Dr. Charles W. Ferguson

I know it is difficult to see such a controversial statement. I mean I would be so appalled as well. But it is true! God still answers prayer. I know for a fact that God still hears and answers. No matter the time of day, season of life, or circumstances, God answers prayer. Oh, you saw a different word in that initial statement. Oh we can deal with that here in a moment. I just wanted to re-emphasize that the God of the universe hears the lamentations of humanity daily.

I recognize how challenging it can be to see such bold statements come from the mouth of an African American pastor. With so much debate about using the N-word, why would I decide to use such an inflammatory word to bring light to this statement? The truth is, I realize that this statement is the antithesis of a theology rooted in white supremacy. Yet it highlights the sentiment of a gospel bastardized by people who would never follow the historic Jesus who doesn’t look anything like them.

The current state of society constantly wants to get back to normalcy. Pandemic, social unrest, and isolation have brought to the forefront concerns that have been buried for way too long. Those infirmities of society and humanity could no longer stay covered. These fractures could no longer remain hidden. The time has come to address the incomplete and destructive nature of a false process regarding Christianity as a whole and the religious practices of a melanized Christ.

I am constantly amazed by the manner in which people have accepted this unseasoned presentation of the Christian ethic. The so-called socially accepted presentation eliminates the very nature of God in so many ways. How can you follow a process of faith that eliminates creativity, uniqueness, justice, kindness, grace, and mercy? How is it possible that the only love that is demonstrated is predicated upon if people fit in your circle? How do we continue to believe that we can compel people when we don’t even love the very nature of their presentation?

Literally, Jesus approached every single type of person to offer them an encounter with heaven. He quelled social norms and defied the status quo in order that humanity would understand its original worth. He made institutions question their own message and ideology in order to present it with the reality of what humanity should be. Human beings are not metrics or statistics. Human beings are individuals with varied stories that craft the manner in which they are presented. That recognition of flavor should bring a renewed understanding of the importance of uniqueness in this world.

Yet, I still feel the weight of being an outcast in a system never meant for me. It is difficult for me to recognize the work and the worth of what Jesus did in the first century and see how his practices in teachings are not applied properly. I still have to read the thoughts of white pastors and theologians who categorically deny the necessity for active social gospel practice. They reduce the very nature and thought of it to being a leftist political ploy. They only see it as a threat to the life of the “church”.

They are unwilling to see the destructive nature of bad exegesis. They refuse to except the reality that people of color are totally loved by God without extra human conditions. We are not seen as equal socially, religiously, economically, or within any other construct. This type of personal identification gives us the label of being whiners, complainers, soft, and weak. I beg to differ!

Whenever people create their own structure, they do so in order to compensate for their own weaknesses and maintain their own comfort. It is easy to see why so many would lash back at the very notion of individuals who would protest, speak boldly, speak truth to power, and question any system of injustice. These people project the statements of weak-minded souls who can no longer stand boldly on the sandy foundation of a well perpetuated lie.

For many years, Black people have been internally wrestling with the idea of whether to grab a seat at a confused table or allow God to provide a table uniquely designed for them. We go back-and-forth because of the thought patterns that all of us have adopted based upon the information and environments in which we dwell. Some of my brothers and sisters believe that full acceptance within the current culture will finally permit us the freedom we so desperately seek. Others believe that full embracing of one’s self and full investment in one’s uniqueness will cause us to finally be free.

I believe our freedom will begin when we fully embrace that God never intended for us to be on the outside looking in. This thought means that we must embrace the desire to break down any obstruction to embracing and recognizing the full nature of our God. That means we must never embrace or accept any limitation placed by an individual based on their bias or discriminating viewpoint.

When Solomon prayed at the dedication of the temple, he said something significant within the prayer. Solomon asked for many things, but one of the requests was that anyone could come to the temple and pray. When the request was made, Solomon added that he wanted God to hear their prayers and answer. By doing so, those who did not know Yahweh would be able to fully embrace the nature of the God of all. The response of God in Second Chronicles 7 demonstrated the willingness and desire of God to fulfill every request. The glory of God filled the temple and God has never relented and fulfilling that promise.

