What churches should do as history is erased and immigrants are mistreated | Opinion

Shardaé Henry is an elder at The Grove Presbyterian Church of Charlotte and a seminary student at Union Presbyterian Seminary of Charlotte.

In every age, forces agitate against God’s vision of liberation. They may not wear uniforms or wave flags, but they move with cunning precision — disrupting communities, distorting truth and diminishing the image of God in others. These oppressive agitators are not always new. They just evolve.

Today, they show up in courtrooms, campaign slogans and corporate boardrooms. They show up in school policies and housing applications. They show up in pulpits. They are voter suppression bills disguised as “election integrity.” They are “anti-woke” legislation that erases Black history. They are anti-immigrant policies that treat asylum seekers like invaders. They are book bans that fear the power of a child’s imagination. They are state-sanctioned violence that devalues Black, brown and disabled bodies. These are not just government and social issues, but spiritual problems And the Church must name them.

Historically, agitators seeking oppression have always tried to dress themselves in moral language. Jim Crow claimed to uphold “order.” Japanese internment camps were justified as “national security.” Apartheid was undergirded by a theology of white supremacy. These systems didn’t collapse because they ran out of steam. They were dismantled by courageous movements, often led by people of faith, who refused to let evil go unnamed.

So, where is the Church now?

If we are honest, we know many congregations are more comfortable praying for unity than speaking against injustice. But unity built on silence is not biblical peace — it is complicity. Jesus didn’t go to the margins just to comfort the oppressed; he confronted the oppressors. The gospel he preached was dangerous, disruptive and liberative. It still is.

This is not a call for partisan Christianity. It’s a call to be the Church that reads the signs of the times and responds with boldness and love. A Church that refuses to be neutral when laws are passed that strip away dignity. A Church that weeps with children separated from their parents and stands with workers demanding living wages. A Church that listens to survivors, protects the vulnerable and tells the truth even when it’s inconvenient.

Here’s how we dismantle these oppressive agitators.

We dismantle them with truth.

We refuse to look away. We expose injustice for what it is, name it clearly and challenge it boldly.

We dismantle them through community.

Oppression thrives in isolation. Liberation grows in relationships rooted in solidarity. By centering marginalized voices, supporting grassroots organizers and building coalitions, we become harder to divide and easier to mobilize.

We dismantle them with policy and prayer.

Yes, we vote. Yes, we advocate. But we also fast and intercede, knowing that this struggle is spiritual warfare. Our prayers are not passive — they are preparation for action.

We dismantle them in our discipleship.

When the Church guides people into comfort instead of courage, we produce believers who prefer empire over exodus. We must disciple people in the way of Jesus — the one who overturned tables and tore veils — to form liberators, not bystanders.

We dismantle them by remembering who we are.

We are resurrection people. We belong to the God who breaks chains, levels mountains and sets captives free. We do not fear agitators seeking oppression — we confront them with gospel power, spirit fire and a love that refuses to quit.

The agitators are counting on our silence. But the Spirit of God is stirring. This is not the time to play it safe. It is the time to rise up — not with domination, but with deep discipleship. Not with fear, but with faith. Justice is still possible.

This story was originally published April 24, 2025 at 5:00 AM with the headline "What churches should do as history is erased and immigrants are mistreated | Opinion."