Adult Ed, Jul 13, 9:45am

This week join Pastor Andrew as we continue our discussion of exactly what role should our church take in today’s political climate and also look at some actions individuals can take. If you missed prior class(es) you can still view the videos, get all the handouts, and join in this important discussion. Join us in McFarland Chapel or on Zoom.

This fifth class is a more in depth discussion of what we believe our church should be doing. What does it mean to engage in resistance? What specifically should we be doing? And also, what can individuals do? We use ideas from Dr. Tisby’s video and ideas from other sources to help spur our thinking.

Classes are held in the McFarland Chapel and on Zoom between services at 9:45am. Classes are recorded for notetaking purposes, but for privacy reasons, the recordings are not published.

Dr. Tisby, a history professor who also has a master’s in divinity, launched his series in April and expresssed the desire that churches pick it up and use it to guide discussions on what this means for them. Watch the trailer to his launch below.

Our adult ed program based on this series is five classes:

• June 8 – The Signs Are Clear. Pastor Andrew introduced this series with a discussion of the role of the Christian in politics and government:

Dr. Tisby’s first video looks at the signs in our country that democracy is being dismantled and appeals to churches to make their voices heard and take actions to resist such efforts. View Dr. Tisby’s video:

Handout at the end of class 1, also discussed at the beginning of class 2: How Democracies Die.

• June – 15 – Puppet Masters. In the second video, Dr. Tisby outlines and names the people and organizations that he classifies as funders, thinkers, sergeants, infantry, and power players in the effort to dismantle democracy. He states that they are well funded and have been working for decades on this effort. View Dr. Tisby’s second video:

Debra Sanderson also discussed How Democracies Die and distributed a handout for class 2.

• June 22 – Jesus Hijacked. In the third video Dr. Tisby describes White Christian Nationalism and emphasizes that it is a corruption of the Christian faith. He discusses its adherents and its history, and he clearly ties it in to what is happening today. View Dr. Tisby’s third video:

At the end of the class, attendees were given three handouts: Excerpt from a James Talarico sermon, Power Worshippers, and Baptist Leader Speaks Out.

• June 29 – Resistance Starts Now. In the fourth video Dr. Tisby suggests that church members and the church itself look at its strengths and how they can be used to help protect democracy and protect people from being harmed by an anti-democratic force. He suggests making people aware through programs, urges people to make relationships in different groups, and emphasizes faith and commitment. View Dr. Tisby’s fourth video:

Tillie Perkins distributed two handouts at this class: Excerpts from On Tyranny and a Handout for 6-29-2025 that includes a reference list.

• July 13 – Our Role in Resistance. The fifth class is a more in depth discussion of what we believe our church should be doing. What does it mean to engage in resistance? What specifically should we be doing? And also, what can individuals do?

On our fifth class, we distributed two additional handouts: Resource List and A New Declaration of Independence from Tyranny.

Add your voice to this important discussion.