OLATHE — According to Kansas Reflector, Rev. Bobby Love of Second Baptist Church endorsed a campaign on Thursday aimed at alerting Kansans to the dangers of white Christian nationalism and promoting a broader appreciation of how democracy could be compromised by a movement bent on undermining inclusive communities.
“Together, we must reject the notion of placing one race above another,” Love said. “We must reject the notion of intolerance. We must reject the notion of violence under the banner of Christianity.”
Second Baptist Church, which erected a building two blocks from where the crowd gathered outside the Johnson County Courthouse in 1882, was founded by Black Exodusters who migrated to the Great Plains from the South, Love said. He emphasized that nearly 150 years of trials and tribulations hadn’t destroyed the congregation’s sense of community.
He referenced the late Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.’s vision of a “beloved community” where a critical mass of people committed to nonviolence. King acknowledged that the human experience included personal, group, and national conflict, but he also advocated for resolving those differences through reconciliation among adversaries. Ultimately, King preached, cooperation and goodwill could prevail.
It was King, Love said, who proposed that Americans must find ways to live together as brothers and sisters or perish together as fools.
“If you feel like that today, let us reject the notion of divisive rhetoric. Let us reject the notion of violence. Let us together build up the beloved community,” Love said.
About 100 people gathered outside the Johnson County Courthouse on Thursday for a rally sponsored by the Metro Organization for Racial and Economic Equity (MORE2) to express concern about the rise of white Christian nationalism and the potential harm to the nation’s democracy. (Tim Carpenter/Kansas Reflector)
‘Growing partisan movement’
The noon event was coordinated by MORE2, a Kansas City-based, nonpartisan social justice organization committed to transforming communities. The organization includes members of different faith traditions, cultural backgrounds, races, and economic means.
The Olathe rally was the fourth of seven scheduled from April through October in counties across the metropolitan area in Kansas and Missouri. The next rally is set for 7 p.m. on Aug. 15 in downtown Parkville, Missouri, in Platte County.
Rev. Stephen Jones of First Baptist Church of Kansas City, Missouri, the coordinator of the two-state campaign, said the issue of Christian nationalism was relevant as voters marked ballots during the 2024 election cycle.
“White Christian Nationalism is a growing partisan movement of grave concern to many in our society,” said Jones, co-pastor of First Baptist Church. “In these monthly rallies leading up to the November elections, we want to highlight the dangers of white Christian nationalism to our American democracy.”
Rev. Laura Phillips, who serves the Overland Park Christian Church, said King’s vision of the beloved community granted equal status to women, men, and all individuals in terms of leadership and opportunity for expression.
“I’m in favor of unity,” said Rev. Barry Dundas of Grace United Methodist Church of Olathe. “I think we’re all in favor of unity.”
Dundas said it was appropriate to address the issue of unity following the assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump during a campaign rally in Pennsylvania.
He said the alarming attack on Trump added urgency to the quest for bridging gaps among Republicans and Democrats and engaging in dialogue to foster a more collaborative approach to politics.
‘Not a religion’
Rev. Chris Wilson, who serves the congregation at Saint Andrew Christian Church of Olathe, said it was important for Kansans to gain a broad understanding of harmful ideologies that sought to distort religion for political gain.
Christian nationalists were working to erode the separation of church and state by arguing that government and Christianity should be one and the same, he said.
“Christian nationalism is not a religion,” he said. “Christian nationalism is a political ideology that is distorted. White Christian nationalism is a distorted ideology that seeks to pressure and misuse the term Christian to advance a system that enlarges power and privilege for those who already have it.”
Wilson said a core ideal of Christian nationalism was to marginalize and suppress the views of people who deserved a seat at the table of government. It was essential, he said, for Kansans to “vote their own values” in the August and November elections.
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