By Joy Allmond
Today and tomorrow (April 3-4)—via live stream—you can join the 3,500 people gathered for “MLK50: Gospel Reflections from the Mountaintop,” an event that commemorates the 50th anniversary of Dr. Martin Luther King’s assassination.
MLK50 serves as an “occasion to reflect on where Christians have been and look ahead to where we must go as we pursue racial unity in the midst of tremendous tension,” the event’s website says.
Hosted by the Southern Baptist Convention’s Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission (ERLC) and The Gospel Coalition, MLK50 will take place in Memphis, Tennessee, the city where Dr. King’s life was tragically ended.
“The legacy of Martin Luther King Jr., should remind us of what can happen when one speaks to the conscience of the culture and to the conscience of the church,” said Russell Moore, ERLC president, in a press release.
“Fifty years after Dr. King’s assassination, it is shameful that the church often lags behind the culture around us when it comes to issues of racial justice, unity, and reconciliation. We should be leading the way. … My eager prayer for this event is that it will bring a word of gospel hope, repentance, and unity to many brothers and sisters in Christ.”
Along with Moore, keynote speakers include civil-rights pioneer John Perkins; pastor and author Matt Chandler; author and artist Jackie Hill Perry; NFL player, author and human dignity advocate Benjamin Watson; and Desiring God founder John Piper.
Below is a list of sessions available via the free live stream. Viewers will be able to rewind the live stream once it has begun. Be sure to follow the hashtag #MLK50conference to join in the social media conversations.
TUESDAY
Session 1: 1-3 p.m. CT
Keynote 1 | Black and White and Red All Over: Why Racial Justice Is a Gospel Issue | Russell Moore
Session 2: 3:30-5:20 p.m. CT
Brief Talk 1 | Equipping the Next Generation to Embrace Gospel Diversity | Jackie Hill Perry
Session 3: 7-9:30 p.m. CT
Keynote 5 | The Civil Rights Movement 50 Years after MLK: An Interview with Russell Moore | John Perkins
Panel 3 | Civil Rights Storytellers with Sandy Willson (moderator), John Perkins, Melvin Charles Smith, James Netters, and Beverly Robertson
WEDNESDAY
Session 4: 8:30-10 a.m. CT
Keynote 6 | A House Divided Cannot Stand: Understanding and Overcoming the Inconsistencies in White Evangelicals on Racial Issues | Matt Chandler
Session 5: 10:30-11:35 a.m. CT
Panel 4 | The State of Racial Tension in America with Collin Hansen (moderator), Christina Edmondson, Justin Giboney, Juan Sanchez, and Benjamin Watson
Session 6: 7-9:40 p.m. CT
Keynote 8 | The Glory of God and Racial Unity | John Piper
Related:
- Growing the Next Generation to Value Racial Unity
- What Role Does Your Church Play in Racial Reconciliation?
JOY ALLMOND (@joyallmond) is managing editor of Facts & Trends.
