The AllCreation Podcast

Rev. Louis Tillman is an outstanding young leader in America today. He currently pastors the oldest African American Lutheran Church in North America, serves as a military chaplain, serves the Black American community all over the mid-Atlantic region as pastor, counselor and medical relief provider, and more. In this episode we discuss how he maintains his rootedness under stress and his views on Black America's apocalypse and advancement.

Show Notes

We begin this 3-part conversation by asking Rev. Louis Tillman to share about his work providing baptisms, funerals, memorial services, counseling services and church services all over the Mid-Atlantic US, since Covid. When asked how he remains rooted under extreme pressure Louis tells about his background as a prodigious but reluctant preacher, the hardest eight years of his life, his parents, his early church life, his passions for: trusting God, helping people in transformative ways, overcoming incredible obstacles, and building relationships in and out of church. He also shares views on Black elitism, in and out of the church and what's ruining Black America, "day in, day out." Throughout this segment Louis interweaves thoughts on the varying generational perspectives of what Black advancement means with his own first priorities.

Questions discussed
  • Tell us about your last two weeks
  • How do you find rootedness to be a leader day after day?
  • Which word is best now? African-American, Black American, Black public, African-descent, etc.
  • The Black American apocalypse and Black advancement today

Key quotes
There is a lack of equal access.

"If I leave my community, if I get educated, then I'll be able to get out of my community and do something better." This is what's ruining us, day in, day out, as a people of color.

We have to be able to create liberation out of lamentation.

In this country, "the land of the free"...

We as people of African descent, we're not fighting for equality, we're fighting for our existence.

The Black public is invisible to a White society that is indifferent to Black life.

This is all because the relationships don't exist. We fear people before we hear people.

I don't see us advancing... Society is constantly reminding me I'm a young Black male, a thug. 

It's open season in the streets and in the classroom. . . Individuals running the educational institutions are creating unequal classrooms. 

(Advancement is being) the best person today God has created me to be (and to) stop competing against my neighbor and only compete against myself. I want to be better today than that person in the mirror was yesterday and I want to be better tomorrow than this person is today.

"Make the Negro fight the Negro." That exists today. This is one of the main apocalyptic issues we face. 

How will the Black community advance over the next 100 years?

If advancement gets focused on self-improvement instead of barrel of crabs competition within the race, then YES, we are talking about actual progress and advancement. 

We listen to respond, we don't listen to receive. 

Jesus is in the midst of every single mess and everything we're gonna go thru. 

Do what you can to enlighten your community. 


Terms

References

This episode is hosted by Chris Searles, exec. editor, AllCreation.org.
Listen to part 2: https://share.transistor.fm/s/3ee55c03
Listen to part 3: https://share.transistor.fm/s/d0eb3244

What is The AllCreation Podcast?

AllCreation.org: Faith • Spirit • Biodiversity • Connections