Comments on: The Elephant in the Room at T4G https://headhearthand.org/blog/2012/04/18/the-elephant-in-the-room-at-t4g/  Informing Minds. Moving Hearts. Directing Hands. Mon, 23 Feb 2026 18:08:00 +0000 hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=3.8.41 By: Anthony Griffin https://headhearthand.org/blog/2012/04/18/the-elephant-in-the-room-at-t4g/#comment-48981 Tue, 08 Mar 2016 11:17:00 +0000 http://headhearthand.org/?p=7379#comment-48981 Who cares, frankly, about diversity! That is not what the conference is about! You missed the point entirely because YOU focused on your race and being a minority. Being a believer in this world is being in the minority! Did it ever cross your mind to stop and think hey maybe there are not any black people here because they’re just not interested in going? Even though this was highly publicized? This has nothing to do with race or diversity. This has to do with the gospel of Jesus Christ and taking it to all nations. I think your problem is you have this sense of entitlement in your mind. And frankly I’m offended by your article. I have plenty of black friends who would totally disagree with you and thank that you’re focusing on the wrong things. I would encourage you to read scripture and maybe go and not worry about whether you’re black or white or green or whatever that’s not what it’s about.

]]> By: “T4G Debrief: Where Were All the African Americans?” by Thabiti Anyabwile https://headhearthand.org/blog/2012/04/18/the-elephant-in-the-room-at-t4g/#comment-13681 Sun, 27 Jan 2013 23:49:32 +0000 http://headhearthand.org/?p=7379#comment-13681 [...] couple days ago, David Murray posted a second reflection on T4G where he asked, “Where were all the African Americans?” Murray expressed some timidity raising the question for fear of saying something offensive or [...]

]]> By: ursonate https://headhearthand.org/blog/2012/04/18/the-elephant-in-the-room-at-t4g/#comment-6187 Wed, 23 May 2012 12:12:30 +0000 http://headhearthand.org/?p=7379#comment-6187 I am not religious by any means so I didn’t understand half of what anyone said, but the same situation exists in tech and design conferences. It’s an intriguing question the answer to which is likely extremely complicated.It makes people nervous, which is usually an indicator that it’s the right question to be asking.

]]> By: Brett https://headhearthand.org/blog/2012/04/18/the-elephant-in-the-room-at-t4g/#comment-5989 Sat, 28 Apr 2012 03:02:56 +0000 http://headhearthand.org/?p=7379#comment-5989 It is my recollection that Mr. Burns disqualified himself from ministry, at least for that season of his life, which may be the reason the mp3 has been taken down.

Although it may no longer be up at the site as an mp3, the content of the message is available to read from the free online book, which is available here (Mr. Burns’ address, “Trusting the Theology of a Slave Owner” begins on page 145):

http://cdn.desiringgod.org/pdf/books_bgev/bgev_all.pdf

]]> By: Pastor Rod https://headhearthand.org/blog/2012/04/18/the-elephant-in-the-room-at-t4g/#comment-5969 Thu, 26 Apr 2012 06:13:46 +0000 http://headhearthand.org/?p=7379#comment-5969 Aj, I would also like u to send me the mp3

]]> By: dave https://headhearthand.org/blog/2012/04/18/the-elephant-in-the-room-at-t4g/#comment-5959 Wed, 25 Apr 2012 04:52:23 +0000 http://headhearthand.org/?p=7379#comment-5959 Hello,
just to respond to some of the comments above… I want to say I am appreciative that this conversation did take place. To the user Matt…I want you to know as an asian who is reformed, I along with many other asians/hispanics feel much in line with David Murray, who wrote this blog. I don’t really know what the answer is and I wouldn’t be quick to point fingers at anyone. I just know that something is wrong. It feels wrong. But because of fear, we choose not to meddle in an arena where we feel have no influence. Not that position matters, but in many SBC churches or Acts 29 churches, you’ll rarely see any of us put in staff even if we love the Lord, have passion for ministry, or are gifted in leading a pastoral role somewhere. Its just never gonna happen. We don’t even have an avenue for that. But I don’t expect too many to understand this. but if you were in my shoe, you’ll understand. ANYWHOO, we love our churches and the fundamentals that it teaches, so we stick around. Because we rather serve the Lord in truth and not have any active role in staff than to be in other cultural churches that have poor doctrine and theology. This is not a white/black issue anymore. its very offensive to hear that…there are other races that feel the same way.

]]> By: Marcus https://headhearthand.org/blog/2012/04/18/the-elephant-in-the-room-at-t4g/#comment-5950 Tue, 24 Apr 2012 14:14:32 +0000 http://headhearthand.org/?p=7379#comment-5950 I would be interested in hearing that message as well. Marcus@991church.com -Thanks.

]]> By: Rod Phillips https://headhearthand.org/blog/2012/04/18/the-elephant-in-the-room-at-t4g/#comment-5942 Tue, 24 Apr 2012 04:38:18 +0000 http://headhearthand.org/?p=7379#comment-5942 David…he was with me!

I’m from California and have a ton of pastor friends who could not attend T4G but who have attended in the past – all different ethnicities out here. The same is true of many I know from Michigan where I used to minister. The economy has hit many pastors hard and so T4G, which happens to be an expensive conference, is out of reach if they want to go to more than one.

The Elephant in the room question is a good one from the perspective of “is a Reformed Soteriology embraced and growing in the African American churches?”. And when I talk to my African American pastor friends they usually say that the problem is both theological as well as cultural.

So, the elephant is present, but not necessarily the fault of, result of or neglect of T4G…

And I did bring an African American brother with me that loved the conference…

]]> By: OFelixCulpa https://headhearthand.org/blog/2012/04/18/the-elephant-in-the-room-at-t4g/#comment-5922 Sun, 22 Apr 2012 00:15:25 +0000 http://headhearthand.org/?p=7379#comment-5922 David,

I understand that you were not directly accusing anyone of racism, sorry if my response seemed to imply that you did.

I know that many of those who enjoy the conference seem completely unable to accept any sort of critique of it. That is not a problem for me; I spend more time giving critique than challenging it. But the critique you offer (that something is wrong because the color count is off) is really problematic.

The problem is that the kind of color counting and ratio adjustment you are encouraging requires people to make judgments (in this case about a conference) based on nothing more than race.

I’m certain we agree that it is right to proclaim the gospel to every creature (no matter what race). But I think it is very wrong to make some notion of ideal color ratios (a.k.a. “diversity”) a part of that message; we appear to disagree on that.

]]> By: A Good Question « Insomniac memos https://headhearthand.org/blog/2012/04/18/the-elephant-in-the-room-at-t4g/#comment-5919 Sat, 21 Apr 2012 18:39:40 +0000 http://headhearthand.org/?p=7379#comment-5919 [...] Asked of the recent T4G conference, but which could be asked about all kinds of other meetings (ETS in my experience, but the Wheaton Theology Conference t00): Where is the diversity? It’s largely a function of some cultural and historical things, but it is discouraging to at this point see so little progress. And given the divergent responses on the Treyvon Martin case (breaking down often on racial lines) and the more recent controversy in the SBC over Richard Land’s comments, it seems we are a long way from living out the Beloved Community. Like this:LikeBe the first to like this post. [...]

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