NEW: TEDx Talk
I am excited and humbled to share that my first TEDx talk has just been released! I had the honor of speaking on a topic close to my heart: “How to Live with Grace in a Hostile World.”
Dr. David Anderson
“How to Live with Grace in a Hostile World,” presents a talk rooted in the concept of “Gracism” - offering positive favor to others regardless of and sometimes because of color, class, or culture. Through his personal story and eight actionable “I will” statements, Dr. Anderson calls individuals and communities to move beyond anti-racism and actively build bridges of healing and understanding.
Next Steps
Ready to start your journey to becoming a Gracist? Check out the steps below.
Get the Updated Edition
of Dr. Anderson's Flagship Book
If you are searching for a way to change the painful reality of racism in your world, this book is a must-read. The principles found in Gracism: the Art of Inclusion have inspired individuals and communities around the globe to build bridges across the deepest divides of color, class, and culture.
Audiobook on Audible
Responding to ongoing problems of prejudice and injustice, the original seven sayings of the gracist now become eight with a new chapter alongside a revised conclusion. Take this opportunity to extend God’s grace to people of all backgrounds in this audio edition of Gracism.
Gracism Strength Assessment
Take 10 minutes to complete this online assessment and discover which of the 8 Sayings of a Gracist is your greatest bridge-building strength. Follow this link to the assessment and let Gracism impact you the way it has impacted me and thousands of others.
Gracism Video Resources
Hear from Dr. Anderson and other renowned speakers on how Gracism can impact your ministry, household, and life!
Bridgeway Gracism Academy
The GRACISM Academy for Young Leaders exists to build into the next generation of leaders & artists at Bridgeway (ages 18-28). We do this by taking you on an 8-month journey to connect more deeply with Jesus, your God-given purpose, and your fellow cohort members. In a hurting and divided world, God calls us to be people of grace and peace, agents of reconciliation and renewal who make it better. But it starts with us.
GRACISM
Extending positive favor towards others regardless of and sometimes because of color, class, or culture.
Our Senior Pastor, Dr. David Anderson, is an internationally acclaimed expert on race relations. Gracism is a term he coined, out of his book, GRACISM: The Art of Inclusion. It has shaped how Bridgeway and thousands around the world now think of how we can curb racism and bring racial reconciliation in places where there is racial conflict. From tribes in Kenya, to apartheid-inflicted South Africa, to the streets of Ferguson, Missouri, and nearby Baltimore, Maryland, Dr. Anderson has been sought after to speak on Gracism and how it can be used as a force for positive change.
The world knows racism to be the negative thought, speech, or action of others, solely based on others’ color, class, or culture. Grace, on the other hand, is the positive extension of favor on people, that they don’t deserve, cannot earn, and cannot repay. Gracism, simply put, is the extension of grace and positive favor towards others, regardless of and sometimes because of color, class, or culture. The “G” added to racism represents God, and Dr. Anderson would say that you can solve any problem when you put God in front of it!
So we believe Gracism is the solution to racism! We talk about it, we live it out (by portraying the Eight Sayings of a Gracist), and we try to inspire others to become Gracists as well!
THE EIGHT SAYINGS OF A GRACIST
In a world that is becoming increasingly hostile, polarized, and insecure, Gracism is needed now more than ever. If individuals, families, and communities put the 7 Sayings of a Gracist into practice, we will undoubtedly move toward a more just society, a more perfect union, and a more peaceful world.
Special honor means lifting up the humble by assisting and elevating them toward success.
Special modesty means protecting the most vulnerable among us from embarrassment and harm.
No special treatment means opening up networks and resources to others who are systemically downtrodden and refusing to accept special treatment that may hurt them.
Greater honor means recognizing those who are the most humble heroes among us and affirming the dignity of those we would otherwise dismiss.
No division means the majority committing to stand up for the minority and the stronger helping the weaker.
Equal concern means putting special focus on the perspectives and needs of those who often go overlooked.
Rejoices with means when the humble, or less honorable, are helped, we are to rejoice with them.
Suffers with means empathizing with the pain of another and walking empathetically with the injured party.
Learn More About Gracism