jesus established, the one against whom the gates of hell won’t prevail (Mt. 16). The church is to be a very different thing. look at the early Church. In Acts 6, when there was conflict between Greek and Hebrew widows, they addressed it. In Acts 11, the Antioch church modeled radical unity. The Church Jesus founded was meant to be different—unexplainable even—not simply a reflection of any political party.
How can we best pray for your congregation - and others in a similar position?
Pray that people can become aware that they might be holding a perspective that doesn't fully reflect the teachings of Jesus and the Scriptures. In my opinion, if we're being the church, there's not going to be just one opinion on this. And so somehow, can we teach our people to love each other and actually learn from one another within the church?
Pray that we can love across our differences and to consider what we can do together.