Episode 30
#30. Urban Ministry, Gentrification, Justice, and a Faithful Witness
Pastor Justin Adour looks at opportunities and potential blind spots when church planting in a neighborhood that is being gentrified.
He also considers the church’s hesitancy to confront issues relating to justice and how that reluctance could overshadow a church’s testimony of Jesus.
Almost three years ago—he and his wife, Angela, co-founded Redeemer East Harlem which is part of the family of Redeemer Presbyterian Churches in New York City. Located in the heart of what is traditionally known as Spanish Harlem, the community around the church is experiencing rapid gentrification.
What You’ll Learn:
- Three of the Church's Biggest Challenges to Engage in Issues that Relate to Justice
- About Gentrification as a Context for Church Planting
- How Justice Relates to Evangelism
About the Guest :
Pastor Justin Adour together with his wife Angela co-founded Redeemer East Harlem. For almost three years he has served as the Lead Pastor of the church located in the heart of what has been traditionally known as Spanish Harlem in New York City.
Prior to that, he has been pastoring in NYC since 2008—serving as a youth pastor and staff pastor in the Bronx, a chaplain at the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy, a campus minister at NYU and a pastor at Redeemer East Side.
He is an editor and contributor for a blog, Until Zion. He earned both a bachelor's and master's degrees in Intercultural Studies with his master's focus in urban missiology, as well as a master's from Reformed Theological Seminary NYC. He has also completed his doctorate (D.Min) from North Park Theological Seminary.
Scripture Related to Episode:
Revelation 21; New Heaven and New Earth
Links Related to Episode:
Justin Adour, Contributor - Until Zion Blog
Timestamped Show Notes:
01:08 - Topic: Church Planting and Social Justice from a Biblical Perspective
02:07 - Biblical Justice versus Social Justice
04:24 - Youth Ministry in the Bronx
06:36 - Competing Definitions of Racism
07:41 - The Social Construct of Race
08:16 - What Is Anti-Racism?
09:45 - The Church as a Just People (On Purpose)
10:54 - Learning from the Church's History about Justice
13:08 - The Importance of History in Understanding a Community —Missiology in America
14:25 - Context for the Church Plant's Core Team
15:01 - Looking at the Gospel Holistically
15:42 - Great Commission Christianity and the Restoration of All Things
16:48 - Making the Invisible Kingdom Visible Now
17:30 - Reconciliation and Restoration in Communities
18:16 - Three Obstacles to a Justice Orientation in Churches
22:01 - NYC in 2020 during the #BLM Movement
22:39 - Solidarity, Prayer and Unity
27:08 - Privileged Mobility and Loving Your Neighbor
33:45 - Justice Matters
36:03 - Biblical Witness, Justice, Advocacy and Evangelism
37:27 - Contact Info and Until Zion Blog
38:10 - Dads Joking
