When Inés Velasquez-McBryde and her husband planted their church in Pasadena, California, they knew they wanted to build a community that embodied God’s heart for justice from day one. But as they began to study the history of their city, they quickly realized how much they had to learn.
“We discovered that Pasadena was the last school district to be integrated in the entire nation,” Inés shared on a recent episode of the Pivot podcast. “And as a result, we have the highest number of private schools per capita in the country. That history of educational inequity is still shaping our city today.”
For Inés and her husband, this realization was a wake-up call. They knew that to truly embody biblical justice in their church plant, they needed to deeply understand and engage with the unique history and challenges of their context.
Here are a few key takeaways from Inés’ powerful insights and practical wisdom for church leaders and innovators seeking to integrate biblical justice into their ministries.
Ground your justice work in scripture
One of the conversation’s most striking themes was the deep biblical roots of justice. Inés pointed to the Old Testament prophets, like Micah and Isaiah, who consistently called God’s people to care for the marginalized and oppressed.
“Micah would be speaking from Palestine today,” Inés reflected. “He indicts the very leaders of the House of Israel for ‘building Zion with bloodshed and Jerusalem with violent injustice.’ Micah is the kind of prophet that will offend all of us.”
For church leaders, grounding our pursuit of justice in the pages of scripture is essential. It reminds us that this isn’t just a trendy cause, but a fundamental part of God’s heart and mission in the world.
Embrace the awkwardness of crossing borders
Church leaders often find themselves crossing borders and building bridges between diverse communities. And as Inés pointed out, that can be awkward and uncomfortable at times.
She shared the story of Peter’s encounter with Cornelius in Acts 10, where Peter blurts out, essentially, “You know, it’s unlawful for me to be hanging out at your house.” It’s a cringeworthy moment, but it also reflects the reality of the early church grappling with a “border-crossing God and a boundary-breaking spirit.”
“The early church was segregated, to use modern terms,” Inés said. “Jesus comes, the spirit comes, and moves us towards desegregation and integration. It is the earliest case study of that for the early church.”
Church leaders are also called to embrace the awkwardness and vulnerability of crossing borders for the sake of the gospel. It won’t always be smooth or easy, but it’s part of our participation in God’s reconciling work.
Join the work God is already doing
Perhaps the most powerful insight Inés shared was the importance of joining the work of justice that God is already doing in our communities, rather than trying to start from scratch.
“I don’t come into a city with a colonizing mindset of ‘I am bringing Jesus into the city,'” Inés said. “I ask first, ‘Where has God been at work already in the city, and how can I join God in this work?’ Before I even start anything new.”
This means taking the time to listen and learn from the leaders, activists, and neighbors who have been pursuing justice in our contexts long before we arrived. It means partnering with existing organizations and movements, rather than trying to reinvent the wheel.
Building justice into the DNA of your Christian community
Pursuing biblical justice as a church planter, ministry innovator, or church leader isn’t a one-time project or program—we are to weave it into the very DNA of our churches.
It’s about studying our contexts, embracing awkward border crossings, and joining the work God is already doing. It’s about preaching prophetically, praying fervently, and partnering with our neighbors to see God’s kingdom come on earth as it is in heaven.
As Inés so powerfully reminded us, “We need a 21st-century church, with our current problems now. What is the Spirit doing? Whose lives is the Spirit inviting us into?”
May we have the courage to listen, learn, and follow the spirit’s lead as we plant churches that embody God’s heart for justice in our world today.
Interested in hearing more from Inés? Check out her Faith+Lead Academy course, Justice in the Bible!
