A megachurch pastor who once urged his congregation to confront white privilege and repent is now finding those words back in the spotlight.
Adam Hamilton, the former senior pastor of Kansas’ Church of the Resurrection and Democratic nominee for the U.S. Senate, is facing renewed scrutiny over a 2020 sermon addressing racial inequality, the Black Lives Matter movement and the biblical concept of repentance.
According to Fox News Digital, Hamilton delivered the message, titled “Jesus, Protests and Repentance,” following the death of George Floyd, as protests and unrest spread across the nation.
During the sermon, Hamilton acknowledged what he believed were advantages associated with his race, education and gender.
“I have certain benefits by virtue of being educated, White and male, right?” Hamilton said.
He argued that recognizing those advantages required confronting one’s own blindness to others’ experiences.
The pastor also discussed the differences he believed existed between how white and Black Americans experience encounters with law enforcement.
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While acknowledging that not all police officers engage in misconduct, Hamilton suggested that Black Americans often carry fears that he had never personally experienced.
His message eventually turned toward repentance.
“I have to repent,” Hamilton declared.
Fox News reported that Hamilton’s Republican opponent, Sen. Roger Marshall, has characterized the former pastor as a “woke” religious leader who promoted progressive ideas from the pulpit.
An outside political group also targeted Hamilton with an advertisement that portrayed him as “way too woke for Kansas.”
The controversy comes as the Kansas Senate race grows increasingly competitive, with the Cook Political Report rating the contest a toss-up.
Abby Trivett is a writer and editor for Charisma Media and has a passion for sharing the gospel through the written word. She holds two degrees from Regent University, a B.A. in Communication with a concentration in Journalism and a Master of Arts in Journalism. She is the author of the newly released book, The Power of Suddenly: Discover How God Can Change Everything in a Moment. For interviews and media inquiries, please contact [email protected]. Learn more about Abby at abbytrivett.com.
