'Long Overdue': TBN's Special with Kirk Franklin Reveals What the Church Needs to Do to Bring Racial Healing
A special conversation about race and the church is set to air on the Trinity Broadcasting Network.
The show comes after Gospel singer Kirk Franklin announced last year in an online video that he would boycott the Gospel Music Association's Dove Awards after comments he made about race and police shootings during the GMA's were edited from the show's broadcast on TBN. He also threatened to boycott TBN and the GMA highlighting that a similar issue happened in 2016.
Fellow Christian artists like Lecrae, Tauren Wells, Jeremy Camp, Jamie Grace Harper, Mandisa, and Natalie Grant expressed their support for the entertainer's decision.
In a new video, Franklin shared about the conversation he recently had with TBN president Matt Crouch, Pastor Tony Evans of Oak Cliff Bible Fellowship and Pastor Robert Morris of Gateway Church in Dallas.
"Several months ago I sat in this same seat to share with you a decision that I made regarding the Dove Awards and the TBN Network," said Franklin. "When that speech aired on the Christian network TBN, that part of my speech was edited out."
He went on to say, "I want to let you know this week a conversation took place that was long overdue."
Crouch says in a clip from the upcoming show, "I want to know the conversation that needs to happen. If I'm ignorant would you help me?"
Franklin says of the discussion, "It's a conversation about race and the church. It was a painful but necessary conversation and I think you're going to want to see this."
"I believe that black and brown people in this country continuously feel like they're edited out," Franklin says in a clip from the episode.
Pastor Robert Morris said, "What I realized was I'm ignorant of this issue."
"Find your racial pride first in Jesus Christ, not first in the culture," Pastor Tony Evans said in a clip from the special.
"This is not a conversation of me attempting to make white people feel bad for being white," Franklin said at the start of the "Praise" show. "It is to give a bigger perspective on the heartbreaks and the hurts, that black and brown people in America are looking for the church to be a safe haven but at times it isn't always answering the call."
"I do know that for a lot of black and brown people, just even the optics of what just happened can be very problematic because throughout history a lot of times white people have sometimes come across that the issues are fixed with the kumbaya moment," Franklin added. "The kumbaya moment is really, for this generation, is antiquated."
The show is scheduled to air at 9:00 pm Eastern/8:00 pm Central, Thursday, March 12 on TBN.
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