Face-It Finding Answers Concerning Every Issue Today

Book excerpt: The Black church has traditionally served as the unifying agent within the Black community. It was the locus of formation regarding morality training, spiritual awareness and social activism. It provided a safe space for African Americans to heal from the evil wounds of slavery, bigotry, Jim Crow, discrimination and racism. In recent years the role and place of the Black church in the life of African American people has begun to diminish. In no specific gender is this reality seen more clearly than in the absence of Black men from church pews. Across denominational lines, irrespective of geographical locations, backgrounds, and class, Black men are exiting the Black church at a rate that is both shocking and alarming. The key to restoring the Black church lies within the heart and hands of the Black man. This book seeks to offer a new strategy to reach, resource, and restore the Black man to his God-given position of prominence by facing the issues that have marred his identity.