The Church Needs DEI Now More Than Ever
By: Damien Thaddeus Jones - @NobleNegroe + Facebook
The gospel of Jesus Christ is not bound by cultural bias, human tradition, or social respectability. It is a gospel that reaches into the margins, gathering those whom the world deems unworthy and calling them beloved. The cross is the great equalizer, leveling the ground between the sinner and the self-righteous, between the outcast and the accepted. And yet, in this day and age, we continue to witness the rejection of those whom Christ himself would have welcomed.
Recently, a troubling incident occurred when Pastor Antonio Rocquemore of Power House International Ministries in Chicago asked a drag queen to leave his church. In a moment that should have been filled with grace and gospel love, exclusion took center stage. Before a watching congregation, a soul was turned away, not for rebellion, not for unbelief, but for the way they presented themselves in the house of God.
When Jesus walked this earth, he did not surround himself with the religious elite or the socially acceptable. He ate with tax collectors, conversed with Samaritans, and healed lepers—people whom society had cast aside. The woman at the well came with a history, yet Jesus gave her living water. Zacchaeus climbed a tree, and Jesus called him down, inviting himself to dinner at a sinner’s house. The man possessed by demons in the graveyard—an outcast by every definition—was restored to his right mind by the power of Christ.
And yet today, we find ourselves drawing lines that Jesus never drew. We make distinctions where Jesus tore down walls. If Christ welcomed the broken, the outcast, the misunderstood, and the rejected, how can we, as his church, justify turning anyone away? The gospel is a call to whosoever will. It is an invitation to all who are weary and burdened.
The church has not been called to serve as the gatekeeper of salvation, deciding who is worthy to hear the good news. No, our task is to proclaim that Jesus saves. The same grace that is sufficient for the adulterer is sufficient for the one struggling with identity. The same mercy that covers the liar and the thief covers the one seeking to belong. We cannot ration grace as if it were ours to distribute.
Paul reminds us in Romans 3:23 that all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. That means every person in the pews and the pulpit is in desperate need of grace. The issue, then, is not whether a person appears worthy to be in the church; none of us are worthy! We gather not because we are righteous but because we need the righteousness of Christ to cover us.
When Pastor Rocquemore asked the drag queen to leave, he did not just turn away an individual; he sent a message to countless others who have been watching from a distance, wondering if the church would ever truly be a place where they could find refuge. He reinforced the idea that the church is for the respectable, the presentable, and the acceptable.
But Jesus came for those who had been rejected by the world. His arms stretched wide on Calvary for the very ones society would rather forget. And yet, here we are, centuries later, shutting the doors in the faces of those who need the gospel the most. This is why the church needs diversity, equity, and inclusion—not as a cultural trend but as a gospel imperative.
Diversity in the church reflects the kingdom of God. In Revelation 7:9, John saw a vision of a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people, and language, worshiping before the throne. Heaven will not be homogeneous. It will be filled with all kinds of people whom the Lord has redeemed. If we are uncomfortable with diversity now, how do we expect to feel at home in glory?
Equity in the church means ensuring that everyone has access to the same grace, the same love, and the same opportunity to encounter Jesus. The cross does not prioritize one struggle over another. It does not weigh sin on a scale or rank certain individuals as more deserving of salvation. If Jesus’ blood was shed for all, then all must be welcomed.
Inclusion in the church is not about affirming lifestyles; it is about affirming the worth of every soul. It is about making sure that no one is made to feel unworthy of hearing the gospel. It is about reflecting the love of Christ in such a way that every person, regardless of background, can see that Jesus came for them.
The church must repent for the ways in which it has mirrored the Pharisees more than the Savior. We have been too quick to cast stones and too slow to extend grace. We have been more concerned with appearances than with transformation. But the gospel is not about modifying behavior; it is about changing hearts.
What would have happened if, instead of rejection, that individual had been embraced? What if they had been told, Come as you are, because Jesus is the one who does the transforming work? What if, rather than being pushed out, they had been drawn in by the power of the gospel?
It is time for the church to return to the example of Jesus. It is time for us to embody the gospel we preach. It is time for us to be a house of prayer for all people, a refuge for the broken, and a place where no one is turned away.
Because in the kingdom of God, all are welcome.
Rev. Damien Thaddeus Jones is a Christian minister, distinguished conservative thought leader, and political analyst with nearly 15 years of expertise in civic and political engagement. He is the author of best selling book Black Voters Red Wave.