Why do we teach a different premise in word or deed? If God was willing to hear all in the Old Testament, why have we created a different gospel? We continue to keep people away intentionally to make our small groups feel more comfortable. We deny the very nature of people connecting with the Creator so that we do not have to deal with anything regarding who they are. We continue to perpetuate a supremacist ideology by telling the world that God is off-limits, and that transformation can only come through us not Jesus.

This society has followed the Nazi Germany blueprint to a T. You use organized religion to filter and perpetuate the ideas of an incomplete theology and spread it like a virus through all areas of society. By doing so, we infect the thought process and interactions of people. We then watch the seeds grow to bring about distinctions between superior and inferior. Ultimately, we embrace these constructs as fact rather than diagnose them as mental, emotional, and spiritual disease.

This methodology has allowed for so-called Christians to tell other believers get in line or get run over. It has permitted so-called people of faith to align themselves with government over God. It has allowed weak minded people to control narratives in order to not to face the truth. It has emboldened White “Christians” to call Black People Nigger. It has permitted so-called people of faith to enter positions of authority and perpetuate this ideology through legislation. It has defaced the true nature of God in the face of the Creator’s greatest creation.

I understand some people want to embrace unity and multicultural fellowship However, I have concluded that until we truly recognize the walls that have been created and destroy those walls, we cannot truly have worthwhile fellowship that is transformative. Until it looks like Christ in word and deed, we cannot expect the utopian idea of the beloved community in its fullness. What can be gained from continuing to pursue a seat at a table of injustice and inequality? What can be gained by continuing to pursue justice within an ideology of injustice? What can be gained from trying to find hope in the midst of a diseased Theology?

I believe that it is necessary to begin the project of reclaiming our identity is true believers in Jesus Christ. We can no longer place labels on aspects of the platform that Jesus of Nazareth established for us. Either we finally follow the principles of Jesus or we forfeit our identity all together and admit defeat. I refuse to allow inappropriate thoughts about my existence and my divine nature to be placed under the microscope of mediocrity. I no longer subscribe to the terrible teachings that have played our society for thousands of years. I stand to reaffirm my faith and devotion to the principles of God‘s Word unedited by white supremacy and oppression. Consider me to be like Howard Thurman—a follower of the religion of Jesus.

I will not unite with anyone who desires to keep people oppressed. I will not subscribe to harming God‘s creation by using bad tactics backed by incomplete study of the gospel. I stand committed to living out the teachings of Christ to the best of my ability daily. I commit myself to speaking out against injustice and inequality. I stand to be used as a vessel of transformation and change that leads towards the day when all God’s children will constantly feel the embrace of heaven and joy will never end.

Let it be known that I will never rest until the people of God know the true nature of their divinity. I will not rest until every person encounters the true and living God without hindrance. I will tear the roof off that others will no longer be denied an encounter with Jesus Christ. I will break down walls. I will study until my understanding grows about who I am and whose I am. You no longer define me, or others like me.

Just so we’re clear, the faulty nature of your thinking left out a particularly important element. God hears a n****r’s prayers. Thank God that I’m not one. Thank God your viewpoint is invalid. Thank God at your ideology has failed.

My name (once again) is Charles Walter Ferguson. I felt it necessary to open my laptop and begin to pen this missive before Thanksgiving. I give thanks daily for being in society. I give thanks for my uniqueness as a Black man. I thank God daily for my swagger, flavor, and life seasoning that can not be matched. It took me many years to arrive at this place.

I lived with people telling me in many forms that my experience, history, look, and approach did not fit the norms of the society. I was told through subtle activity that my blackness could not represent the totality of intelligence. I was looked over in many instances regarding creativity and skill. I watch as the world continued to demonstrate disdain at the very notion of Blackness as an enhancement, nay a blueprint to a greater and more perfect world.

Little did anyone know, learning the tricks and culture of this world taught me one important lesson. Every negative thing projected on my existence was not only a lie, but it was a diversion tactic from seeing the greatest robbery in history. You see it is not just a hatred of my existence, but it is a violent epiphany that states my gift is too good for me. Therefore, your lack of talent and flavor motivates you to steal what is good and whitewash it for your benefit. You attempt to mass produce it telling people it’s pure, while knowing you treat it all like crack cut to the lowest potency to sell for the highest price.

