COMING MAY 2026  ·  PRE-ORDER NOW

The Gospel
and My
Black Skin

Confronting the Past, Reclaiming the Future.

A bold, biblically grounded exploration of what it means to be fully Black and fully beloved by God, written for every believer wrestling with identity, heritage, and the transforming power of the Gospel.

Pre-Order & Get Bonus Content

“The Gospel does not force you to erase your blackness but to embrace it as a person created in the image of God.”

— DR. JP FOSTER

LIMITED-TIME OFFER

Pre-Order & Receive
Exclusive Gift

Reserve your copy today and receive two exclusive gifts delivered straight to your inbox, our way of saying thank you for joining this journey before the official release. Thank you for being a part of this launch.

First Chapter Preview
Get an exclusive early look at Chapter One, delivered to you immediately after signing up.

Optional Signed Bookplate
Request a personally signed bookplate from Dr. Foster, a collectible keepsake to place in your copy.

Pre-Order Your Copy

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Dr. JP Foster

Dr. John-Paul C. Foster is the Senior Pastor of Faithful Central Bible Church, one of Southern California’s largest congregations. As one of the leading biblical scholars and voices of his generation, John-Paul holds a Bachelor of Arts in Biblical and Theological Studies from Biola University and a Master of Theology from Talbot Theological Seminary, where he also earned his Doctorate degree. Dr. Foster has continued his educational pursuits through Church Unity and Reconciliation studies at Oxford University in England, Organizational Leadership at the King's University, and Prophetic Literature at Moody Bible Institute.

Dr. Foster serves as Ministry Affiliate Faculty at Talbot, teaching biblical interpretation, spiritual formation, and hermeneutics while helping bridge the academy, church, and community. He is also a highly sought after consultant on   faith-based film and television, recently contributing as a biblical consultant for projects with Amazon Prime Video.

A published author with Zondervan, his works include Finding Freedom in Jesus and the highly anticipated book, The Gospel and My Black Skin. Dr. Foster also leads global education initiatives in Kenya and Eswatini and co-hosts heritage tours to Ghana that explore faith, history, and the African diaspora.

LEARN MORE

NEWS & MEDIA

As Seen On

ENDORSEMENTS

What Leaders Are Saying

  • “The Black freedom struggle has been the leaven in the modern democratic loaf just as the prophetic Black Church has been the engine of the Black freedom struggle. This courageous and visionary book keeps our great Black tradition of love and justice alive. I salute Dr. JP Foster. His powerful and poignant witness is so timely in our grim times.”

    DR. CORNEL WEST

  • “Foster speaks frankly, passionately, and faithfully. Let those of us who want to reclaim the legacy of the abolitionists, of the Civil Rights Movement, and others who have stood for justice, listen well, to the heart even beyond the powerful and eloquent words. To Black Christians hurt by the churches: God can use you to make the church better. Rejected by the religious and political establishment of his day, the Jesus who rose from the dead can empower you to restore new life. White Christians, too, need to hear the history, the pain, and the fallout, so we can support our Black fellow members in Christ’s body and to weep with those who weep. It’s too easy to say, like those Jesus criticized, ‘If we had lived in the days of our ancestors …’”

    DR. CRAIG S. KEENER

  • "It is rare to find the pastor-scholar who when striking the iron transforms the anvil itself with force under heat. Dr. JP Foster combines a blazing intellect with a pastoral heart producing a timely, relevant, and robust curriculum for those of us with big questions about race and the gospel. Reading this work won’t require you to sacrifice your ethnicity for right convictions about the Gospel, neither will it compromise conviction for tribe. We need that. I wish every young person I know had this for required reading."

