Published on June 17, 2024, 12:43 am

In the evolving landscape of Evangelical churches, a recent sermon by Johnson Bowie of Victory Church has caused quite a stir. In an act many perceive as pandering and virtue signaling, Bowie brings to the forefront problematic elements of the ‘woke’ Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) agenda that appear to be infiltrating these institutions. Bowie’s sermon is riddled with uneasy expressions and reveals a worrying deviation in the church towards valuing diversity over biblical fidelity.

Bowie closely scrutinized church demographics and articulated his distaste for a predominantly white church staff. “Their entire staff was white except for their janitor.” exclaimed Bowie, with emotive exasperation calling for churches reflecting such demographics to dismantle their virtual representation; “Just burn your website down.” His sentiments echo those of Matt Chandler who famously prioritized hiring an “African American 7” over an “Anglo 8”.

Paradoxically, Bowie’s call to hire other cultures reflects his endorsement of DEI but does not showcase his willingness to step down from his prime pastoral role in favor of ensuring diversity at top-level positions within the church. This kind of imprudent self-adulation attracts groans from disciplined congregants desirous for substantive discourses rather than superficial posturing.

The nature and purpose of a church staff page seems lost on Bowie. Instead of acknowledging it as a tool informing congregants about their spiritual leaders, he views it as an opportunity to display excess commitment to woke ideologies.

Through recounting a conversation with an Oklahoma-based white pastor where reasonable advice on hiring based on qualifications was discussed, Bowie slyly implies that lack of non-white staff is inherently hypocritical – an unfortunate diversion tactic common among staunch DEI proponents who place more emphasis on appearances rather than authentic qualifications or spiritual calling.

Most alarming within his discourse was Bowie’s assertion that intentional diversity hiring is inherently related to gospel respectability – undoubtedly offensive simplification considering the gospel’s central tenet is faith and repentance not quota fulfillment. His further attempts to refute his affirmative action biases were contradicted throughout his sermon.

Acknowledging Victory Church’s history of segregated staff, Bowie displays congruous cognitive dissonance that’s prevalent among DEI proponents in the church. While verbalizing prioritization for spiritual calling and devotion towards Christ; immediately he contradicts himself by emphasizing more on hiring bases to merely make a societal statement.

This article seeks to shed light on real news within the sphere of Christianity, focusing particularly on emerging concerns interactions between Christian worldview and ongoing cultural debates. By informing readers about pivotal incidents like this one happening at the forefront of spiritual communication, we can develop more trusted news resources while fostering informed theological discussions.