Revealing the Fullness of Faith Communities Through Black History with Pastors Stephen Feith and Tyler Nylen

Nehemiah has seen many faith groups participate in the Justified Anger Black History for a New Day course and find transformation in their communities. Eli Steenlage has a conversation about the role that the course has played in the journey of church leaders and members with Madison Church Pastor, Stephen Feith, and Nehemiah’s Faith Community Relationship Manager, Tyler Nylen. These two pastors discuss how the course has shaped their racial justice paths from their experience in the Christian tradition. Stephen and Tyler also speak to their own personal experience with cultural and systemic racism, and how their faith compels their justice learning and action. Listen in to hear how they explain that they cannot ignore or separate their faith from a lifestyle of racial justice.

“When faith communities are at their best, they are connecting people to a story that is deeper and wider than themselves, with purpose. Without a history that is defining of not only who we are but also who our neighbors are, we are not telling a full history – it’s not accurate or holistic to the full story. It’s important to understand the history, so that we don’t say – that’s not my problem. It actually is our problem because we have been part of the system that has created long-term racial justice issues.” Tyler Nylen.” – Tyler Nylen

If we are talking the kingdom of God coming to earth – there is equity, inclusion, and justice. There is healing and there is reconciliation, and God has called us to participate in the mission with him. For me, this is a non-negotiable.  ⁃ Stephen Feith

Stephen Feith is the Founding/Lead Pastor of Madison Church. He is the author of the book, Uprising: An Ancient Prophet’s Sacred Words for Modern Activists, and has had articles published in Outreach Magazine. Stephen holds a Master of Arts in Missional Church Movements from Wheaton College. He and his wife, Megan, live in Madison with their children, Oliver, Elijah, and Quinn.

After serving as an intern at both Nehemiah and Fountain of Life Covenant Church during the summer of 2016, Tyler relocated to Madison following graduate school in order to pursue the vision of Nehemiah after his compelling experience with the organization. In this role, Tyler loves connecting, building relationships, and strategizing with faith communities and churches to determine how they can partner with Nehemiah to strengthen the African American community while addressing racism in faith contexts. Tyler is also a pastor at Fountain of Life Church. He loves reading, exploring the city through coffeeshops (he even ranks and reviews them all), and all things Chicago sports.

Learn more about the Black History for a New Day course and other Nehemiah educational opportunities.

This article contributed by Eli Steenlage.