Why the Black Church needs Theologians

[Pastor Rodrick Sweet,ThM]

I have been preaching now for over 20 years and a lot has happen in that time that has been both a benefit and a
detriment to the church. One such thing is the advancement of televangelists, next is the growing refit in the educational levels between the black pulpit and pew. This has lead me to believe that the Black church is in danger for
becoming an endanger spices, becoming over run with false teaching and having no real way to work through it. If my observations are correct then what the black church needs are not new pastors, not another Hip Hop Remix service or
creative leaders or brilliance pop psychologist! What the black church needs is something altogether different. What the black church needs are theologians.

Theologians you ask! Why is that the greatest need in the Black church today? This is because we live in an ever
increasing and rapidly moving world and people are become overwhelmed with all the changes in technology, politics and everything else the need for theologians is clear. What does the theologian do for the church that the
untrained pastor may not be able to?

1.Theologians help us intelligently,productively, and yes, lovingly, negotiate and sometimes resolve difficult
theological controversies.

Theologians are not only required to comprehend doctrine, they comprehend it in a very dynamic way! During the
2008 election Black Theology was a big part of the race, this false theological paradigm has been a very large part of the framework of music, and television for many years. This is just one front on the battle for Biblical truth in the
Black church; others have arisen from the prosperity gospel to the rise of all the false Apostles. Theologians help us work through the controversies as well as help us shape this community of faith.

2.Theologians help us relate to, understand, work, relate to, and communicate with the broader context in which we find ourselves (whatever context that may be).

Historical theology reveals, to us the very doctrinal discussions that have shaped the (community of faith)
church has had to sift through in order to understand the clear teaching of scripture. Thus the work of the theologian is to help us relate the ancient understandings of the Scriptures to a 21 century understanding. This is what I
like to call the “contemporary effect”: while the theologian treats the timeless issues found in scripture with care and are never cavalier with them, the theologian work involves them using language that the everyday person can
understand.

3. Theologians help us appropriate the findings, concepts, and when necessary, objections of the biblical scholars and philosophers into our understanding of faith.

By this I view the work of theologian as not meaning that they help us accept the findings, concepts, or objections. They do help us with the task of integrating and evaluating the realities with clarity and forethought. The role of the local church pastor is to be the theologian in the church. The Theologian provides structure and coherence to the claims and
otherwise work of exegetical findings. The theologian works as the grand architects of building the understanding of the Christian faith. The theologian uses their skill paints a vivid and broad tapestry of God’s self-revealing love. May the church be filled with many more theologians to the glory of God!