The Bible in Black & White

The Bible in Black & White is a successful, collaborative Bible Study that began in 2022 and brings together people of diverse backgrounds for a month-long Bible study, conversation and community building. The study was begun by the Rev. Dr. Bill Lee, a Black retired pastor who spent 39 years as pastor of Loudon Avenue Christian Church before retiring in 2016, and the Rev. Dr. George Anderson, a White preacher who has served as Senior Pastor of Second Presbyterian Church since 1998. Since its beginning in 2022, the study has grown to include seven local sponsoring churches—four historically Black congregations and three historically White congregations.

Those who attend The Bible in Black & White are a unique community of people of different races and religious traditions. They gather to learn, but also gather to form relationships that promote healing within our community. Come join us.

The four-to-six-week study takes place every fall and spring in the Fellowship Hall of Second Presbyterian Church. All are welcome to attend.

Conversations That Change Us

Wednesdays in October | 12:00 p.m. | Fellowship Hall

What happens to faith when it becomes more about talking about Jesus than talking to Jesus? Do we risk reducing a living relationship to abstract ideas—Jesus becoming a topic rather than a presence? Does prayer drift into ritual, and ministry into duty, when it’s no longer rooted in communion with Christ?

The Gospel of John resists such drift. It is a Gospel built on conversations—long, rich, and transformative ones. From Nicodemus under the cover of night to the Samaritan woman at the well, from a man born blind to Mary, Martha, and Pontius Pilate—Jesus doesn’t just talk at people, he speaks with them. And they are never the same.

This October, the Bible in Black & White community will listen in on these conversations—and join them. Our hope is to encounter Jesus as we encounter each other, with open minds, honest hearts, and a willingness to be changed.

Dates: October 1, 8, 15, 22 & 29
Location: Second Presbyterian Church 
Facilitators: Dr. Bill Lee, Dr. George C. Anderson, and ministers of other sponsoring churches.

“Like I Was Saying…” – Conversations Today

Wednesdays in April (Beginning April 8) | 12:00 p.m. | Fellowship Hall

This spring, the Bible in Black & White will pick up where our fall study left off. After exploring the long, layered conversations Jesus has in the Gospel of John, we will now turn to our own conversations—especially the ones we hesitate to have. What does it look like to speak truthfully and listen deeply in a divided world? Can Jesus teach us not only what to say but how to say it—with humility, courage, and love?

Using Scripture as our foundation, we’ll also draw on other resources that help us navigate difficult conversations with grace—knowing when to speak, when to stay silent, and how to stay connected even when we disagree.

Come ready to reflect, engage, and grow in the sacred art of conversation.

Dates: April 8, 15, 22 & 29
Location: Second Presbyterian Church
Facilitators: Dr. Bill Lee, Dr. George C. Anderson, and ministers of other sponsoring churches.