Churches and evangelical leaders are supporting the Black Lives Matter movement which was further sparked by the recent murder of George Floyd in police custody.
The Black Lives Matter movement was formed in 2013 in response police brutality and murders committed to the African American community. The movement spread when used as a hashtag following the police shooting of an unarmed, black high school student, Trayvon Martin in 2012.
Hillson Church global senior pastor and founder, Brian Houston supported BLM in a statement, "Hillsong Church is opposed to racism, and we believe black lives matter."
One of the Hillsong Church pastors in the United Kingdom drew criticism online for a video of him saying he didn't think his comments about something in another country would help anyone. Brian Houston expressed his disappointment and apologized for such behavior from one of his pastors.
Houston affirmed his support for the African American community in a statement, "The needless and tragic death of George Floyd in Minneapolis, and the much deeper systemic issues towards African American people that his death has highlighted must lead to radical and permanent change. Racism must stop, and my prayer is that this moment in history will be a moment of lasting equality, transformation, and change."
Another church that showed support towards the BLM movement and the protests was from the Life Center Church in Milwaukee. The pastor Micaiah Young preached about nonviolence and shared, "We're crying out, saying we're not going to take it anymore, but we're peacefully using what we have to make an impact."
Christian leaders in Nebraska also shared their support in a statement, "Black lives matter." Even the Christian rapper, Lecrae, joined the protest in Atlanta and held up a sign that read, "Justice is a right, not a privilege!"
Lecrae shared his thoughts on protesting in a statement, "Paul protested in Acts 16. Persecuted believers protest. Churches protest. There's a right way to do it."
