Liberating Church
A Twenty-First Century Hush Harbor Manifesto
Edited by Brandon Wrencher and Venneikia Samantha Williams
Foreword by Lynice Pinkard
Series: Voices
Imprint: Cascade Books
While the North American church grapples with an eroding position of privilege in society, there is a liberating vision of church from the margins. This manifesto defines eight marks of liberating churches that were identified through research of antebellum hush harbors. Hush harbors were the covert gatherings of enslaved Africans to worship and organize for change free from the surveillance of plantation Christianity. Liberating Church explores how the marks of antebellum hush harbors are being lived out now in several faith communities. This book offers a guide for anyone who wants to embrace innovative models for building spaces of faith and activism with structural critique and spiritual power.
Brandon Wrencher is a minister, organizer, teacher, and facilitator. He works across faith, education, and non-profit sectors at the intersections of decolonizing church, contemplative activism, and local presence to build beloved communities.
Venneikia Samantha Williams is a person whose pursuit of justice is informed by the radical Black tradition. From designing curriculum, graphics, and events to facilitating in-person and virtual trainings on racial, political, and spiritual matters, Venneikia is a lifelong learner and instructor.
“A visionary book grounded in experiential wisdom. Brandon and Venneikia share the architecture of spiritual community that will inspire and guide any leader eager to build circles of belonging and becoming. Where these folks are leading, we are lucky to follow.”
—Casper ter Kuile, cofounder, Sacred Design Lab
“There are tons of books on church innovation. Liberating Church is one of the first to center Black religious experience. The faith communities profiled here remind us that God is indeed doing a new thing. If we move past our preconceptions and listen carefully, we just might recognize it.”
—Chanequa Walker-Barnes, Columbia Theological Seminary
“Liberating Church is not a book for those playing church or who are in denial of its complicated histories. It is a prophetic text grounding itself in the wisdom of the past in order to call contemporary Christians to reorient their lives and faith practices. The words found in these pages will feel like fresh air for those seeking to honor God, others, their ancestors, and themselves through truth telling, justice seeking, and community building.”
—Alicia Crosby, justice educator, equity consultant, and minister
“The doors to the church did not just close when the pandemic began. Those of us who are queer or trans/nonbinary, or disabled, or poor know all too well what it means to be shut out from what is supposed to be life-giving, not death dealing. Liberating Church offers a powerful framework for change, breathing the spirit of the hush harbors into a new season of possibility, innovation, accountability, and care, particularly for the Black church.”
—Mykal O. Slack, community minister, Black Lives of Unitarian Universalism
“This book is a treasure in bringing the mission of the church and the work of social justice together to learn from the Black folk theology and revolutionary practice of enslaved Africans. . . . This book is required reading for anyone who wants to see the church be different, be community, be an agent of change. Get your copy and, more importantly, put the wisdom in these pages into practice in your life, ministry, and activism!”
—Billy Michael Honor, community organizer, public scholar, and former church planter
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