Years ago, at a conference, someone asked the Rev. Dr. F. Willis Johnson how to preach about Michael Brown’s death to an all-white congregation in rural America. His response surprised them: “Why would you preach about Michael Brown in an all-white congregation in North Dakota?”
Instead, he suggested a different question: “How is it that in the 21st century, you’re able to be in a community that is so homogeneous when the world suggests otherwise?”
This exchange, shared during a recent Pivot Podcast conversation with hosts Terri Elton and Dwight Zscheile, perfectly illustrates what many church leaders misunderstand about prophetic ministry. As we approach both Martin Luther King Jr. Day and another presidential transition, Dr. Johnson’s insights offer timely wisdom for church leaders seeking to be both prophetic and unifying in divided times.
True Prophetic Ministry Starts with Context
“Don’t raise any question, commentary, or consideration that you can’t remain answerable to yourself,” Dr. Johnson advises. While many reduce prophetic ministry to “speaking truth to power,” that’s only one dimension. The true prophetic task begins with identifying what’s of consequence in your own space. Dr. Johnson emphasizes that every community has its own injustices and challenges – the key is discerning what needs addressing in your specific context.
This approach challenges the common impulse to import issues from national headlines without considering local dynamics. Dr. Johnson points out that sometimes the most prophetic act is asking deeper questions about our own communities. Why do certain patterns of segregation persist? Who is missing from our conversations? What local injustices go unaddressed because they feel less dramatic than national issues? A contextual approach requires patience and deep listening – skills that Dr. King himself exemplified in choosing which battles to fight in which communities.
“If that’s not your issue or an issue in context, don’t try to make it an issue,” Dr. Johnson emphasizes. “There’s enough injustice that may not look just like everyone else’s injustice, but there’s an unjust and unrighteousness or something that needs to be challenged in your context.”
Stand in the “Suicide Lane”
Drawing from biblical examples, Dr. Johnson explains that prophets historically had to represent both the interests of the people and the imperatives of God. “They stood in what I like to call the suicide lane,” he says. “They didn’t have a side.”
This challenging position – standing at the intersection rather than choosing partisan alignment – offers a powerful model for church leaders today. “Being objective does not mean you don’t have an opinion,” Dr. Johnson clarifies. “But there is a place and a point in which some of us serve best on standing where we stand, not trying to find a side to stand with.”
Dr. Johnson acknowledges that this position isn’t comfortable or safe – hence the term “suicide lane.” It requires leaders to disappoint people on all sides at times, to speak uncomfortable truths to their own allies, and to maintain relationships with those who disagree.
The key, Dr. Johnson suggests, is being willing to examine your own blind spots and biases, and to remain in dialogue even when it would be easier to retreat to ideological corners. “I’m very partisan,” Johnson admits candidly. “And I have to guard against that in the pulpit, the pews, and the parking lot.”
Practice Your Faith at Every Table
When asked about hosting difficult conversations, Dr. Johnson offered a surprisingly simple yet profound suggestion: look to the communion table. “The model for creating brave space, encouraging courageous conversations… is for many of you what you do or are supposed to do every Sunday in the Eucharist,” he explains. He challenges church leaders to take the spirit of the communion table – where everyone is welcome and reconciliation is central – into every conversation and gathering.
Dr. Johnson points out that many churches already have the tools they need for hosting difficult conversations – they just need to expand their understanding of sacred space. In his Methodist tradition, the open table reminds us that everyone is welcome and that reconciliation begins with acknowledging our shared brokenness. Before receiving communion, people turn to each other and say “I’m sorry” – regardless of personal history or differences.
This practice offers a powerful model for other conversations. What if we approached every meeting, every coffee date, every community gathering with the same spirit of openness and reconciliation? “Every table,” Dr. Johnson emphasizes repeatedly, suggesting that we need to see all our gathering spaces as opportunities for holy conversation and transformation.
Let Personal Formation and Social Transformation Dance Together
“Until you get your vertical relationship intact, your horizontal relationships can’t be,” Dr. Johnson says. He challenges the tendency to separate personal spiritual formation from social transformation, arguing that discord and hatred often reflect spiritual misalignment. The goal isn’t to be “the socially conscious church” as a special brand, but to help form disciples whose faith naturally leads to healing and hope in the world.
Dr. Johnson challenges the false dichotomy between personal piety and social engagement that often divides churches. He points to Dr. King’s collaboration with Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel as an example of how deep faith commitment actually enables broader cooperation. “How do this Jewish rabbi and this Baptist preacher… come together and find commonality and usefulness?” Dr. Johnson asks. “I believe it’s because they both wanted to have the tenets of their faith traditions lived into.”
As church leaders navigate the complexities of 2025, Dr. Johnson’s wisdom reminds us that prophetic ministry isn’t about having all the answers. Sometimes, as he notes, “the greatest benefit and beauty, particularly in the prophetic model, is when the prophet themselves pleaded that they did not know. They were not sure, and yet they trusted God.”
This trust – combined with deep listening, contextual awareness, and a commitment to standing in difficult spaces – offers a path forward for church leaders seeking to guide their communities through divided times while remaining faithful to the gospel.