Israel Houghton is well known for publicly talking about how the Church is good at attempting to reach the lost, those without Christ, but terrible at supporting and loving the found, Christians. Particularly Christians who have fallen from grace, sinned, and are on a journey towards repentance.

In an interview with The Real, hosted by Israels wife Adrienne and Jeannie Mai Jenkins, Israel said: Were great at winning the lost, and wanting to win the lost, but we suck at retaining the found.

Just last month, during a Bridgeway Community Church interview, Israel expanded on his thoughts about the way the Church treats the found:

He claims cancel culture originated in the early church and goes on to say: We know our missionwe are going to win the lost at any cost. But let somebody whose been in the faithhave a human moment, let them go through a divorce, let them have a scandal, whatever it is, and it is amazing how quickly we will kill [them]. If ever there has been a message that needs to be preached everywhere, its the message of gracism. Imagine if I had the same grace, empathy, mercy and care for [an unbeliever] as a leader in the Church that disappointed me? [Rather than seeing them as] not human, a super Christian.

The term gracism is attached in some circles to a book titled Gracism: The Art of Inclusion by Dr David A Anderson, the founder and senior pastor of Bridgeway Community Church. According to the book, gracism is the radical inclusion of the marginalised and excluded. It is described as a Christian alternative to models of affirmative action and colour-blindness. An opportunity to extend Gods grace to people of all backgrounds. Dr Andersons church even has a gracism creed featured on its website that can be signed.

Based on Israels comments about the way the Church treats the found it is not incorrect to deduce that he is talking about himself in part. The reactions to his divorce announcement some years ago were varied. Some responded with support and others with condemnation.

This is where gracism comes in. Despite his divorce and admission that he had sinned in his marriage, there were those who stood by him. In a Roy Patterson interview Israel said: You never fall from grace, you fall into grace, and I have experienced it first hand. For the most part I felt a great outpouring of support.

In addition to this Israel spoke about how Adrienne was instrumental in his grace walk. She was one of the first human beings alive that ever gave me that opportunity Im not going to hold your past against you. Im not going to make you believe that you are what youve done. You are a human being loved by God and Im going to love you the same and be your friend, said Israel in an interview published by Radio One D.C.

Though Israels gracism isnt built on racial or cultural prejudice as a result of his background, it is build on marginalisation and exclusion to a degree; things he went through as a result of his divorce, the blows his Christianity and reputation took. Nonetheless, being mixed-race and juggling requests from ministers to play more or less of his more black music was a point of frustration for him in the past. This issue having a more direct connection to gracism perhaps.

Ultimately Israel desires that the Church shows the found the same love as the lost. When reflecting on his mothers story, a pregnant teen with a drug problem that finds Christ through a strangers kind introduction, he hopes that the same kind of non-judgemental love she received, believers in distress also receive

Solape Alatise