I’m tired of the lies. I’m tired of watching people settle for Diet Black. I’m heartbroken each time I see Black people accept a low grade version of themselves while not realizing the thought or idea was siphoned from their history. I’m exhausted by fake progressives that want to carry unfounded outrage. I’m tired of the appropriation tactics of untalented, unscrupulous people. This nonsense must end.

I want let every appropriator know today that we see you. We see your dirty looks. We see your bad intentions. We see you trying to learn the 2/4 rhythm because you know 1/3 is off beat. We see your bad preaching with horrible cadence. We see you cutting the Gospel of a Christ full of melanin with supremacist/empire philosophy. AS FOR ME AND MY HOUSE, I AM NOT BUYING WHAT YOU ARE SELLING!!!

You don’t have any blood on the struggle. You don’t possess enough love for others to demonstrate civility in this world. You act oppressed when God is disciplining you for bad acting. You show us daily that someone didn’t love you enough to spank you or correct you. You took a taste of everything we brought to the world and wonder “how did they get the flavor?” You don’t want to learn or be taught. You act entitled to everything.

You know what’s hilarious? I feel sorry for you. It must be hell realizing that you lack an identity. It must be horrible living a lie that you have to invest in keeping pace. You must really struggle with keeping that historical account updated because God forbid people knew the truth. Whoops! People know the truth.

So here is my prayer for you……

1. Repent: Stop stealing what you can’t handle. Stop pursing what you are incapable of loving authentically. Stop faking outrage. Stop looking for a partner in overcompensating for your weakness. You never had to do it. You never had to become tool of imperialism and colonization. You could have let it go. Until you let it go, you will always be subject the price of sinful living.
2. Learn: Realize that celebrating my humanity and gifting is a blessing and not a curse. Do not vilify my existence when you know that you would not be prominent or relevant without me (Paula White, Kenneth Copeland, and others forgot that they owed Black people. Black people forgot that they sold the sacredness of their spirituality to profiteers with no conscious). Recognize that you are not special enough to condemn my experience, especially when you have engaged in maintaining my condition.
3. Shut Up: Take these lessons and keep silent. Your willingness to continue speaking against the sacredness of my being and existence will always make you complicit in oppression that Jesus never advocated. Learn of the True Christ. Stop trying to interpret what He said through the filter of your dirty intentions.

You can no longer steal without being caught. You can no longer take from me and call my originality trash. My existence is not for sale.

Signed,

Dr. Charles W. Ferguson, an Appropriator’s Worst Nightmare

I bring you greetings in the name of my Savior, Jesus Christ of the region of Nazareth. My purpose in penning this missive is to articulate my place as a pastor, (reluctant) community leader, husband, father, son, grandson, and (prayerfully) dream realized of my ancestors.

I realize that we are living in a current society full of angst, division, and uncertainty. Many people at this moment of my writing are celebrating the election of Joseph R. Biden as the 46th President-Elect and Kamala D. Harris as the 49th Vice President-Elect of the United States. Conversely, many individuals are demonstrating anger and disdain for the outcome of this 2020 election. Let it be known that this election has gone a significant distance in uncovering the deep seeded issues that fester in this nation.

We are currently wrestling with the physical, mental, and emotional toll that Covid-19 has taken on the nation and the world. We are mourning the deaths of over 200,000 people from this most recent pandemic unleashed in the country. We are still witnessing the causalities of the original plague that has loomed over the United States for 224 years–racism. We have watched the virus of racism mutate as a part other virus strands known as sexism, xenophobia, patriarchy, and classism just to name a few.

The past 8 months have caused us to witness up close the depth of sickness within the body politic. Honestly, I am no longer surprised by the reactions of people with our country. I am not surprised by people who have set aside their basic humanity to embrace ideologies that are fundamentally against their character. I am not surprised by the fear and vitriol demonstrated by people who wanted to maintain the foundation of white supremacy and privilege. I am not surprised by individuals who desired to graft a militant Christ into the fabric of a empire mentality. Today is the day that we must begin to sincerely assess our place in the advancement of humanity.

How do we begin this process? We must acknowledge and engage our total reality.

