"Race Tests" and Evangelical Segregation

[Sandy]

http://religiondispatches.org/how-race- ... gregation/

I meant to post this here, moving it out of the threads on the New Baptist Covenant, where it isn't actually related to the discussion.

[Jon Estes]

As a pastor of an international, multi-denominational church (where we do not push denominations) and a multi-racial church (where color of skin is not an issue) the church in the west is missing the blessings of such a fellowship. Whenever I return to the US, I will find it difficult to find a church which presents itself more like the streets of heaven than the communities of most large cities in the US. If I land in the DFW metroplex, I probably will heavily consider Dwight McKissicks church.

As sad as this is and as much as people are missing, we the people tend to attend a church where it fits our way of worship.

An example would be... many of the African American churches worship at a higher level of participation than the SBC churches (large or small) on most corners. Yet, the African American churches, in many ways, worship with a mix of African style and American style. The fastest growing nationality in my church are from Cameroon and Nigeria. Let them lose and they worship (in style) much different than their American planted churches.

I see the church moving slowly to being more open to other nationalities in the US church conversation. I do not see it changing on a large scale prior to the return of the Lord.

Martin Luther King's comment is correct and I think it is fair to say many whites would have been comfortable in the church he pastored. To much stereotyping from both ends. Even if that disappeared, the preferred style will be the draw. Good preaching comes in second. I would admit that the black preachers I have heard preach circles around most whites. The style helps. I can enjoy Adrian Rogers as much as I can enjoy Tony Evans, TD Jakes (yes, I said it) and others. I am not a fan of let me in your wallet preachers.

Lastly, I think we make way to much of segregation in churches. Church should not be like a workplace or a school It needs to be what God lets it be to reach the masses that God has called it to win.

Not everybody can hold a conversation about Jesus with people of a different nationality. Those who can... must.

Enjoying my city where Ramadan is in full swing, in the sweltering heat. 107 yesterday, supposed to get warmer as the weekend approaches.

[Sandy]

There are places where multi-ethnic, multi-cultural congregations form spontaneously, without any specific or deliberate intention, even among Southern Baptists. I served such a congregation in Houston for five years. It was an unlikely setting for something like that to happen, built on the remains of what had been a white, upper middle class church that started a decline due to neighborhood demographics in the early 1980's. Among the congregation of 130 people, mostly in their 60's, 70's and 80's by the late 1990's were a few visionaries in leadership, willing to consider the potential uses of the space in a building where they were only using 20%. When the church included leaders from the various ethnic congregations that were using the building, and they realized their equality, three congregations became one with two worship services, one in Spanish. The African Americans became the worship leaders.

The congregation I currently worship with developed a very diverse character in a spontaneous manner, in spite of the fact that the demographics of the area are overwhelmingly white. It's not a large congregation, but it seems that it is a magnet to people who are from different cultural and ethnic backgrounds. Many are second generation Americans and not from cultural backgrounds in which there is much Christian influence of any kind. The worship style has virtually nothing to do with the background of the people who attend, and remains what I would call traditional to this particular body.

Does your church have a denominational affiliation, Jon? How does it handle that with the multi denominational character of the membership and leadership?

Dr. McKissic's congregation is one I'd pick as well, if I had to live in the DFW area. It is racially mixed, though latinos and whites probably only make up about 5% of the membership.

[Jon Estes]

[Dave Roberts]

As we look toward Pentecost, it is time for more inter-racial and multi-cultural associations. Having pastored one tri-racial church, I can say that there is much to be gained by growing more open to the varieties of worship among the varied groups worshipping together. We need more congregations open to the varied ways of folks who come from different backgrounds. Alas, I fear we are the victims of the church growth movement that taught people that the fastest growing churches would be homogenous.

[JE Pettibone]

[Jon Estes]

[Tim Bonney]

[Sandy]

[Stephen Fox]

Reply in Politics Forum about the legacy of Criswell, Pressler, Helms and Adrian Rogers