The Black Church --- 2050

The Black Church historically has been a pivotal institution in the African American society. Therefore, it is natural to wonder what role the Black Church will play in the post-modern era. In my oral presentation I will share my vision of the future of the Black Church. It is a supernatural, Afrofuturist, Pan-African vision. This vision is cast in a framework of important points. These points are necessities. They must be implemented to secure the very survival and prosperity of black people. Hence, I have categorized them under the heading “Must Be Done”. Here is a list of the visionary points that I will expound on in my talk. (1) The Black Church must combat the negative antiblackness the American society is guilty of perpetuating. This will take black people having a functional black culture rooted in a commitment to black people not only in the U.S.A. but throughout the diaspora and the African Motherland. To mold this type of constructive black culture the Black Church must develop a nurturing, undergirding theology and worship style which does not dehumanize but humanizes black people and that eradicates eurocentrism, white supremacy and all the instruments and accoutrements that sustain a slave or colonized mentality. (2) The Black Church must rededicate itself as a Liberation Church. Just as the ancestors fought against slavery and Jim Crow, in the era of Trumpism the Black Church must fight against American Fascism.

This is a life-or-death struggle. (3) The Black Church’s theology must be able to comprehend and interpret Transhumanism. We are living in an era when humans are being enhanced by advanced bio-medical science and technology. The Transhumanist Movement has altered the meaning of being human. This serious alteration requires a major adjustment of our political thought and theology. (4) We are also living in the era of Accelerationism and Time-Space Compression. The Black Church must be equipped to help our people navigate the mentally and spiritually debilitating rapid pace of change in society today and in the future. (5) Finally, the Black Church’s cosmological view must be expanded. The Black Church should have an intergalactic world view and theology. According to UCSB Science Line, astronomers estimate there are about 500 billion to one trillion galaxies in the observable universe. Therefore, it is highly probable other intelligent life forms exist somewhere in this vast universe. For that reason, being prepared for the future means having the capacity to deal successfully with extraterrestrials.