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RACIAL RECONCILIATION, PRIVILEGE, AND THE DEBATE WITHIN THE SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTIST CHURCH IN THE UNITED STATES ON THE FUTURE OF REGIONAL [BLACK] CONFERENCES A Dissertation presented to the Faculty of the Claremont School of Theology In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Doctor of Philosophy by Winsley Benjamin Hector May 2012 ©2012 Winsley Benjamin Hector ALL RIGHTS RESERVED CLAREMONT SCHOOL OF THEOLOGY This Dissertation, written by Winsley Benjamin Hector under the direction of his Faculty Committee and approved by its members, has been presented to and accepted by the Faculty of Claremont School of Theology in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy Faculty Committee: Kathleen J. Greider, Chairperson Duane R. Bidwell Phil Zuckerman Vice President for Academic Affairs and Dean of the Faculty: Philip Clayton May 2012 ABSTRACT RACIAL RECONCILIATION, PRIVILEGE, AND THE DEBATE WITHIN THE SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTIST CHURCH IN THE UNITED STATES ON THE FUTURE OF REGIONAL [BLACK] CONFERENCES By Winsley Benjamin Hector The Seventh-day Adventist Church (SDA) in the United States established a unique governance structure called Regional [Black] Conferences in 1944, to accommodate its black members. This reluctant decision of church leaders at the time was significantly informed by the church's discriminatory practices. In the intervening period, these largely black-constituted and black-operated conferences have facilitated a significant expansion of black membership, leadership, financial resources, and political and social capital for blacks within Adventism. Despite these achievements, Regional Conferences present a dilemma for some black and white church leaders and laypeople, and a debate has ensued. "Idealists" question whether these institutions represent the best in Christian ethics of inclusion and equality; "Pragmatists" counter that their viability is justified by the productivity they facilitate and the need for cultural solidarity among blacks. This debate comes at a time when racial barriers in U.S. society are being challenged. However, a critical examination of the arguments for the closure or continuance of Regional Conferences reveals impediments to resolution-especially white privilege-that can be ameliorated by adapting and using Eric K. Yamamoto's "Interracial Justice" model as a means of working toward racial reconciliation in the SDA Church. This dissertation attempted to establish both a mandate and possible methods for engaging in this essential of all Christian practices—reconciling. Since reconciliation is a complex process that extends beyond the spiritual care and pastoral counseling field, a multidisciplinary approach was adopted, including insights from ethics, social psychology, and the peace and justice movement to arrive at the most salutary model. In this regard, Eric K. Yamamoto's "Interracial Justice" model of racial reconciliation, with its four stages of Recognition, Responsibility, Reconstruction, and Reparation, served as a basic framework for suggesting directions toward racial reconciliation in the SDA Church as it contends with this most "vexing" problem. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I am grateful for the guidance and feedback for my dissertation from the faculty at Claremont School of Theology. Particularly, I would like to thank the members of my dissertation committee: Kathleen Greider, Duane Bidwell and Phil Zuckerman, as well as William Clements and Ellen Marshall, who helped to guide me through the qualifying exams. In addition, I am also grateful to the following friends and colleagues who have provided invaluable support and encouragement throughout this investigative process: Josh Anguiano, Charles Bradford, Jeffrey Brown, Curtis Fox, Joseph McCoy, Calvin Rock, Dan Smith, and Clinton Valley. As conversational partners, their perspectives and prayerful support made this work possible - an indebtedness not easily repaid. I would like thank G. Alexander Bryant, Secretary of the North American Division of the SDA Church, who offered valuable insights into the thinking of church leaders on the subject of this dissertation. I have also appreciated the assistance from reference librarians at Claremont School of Theology, Claremont Graduate University, and La Sierra University. Of course, such an undertaking without the fullest cooperation, understanding, and love of my devoted wife Cleo, and our adoring son Joseph, is impossible to assess. Most importantly, I would like to thank my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, who as Comforter and Counselor sustained me during what at times was a most grueling but enchanting process. i Table of Contents Page Chapter 1. Introduction 1 Problem 1 Thesis 9 Method 9 Outline of the Argument 12 Definitions 19 Audience 20 Scope and Limitations 21 Originality and Contributions 22 2. Review of Relevant Literature 23 Reconciliation and Racism in the SCPC Field 23 Reconciliation and Racism in Adventist Literature 37 Clergy Practitioners in the Racial Reconciliation Movement 43 Reconciliation in the Peace and Justice Movements 47 Whiteness and White Privilege in Psychosocial Literature 55 Summary 62 3. A Historical Overview of the SDA Church in the United States and in Great Britain Relative to its Mission to Black Expansion and Protest 63 The Formation of the SDA Church 63 The Religious and Sociopolitical Context in Which the SDA Church Emerged 65 ii Millennialism Influences 65 Race, Religion and Reunion Post U.S. Civil War 68 The SDA Church's Mission to Blacks and the Role of Ellen G. White 79 The History of Regional [Black] Conferences 91 Racism and Redress in the SDA Church in the United Kingdom 101 Summary Ill 4. Arguments in Favor of the Dissolution of Regional Conferences in the SDA Church in the United States 114 Arguments of Church Leaders, Administrators, and Theologians 115 Assessment of the Essential Arguments 127 Love-Unity Ethic Argument 128 Segregation Argument 134 Age of Obama Argument 142 Summary 148 5. Arguments for Preserving the Current Regional Conference Structure in the SDA Church in the United States 150 Arguments of Church Leaders and Administrators 150 Assessment of the Essential Arguments 158 Cultural Pluralism Argument 160 Blaming the Victim Argument 165 White Privilege Argument 167 Summary 182 iii 6. A Spiritual Care and Pastoral Counseling Formulation of Mandates and Methods in Racial Reconciliation 183 Beyond the Idealist and Pragmatist Rhetoric 183 The 1999 Race Summit 185 Countering Bias and Social Distance with Contact Theory 189 Diversity Works 191 Spiritual Reflections on Reconciliation 193 Paul's Approach to Reconciliation 194 Spiritual Care and Pastoral Counseling Approaches to Reconciliation 198 Practices of Racial Reconciliation 204 Progress and Pitfalls of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission 204 Reconciliation in the Peace and Justice Movement 211 Adaptation of Yamamoto's "Interracial Justice" Model as a SCPC Approach for Racial Reconciliation 216 Recognition and Confession 220 Responsibility and Repentance 223 Reconstruction and Accountability 226 Reparation that is Transformative 231 Summary 234 7. An Approach to Racial Reconciliation for the SDA Church in the United States... 237 The Complicity of Silence 237 An Adventist Model of Racial Reconciliation 239 Reconciliation in the Quarrel Narrative of Abraham and Lot 252 iv Motivating Change 255 Conclusion 256 Appendixes A. "A Statement on Racism" by the SDA Church 259 B. Charles M. Kinney's 12-Point Plan-Oct. 2,1889 260 C. "The Sixteen Point Proposal"—April 16,1970 261 D. The Pierson Package's Nine Recommendations 263 E. Goals, Desired Outcomes, and Recommendations of the 1999 SDA Race Summit.264 Bibliography 265 v