Dr Richard Reddie reflects on "The Power to Act"

A guest blog from Dr Richard Reddie, Director of Justice and Inclusion at Churches Together in Britain and Ireland who will be speaking at the AMEN Conference 2026 "Power, Solidarity and Belonging" in November.

My name is Richard Reddie, and I am the Director of Justice and Inclusion at Churches Together in Britain and Ireland. About six months ago, I obtained a doctorate which explored racial justice in the British Church, so this subject matter is both of interest from a professional and personal perspective.

The theme for the AMEN26 conference is ‘power’, and as someone who is a racial justice practitioner, the issue of power is a pertinent one within both church and society as power and justice are inextricably linked. One of the definitions of justice is that it ‘looks at the misuse of power that exploits, and seeks to repair harm and inequities’. Another is that ‘power at its best is love implementing the demands of justice’.

As always, it is vital to know what the Bible has to say about power, as this should guide us in our thinking on this topic. Akin to justice, there are numerous references to power in the scriptures, and it is often used interchangeably with authority. In biblical terms, ‘power’, which in Hebrew is the word ‘Koach’, denotes the ‘capability to influence, act or perform miracles, which can be demonstrated as physical strength, supernatural ability, or spiritual empowerment’. For example, God’s power is obvious in creation, the plagues in Egypt, and the parting of the Red Sea (Exodus), while Jesus exhibited power through healing the sick, raising the dead, and calming storms (Mark 4:39). Conversely, ‘authority’, which in Hebrew is ‘Toqeph’, is the ‘right or legitimacy to exercise power’, and is frequently convened by God, and is meant to be exercised in alliance with his will. For instance, Jesus Christ epitomised authority in his teaching, healing, and casting out demons, not for personal gain but to achieve God’s purpose (Matthew 28:18). In short, ‘power’ often refers to the ability to act, while ‘authority’ relates to the right to exercise that power.

Much has been written about ‘power’ from a philosophical as well as spiritual perspective. This is not the place to list these works or review them. However, there is little doubt that power, in and of itself is not evil, sinful or ‘wrong’ in either a theoretical or prosaic manner. Indeed, it can be argued that power is paramount to human existence, and essential in any effort to effect efficacious change. Indeed, Revd Dr Martin Luther King Jr famously said that: ‘Power, properly understood is the ability to achieve purpose. It is the strength required to bring about social, political or economic changes’.  As a consequence, with regard to racial justice, it is critical that we alter the condition of powerlessness into creative and positive power.

However, to do that, it is necessary to have the power to do so. Equally, in reference to racial justice, it is often the case that we berate those with the power in the Church, the kinds of people who could effect real change if they wanted to, but either use or misuse their power, to maintain the status quo or even undermine or undo this work.