    DR. CHARLIE DATES

  • "The Gospel and My Black Skin is a courageous, necessary and profoundly pastoral work “for such a time as this.” With prophetic clarity and scholarly care, Dr. J. P. Foster names the wound many Black believers carry while refusing to surrender the gospel to those who distorted it for oppression and domination rather than liberation and justice. This book does not ask Black Christians to choose between faith and Blackness—it proclaims, with historical integrity, biblical accuracy, and theological depth, that the two have never been at odds in the heart of God."

    DR. FREDERICK D. HAYNES, III

  • "Dr. Foster's writing style is effortless to read--powerful prose that will challenge readers of any race to rethink their ideas about where Christianity came from and who shaped it to become what it is today. A prophetic word. A healing balm. An urgent message. Take up and read!”

    DR. CARMEN IMES

  • “Many Black people are wondering if Christianity is actually good news for them, especially given how a counterfeit faith has been used historically to cause significant harm. Dr. John Paul Foster takes on the complex task of exposing these distortions while shedding light on the liberation found in the authentic Gospel. This book is a necessary guide for anyone trying to navigate the damage of misused Scripture to find the healing of the real Jesus.”

    LISA FIELDS

  • “For anyone who’s ever felt like they had to leave their culture at the door to follow Jesus, The Gospel and My Black Skin is the wake-up call we’ve been waiting for. Dr. JP Foster gets real about the Slave Bible, a version of faith that was literally cut to pieces to hide the God of the Exodus and keep our ancestors in chains. But this isn’t just a history lesson; it’s a reclamation project that proves our African ancestors were leading the church long before a slave ship ever sailed. I love that this book doesn’t offer cheap answers, but instead gives us the receipts to dismantle the lie that Christianity is just a white man’s religion. If you’re ready to stop surviving in spaces that don’t see you and start thriving in a faith that finally feels like home, you need to read this book.”

    KAREEM GRIMES

  • “For the first time in American history, the younger generation of blacks are leaving the church en masse; it's what sociologists refer to as the "black exodus". Unable to disentangle the faith of "Big Mama," from that of our enslavers, many have thrown the proverbial baby out with the bathwater. So what are we to do? I'd start by reading my friend, Dr. JP Foster's honest, healing and hope-filled book, The Gospel and My Black Skin. When you finish, you will be inspired, as the old folks used to sing in the black church, to "Hold to his hand, God's unchanging hand."

    DR. BRYAN LORITTS

  • “One of my biggest areas of grief as a Pastor is that the Bible, the book of truth, throughout history has been hijacked by so many lies. Contrary to what so many people believe, white missionaries didn’t bring Christianity to Africa, and people of color have never been an afterthought in the heart of God. What we need now more than ever are the corrective lenses to see the Bible for the truth that it really is. The Gospel and My Black Skin provides those lenses. This book is so timely and so needed. Read it and be healed.”

    DR. VAN MOODY

THE CHURCH

Faithful Leader

In January of 2023, Dr. John-Paul C. Foster was unanimously affirmed as the senior pastor of Faithful Central Bible Church, the fourth in the church’s 90-year history. A devoted husband and father, respected professor, author, Bible scholar, and consultant for faith-based entertainment projects with acting credits of his own, Dr. Foster brings a dynamic and multifaceted approach to ministry. Through the grace of God and his servant-leadership, the church has experienced significant growth, more than doubling in size, in his first few years as senior pastor. Through strong biblical teaching and intentional discipleship, Dr. Foster is inspiring a new generation to embrace truth and rediscover the church as a vibrant place of faith and community. His partnerships with the city’s professional sports organizations, industry leading businesses, and civic leaders have positioned Faithful Central Bible Church in a renewed posture of influence, forging a fresh and impactful direction for the future while remaining called, committed, and commissioned to change lives.

Faithful Central Bible Church has more than 75 ministries that serve the community and continue to build disciples that learn the word of God, live out the word of God, and love according to the word of God. Since 1936, our family of faith has gathered together in praise and service to God.

Visit Faithful Central Bible Church

GET THE BOOK

Order Your Copy Today

PRE-ORDER BOOK