Overview

Churches remain some of the most segregated spaces in the United States. In congregations that are multiracial, leadership can be a source of conflict. What does it mean for pastors of color to lead in multiracial spaces? Who are the pastors of color that serve as head clergy of multiracial congregations? What advantages do they have and what challenges do they encounter? How do they manage their role? How do their experiences compare to their white pastor counterparts who also head multiracial congregations? Drawing on data from a nationally representative comparative study of multiracial congregations across the United States, including more than 100 in-depth interviews, Estranged Pioneers both answers these questions and discusses the broader implications for community leaders in multiracial contexts. Korie Little Edwards and Rebecca Y. Kim make three primary arguments. First, pastors of color who lead multiracial congregations are estranged pioneers-they leave their familiar home churches to lead multiracial congregations, but often find themselves estranged from their old religious community as well as their new one. Second, compared to their white counterparts, they are better able to recognize pervasive white hegemony and also more easily cross cultural and racial boundaries, allowing them to reconcile norms from at least two cultures. Finally, Edwards and Kim argue that leaders of color can function as indispensable brokers who can bridge segregated racial networks. In a society that is increasingly diverse yet where segregation persists, they have the unique power and ability to function as bridges that connect otherwise segregated communities. Estranged Pioneers reveals how pastors of color are leading the way towards a more united multiracial future.

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9780197638309

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Reviews

In a time when diversity is both celebrated and under deep assault, leading diverse organizations is challenging. So often I get asked 'Can you recommend a book for Christian leaders of color to help them navigate leading diverse groups?' Now I can! This is the book all should read, written by two of the leading voices on race and religion. A fantastic and deeply needed work, rooted in data, and informed by years of lived experience. * Michael O. Emerson, Chavanne Fellow in Religion and Public Policy, Baker Institute for Public Policy, Rice University and co-author of Divided by Faith and The Religion of Whiteness * Estranged Pioneers is an outstanding book on multiracial religion in the United States. Edwards and Kim provide a systematic, thoughtful, and thought provoking analysis of the lives and legacies of pastors of color who led racially diverse congregations. The book highlights pastors' trials, triumphs, and sacrifices as they endeavor to both embody and cultivate a beloved community. This book is a must-read for anyone interested in understanding the future of religious multiculturalism and the unique capacities of pastors of color to act as community brokers committed to forging networks across diverse spaces. * Sandra L. Barnes, C.V. Starr Professor of Sociology: Brown University * Estranged by their home communities and treated as inferior by their white peers, pastors of color who lead multiracial congregations are the subjects of this spectacular book. The concepts proposed, the data utilized, and the voices brought forth offer a compelling portrait of the distinctive, racialized problem of pastoral leadership. This timely and welcome study is an excellent scholarly resource that richly serves the brave and committed ministers living out the distinctive challenge of diversity. * Gerardo Martí, author of Worship Across the Racial Divide: Religious Music and the Multiracial Congregation *

Author Information

Korie Little Edwards is Distinguished Professor of Sociology at The Ohio State University. She is former President of the Society for the Scientific Study of Religion, Editor-in-Chief for the Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion, and the co-host of The Elusive Dream Podcast. She is the author of Against All Odds: The Struggle for Racial Integration in Religious Organizations, The Elusive Dream: The Power of Race in Interracial Churches, Growing up in America: The Power of Race in the Lives of Teens, and the award-winning Smart Suits, Tattered Boots: Black Ministers Mobilizing the Black Church in the Twenty-First Century. Rebecca Y. Kim is Frank R. Seaver Chair Professor of Sociology and the Director of the Ethnic Studies program at Pepperdine University. She is the author of God's New Whiz Kids? Korean American Evangelicals on Campus and The Spirit Moves West: Korean Missionaries in America.

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