The Future of The Black Church: When Religion Leads to Faith-Based Trauma featuring Margaret L. Conley and Pastoral Guests

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“Emotional wellness is a gift from God, but we've never been invited to take a deep look at it,” says Margaret L. Conley. Growing up in the church, Margaret couldn’t help but notice the overt gaps between faith and mental health. For the last decade, Margaret has worked in ministry focusing on the black church in the context of faith-based trauma. Margaret is both the owner and lead consultant at MLC Consulting, LLC where she serves adverse populations at the intersection of spirituality and emotional wellness. In today’s episode, Margaret takes a deep dive into emotional wellness and the future of the black church.

In the Bible, Paul teaches us to understand that we are made of many members. To start the healing process, Margaret explains that we need to first understand all of the parts that make us a cohesive whole. Just because we may be well-adjusted in one area doesn’t mean we don’t need to give attention somewhere else. When we bring our spiritual and emotional wellness into alignment, we allow our wounds to heal; and when we come from a space of healing, the black church will survive.

Tune into this week’s episode of Southern Soul Live Stream for a conversation about faith-based trauma. Learn more about how individual healing has the power to transcend generational traumas and heal broken communities and churches.

Quotes

• “In regard to the church, we've never been invited to take a deep look at our emotional wellness.” (12:31-12:38)

• “If we can rightly divide the text of the Bible, we will find that we are offered care by God, but humanity is who we need to connect to.” (20:15-20:24)

• “Faith-based trauma is any traumatic event that has happened based upon your faith tradition.” (23:53-23:59)

• “We need to be sensitive about trauma, so that we can start to see our churches and faith-based spaces heal.” (26:09-26:16)

• “Cast your cares upon God because God cares about that. Do not cast your care upon your pastor, because your pastor may not care about that.” (34:28-34:37)

• “I don't think the black church is dead. I think she will die if we don't start to take care of her physically, emotionally, and socially. If we don't start to take care of the black church in the totality of that, then we are giving her permission to die. I don't think the black church, in essence, wants to go. It's still a safe haven, in my opinion, it's still a place where we go. But we have become so sick in the need to be great that we've missed the reason for the formation of the black church.” (39:12-39:51)

• “If the black church can remember why she was formed, she won't die because she will remember that she was created to heal. She is the only entity in the world that will take anybody and she's the only entity in the world that will allow anybody to heal. She is like the Good Samaritan, everybody will walk over that hurt person but the black church. She will do what she can to process and begin the healing space.” (40:01-40:29)

• “If we can find a way to maneuver the church into a space where we are able to take care of our physical, emotional, social, and spiritual health, and know that these are parts of us that need to be taken care of, then the black church will not only survive, but she will begin to thrive and move beyond anything that people have designed for her to fail.” (43:15-43:38)

Links

Margaret L. Conley, LCSW, MDiv,CCISM, CAMS, CDWF of MLC Consulting LLC:

https://mlcconsultingllc.com/

https://www.facebook.com/MLCHHC/

Dr. Courtney Colleton:

https://www.instagram.com/courtneychronicles/?hl=en

https://www.linkedin.com/in/courtney-colleton-90011714/

Arva Thomas & Blue Monarch Communications LLC:

https://bluemonarchspeaks.com

https://facebook.com/bluemonarchspeaks

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Witty, thought-provoking, and uplifting, Southern Soul Livestream - Podshow is the program that you’ll invite friends over to watch every week, where you’ll learn about fascinating speakers and get to share in exciting experiences. Tune in each Thursday at 8 pm eastern at SoulThursdays.com to connect with guests from across the generations and to laugh with our "cast of characters," hosts who are as charming as they are talented!