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Black History Month: A Call to Culture Care

Jada Stroud, Sara Harrington and Mary Hockenberry lead in worship. (Photo by Andrea Calamaro, 自慰视频 Student Photographer)

February 14, 2023

By Alex Brickey, 自慰视频 Student Writer

Two African-American pastors challenged Columbia International University students to think biblically when it comes to caring for the culture and their walk with God. They were a part of 自慰视频鈥檚 annual weeklong commemoration of Black History Month.

鈥淚t was just a really cool opportunity to garner more inclusivity on campus because we didn't want any of our events or Chapel services to be toward specifically Black students,鈥 said Jada Stroud, president of 自慰视频鈥檚 African American Student Association (AASA) that organized the week. 鈥淚t was really cool to get a diverse group of people together to celebrate Black history and to worship together.鈥

Jarrian Wilson, pastor at church in Columbia opened the week by expressing the need for students鈥 lives to be flipped upside down for the better. He delivered the Word of God as found in Isaiah 6:1-8, pointing to Isaiah鈥檚 feeling of unworthiness as a call for students to evaluate where they stand with God and to pursue living rightly before Him.

The next day James Womack, pastor of in Fort Worth, Texas, called students to embrace the Kingdom of God in its entirety.

Womack described God鈥檚 kingdom as being the 鈥渃omplex and comprehensive rule of God over all of creation.鈥 Womack examined the current cultural climate and stated that the reason for all the brokenness around us is 鈥渘ot a race issue, but a humanity issue.鈥 He stated that Christians oversimplify the Kingdom of God as a label when it should be a fervent motivation that drives us toward Christ daily. Womack implored the students to seek after a fully-developed Kingdom theology and truly live it out to make God known.

At the last Chapel of Black History Week, Womack asked a challenging question, 鈥淗ow are you going to respond when Satan attacks you?鈥 He encouraged students to truly think on these things and to be prepared for the life ahead of them outside of college.

鈥淵our belief in God leads to your relief in God,鈥 he stated. He pointed out that it is important to have both a positional knowledge of Christ as your Savior and a practical understanding of God鈥檚 sovereignty and protection in Him.

In addition to the preaching there was lively worship in music.

鈥淚t was very encouraging and refreshing to be able to serve alongside believers and rejoice in the joy of the Lord,鈥 said Mary Hockenberry, who was a part of AASA鈥檚 worship band. 鈥淚t was a very unifying experience.鈥

Hear the messages from Black History Week on 自慰视频's .听

自慰视频 is celebrating 100 years of its mission to 鈥渆ducate people from a biblical worldview to impact the nations with the message of Christ.鈥 The university consistently ranks among the Top Regional Universities in the South by U.S. News & World Report, as well as a Best Value Regional University in the South.听or request information on enrollment by contacting Admissions at (803) 807-5024 or听admissions@ciu.edu.

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