Francis Grimke turned down a university presidency to continue pastoring. He helped found the NAACP. And he had some prescient words for white churches in his day and in our own. His message was exceedingly simple – (1) preach, believe, love, share, and treasure the gospel; and (2) obey it with all of your might. Grimke’s understanding of the church’s role in broken hearts and a broken society has much to teach us today.

 For further reading:

• The Negro: His Rights and Wrongs, the Forces for Him and Against Him, Francis J. Grimke. The final sermon in this collection, “God and prayer as factors in the struggle,” inspired a podcast hosted by Isaac Adams, our primary speaker at this year’s H3 Conference. Check out United? We Pray as well (web / podcast).
• Meditations on Preaching, Francis J. Grimke
• “Some Reflections Growing Out of the Recent Epidemic of Influenza that Afflicted Our City,” Francis J. Grimke. This sermon was preached after the devastating outbreak of the Spanish flu. It was republished by 9Marks at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic due to its resonance with our time.
• The Faithful Preacher: Recapturing the Vision of Three Pioneering African-American Pastors, Thabiti Anyabwile

Have questions or ideas for a future episode? Email them to [email protected].

Bespoken is a weekly podcast by Pastors, Jay Thomas and Ryan McKee. Each week we cover spiritual topics and issues that will help you grow closer to God and deeper in Christ. 

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