1. People do not get a pass for glossing over evil. One of the phrases I carry in my personal lexicon is the following. The conquerors get to frame the stories of history. This idea has been true in this nation for 224 years. People continue to frame the reality in order to place certain ideologies in the best light possible. History books have not placed slavery in its proper context. It has been treated as a economic advancement. Most slaves were treated well. NO! It was the worst form of human trafficking. It was social hub of promoting rape of beautiful African women, emasculation of strong African men, and separation of beautiful African babies. Sound familiar? The most recent presidential administration can be credited with decision that were reminiscent of a dismissed history. The anger felt by many was not restricted to policies and rhetoric. It has been the constant force feeding of trauma upon a people that have too many wounds. Going forward, no one will get a pass when dealing with the harsh, infected wounds of the past. Healing has not yet been realized. Just as I said to my friends in 2008 during the election of the 44th President of the republic, Barack H. Obama, we have not reached the Promised Land yet. The sentiment yet remains.
2. Do not miss the lesson of this past four years. The one thing that have not seen from many people who supported the current occupant of the White House is the stance of holding him or anyone espousing his rhetoric accountable for those sentiments. Rather, I have watched people attempt to move along the lack of empathy, decency, and humanity to the side as a sentiment of being a straight shooter. No! When you say that a person comes from a shithole country, it is indecent. When you insult a person with disabilities, disrespect women for looks or intelligence, or treat Black people has a group that must be beholding to his whims, it is deplorable. The reason why I do not take supporters of this thinking seriously is because it makes me believe that you are incapable of seeing me as an equal. It demonstrates that bringing differing opinions scares you to death. It speaks to my existence as being a threat to the life you want to maintain. It tells me that you really don’t want me to be present in your world. Your lack of accountability for this vibe has produced an environment that I wish to be (figuratively) burned down. This season is about paying with interest the full value of this promise of this nation, We hold these truths to be self-evident that all men are created equal. Otherwise, we will continue on the current cycle regardless of leadership.
3. Don’t hide behind your affiliations. The difficulty that people will have is actually admitting certain aspects of their lives have been wrong for years. In my heart, I realize that many people are wrestling with high school insecurity. What do I mean? Everyone at their core is trying to find a place to fit in. Popular people want to be around other popular people. Insecure people try to find an angle to be a part of something that speaks to them. Renegades feel at home with other outcasts. Everyone has their place. The nation has become a huge high school before reaching their awakening on their first day of college. It is time to grow up. Don’t talk about voting for the lesser of two evils when you have not discovered a way to engage all people in a philosophy that includes all people and not just your clique. By the very nature of your moaning and groaning, you are still pining away for maintaining your comfort while keeping people out. People who say they follow Jesus, listen closely. It is ok to say that the evangelical slant of the faith that continues to get attention is wrong. Heck, its downright witchcraft. It is ok for you to follow a melaninized Jesus. You do not have to whitewash him for your ease. It is ok to follow the thoughts of a God-man who happens to have color. Social activism is not against Biblical principles. Matter of fact, you ought to turn over the tables when true injustices is taking place. Understand, your loyalty to your affiliation may get you to hell quicker than anything. Doing what is right is still the best move. If you lose friends, they were not your friends. If you lose connections, they were just leaves. Focus on doing justice, loving kindness, and truly walking humbly with God.

Anyone that reads this letter today, I want you to know that I am in love with true freedom. I am in love with equity, equality, and true justice. I do not apologize for want to see the decedents of African tribal leaders, kings, queens, ruler, mystics, and professors who were sold out to become slaves in this country experience what is overdue. I do not apologize for believing that this nation will not be the land of the free until it finally abolishes the active remnants of colonialism. I do not apologize for speaking truth to power from the pulpit or any other platform. I will not apologize for being Black. I will not apologize for pursing the greater good for all.

My prayer is that this season will finally produce the opportunity to think through meaningful change. My prayer is that people will not use the outcome of one election as a statement of deliverance or hopelessness. I pray that people will protest evil, demand change, gain equity and equality, and experience justice for all. It is time to work. It is time to lay down the ignorance and pick up the pace for the sake of our future.

God bless you. May Heaven give you clarity. May the Creator give you power.

God’s Servant in the Struggle,

Dr. Charles W. Ferguson