Rise of the Truth Teller
Ashley Abercrombie
by Yolande Morris
If you’ve ever met Ashley Abercrombie, count yourself blessed (and highly favored). Not only is Ashley a gorgeous and fierce female preacher, she’s also a truth-teller. She tells the truth from the places and spaces that she so eloquently graces - the pulpit, her podcast, and on social media. So, it’s no surprise that in her first book “Rise of the Truth Teller,” you will find the truth and nothing but the whole truth bound in 216 pages.
I first met Ashley when I moderated “The ChangeMakers” panel during Black History Month of 2018. I remember reaching out to my best friend about ideas for the panel, which was focused on race, faith, and social justice and she said, “You need to get Ashley Abercrombie on your panel! She is the TRUTH!” Not only did Ashley show up and blow us all away with her insights but we formed a friendship. And, every now and then, Ashley will slide into my DMs to encourage me, send me links to resources, invite me to events, and, most importantly, share God’s truth.
So I was ecstatic to receive a copy of her book a few weeks ago and I immediately started digging deep with my highlighter and my journal. But don’t just take my word for it, here are three truths from Rise of the Truth Teller that blessed me:
The Truth About Your Past: If you’ve ever felt ashamed of your past or thought that God can’t use you because of something you did decades ago, Ashley dispels that lie in Chapter 1. She shares her story of overcoming rape, abortion and many other trials in life with biblical wisdom and gives grace and space for all of us to share own stories. The truth is this:
“My story matters. Truth telling starts with me.”
The Truth About Reconciliation: It’s not often that you meet a six-feet-tall, skinny, blonde, green-eyed white woman who is willing to talk about race and privilege with conviction in her heart and purpose in every step. The truth is:
“After working in community development and serving in jails and churches, I can assure you that skin color is seen, and it matters. We can do better, and we must.”
The Truth About Margin: “Margin is about capacity, and we cannot do it all, despite the women-shaming rhetoric out there that tells us to be all things to all people. We must set our priorities and focus so that we create a life we love and will continue to love years from now.” This. All of this, every day. This is the truth that every woman needs to hear about creating margin in her life.
“Without Sabbath, there is no peace. And without peace, there is no justice.”
Amen and amen.
Final truth: You need to get this book and find out more truths about forgiveness, trauma, power, aggression, and Christians, among others.
