The Soul of Reconciliation with David Bailey

Arrabon means “a foretaste of the kingdom.” This conversation with David Bailey is full of Arrabon! David describes the significance of the numbers 8 and 2008 in his life. From an early age, David saw the benefits and challenges of cultivating a diverse community where everyone can thrive. His passion for God and scripture, together with his love of music and vision for reconciled communities led him to start Arrabon. Arrabon, like David, takes the long view of reconciliation, walking alongside congregations and organizations to facilitate conversation and curriculum that leads to both healing and justice. Although this topic perhaps feels heavy and even overwhelming at times, David’s joyful approach and hopeful vision is pure grace and just what is needed for such a time as this.    QUOTES “You can’t have justice without reconciliation. You can’t have reconciliation without justice.” -David Bailey [10:14] “Let’s not complain about what we see was going wrong in curse of darkness. What does it look like if we be the light?” -David Bailey [24:28]   TIMESTAMPS [00:00] Intro [01:16] About David Bailey [03:11] Eight and 2008 [09:32] About Arrabon [14:48] What we need to get through [21:37] You have to practice being a Christian [25:44] Negotiating anti-blackness in his work [33:47] Repentance as a verb [38:12] Rapid fire questions [45:36] A blessing [47:00] Outro   RESOURCES & RELEVANT LINKS Learn more about David Bailey’s ministry at Arrabon by visiting their website here. View David’s TEDx Talk from 2015 here. RSVP for the Locke Leader Virtual Event You are invited to attend a virtual event honoring the 2022 Tom Locke Innovative Leader Award recipients. Earlier this year, four extraordinary leaders received a surprising letter from our organization. Without their knowledge, each leader had been nominated and selected to receive the second annual Tom Locke Innovative Leader Award. We would be honored if you would join us to celebrate them at a virtual event on Sunday, May 22 at 5 pm CT / 6 pm ET. RSVP and find out more about the Locke Award at award.wesleyaninvestive.org. Expect to be inspired by their stories and filled with hope for the future of the church’s witness! (45 minute virtual event, register today!) This podcast is brought to you by the Leadership Ministry team at TMF and Wesleyan Investive. Leadership Ministry connects diverse, high-capacity leaders in conversations and environments that create a network of courage, learning, and innovation in order to help the church lean into its God-appointed mission. Subscribe to our Leadership Ministry emails here. If you enjoy the podcast, would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts / iTunes? David Bailey Bio David Bailey believes that the Church should lead by example in cross-cultural engagement and reconciliation. He’s the founder and executive director of Arrabon, a ministry that cultivates Christian communities to pursue healing and reconciliation in a racially divided world. David is an active speaker, consultant, and strategist for many national organizations about cultural intelligence and culture-making. He is the co-author of the Race, Class, and the Kingdom of God Study Series. David was named by Christianity Today as one of “The Twenty Most Creative Christians We Know”. He serves as a teaching elder at East End Fellowship. David and his wife, Joy, live in Richmond, Virginia.