Editor’s Note: Julian is a layman who has taught Sunday School in various Southern Baptist churches for the past 20 years. The article originally appeared at his personal site, Ridgetop Reflections.
The words from the pulpit pierced my heart as the pastor challenged us to look around the congregation and notice that the crowd we formed that morning was likely the most “racially homogenous group” we routinely gather with in any given week.
While that might have been a bit of an overstatement, the message was clear. It was also very timely, coming just a week before the start of Black History Month in our nation.
Our text included the verses from Acts that head this post. When the promised Holy Spirit fell that fateful day of Pentecost, the impact was explosive. After Peter’s powerful message, three thousand souls were added to the one hundred and twenty believers that had remained together after Christ’s ascension. In the immediate aftermath of that event, Luke says “And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.” (Acts 2:47 ESV)
The Bible describes another day when the diversity of a gathering of worshipers is emphasized. It occurs in Revelation chapter 7 where John describes “a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb … and crying out with a loud voice, ‘Salvation belongs to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!’” (Revelation 7:9-10 ESV)
We live in between these two church gatherings featured so prominently in the Scriptures. As I reflect upon the pastor’s convicting words that morning, many thoughts and questions surface in my mind:
- Given the emphasis placed on the diversity of these two gatherings, why is the congregation with whom we worship every Sunday usually the most racially homogeneous group we will be a part of all week?
- What does the fact that I had not even noticed the lack of racial diversity in that particular congregation in my assessment of it as a potential future home say about me?
- Does being heartened when I see minority visitors in our congregation and making a special effort to greet them mean that I have overcome the influences of racial prejudice that permeated the culture of rural Georgia in the formative years of my youth? Or am I attempting to mask any vestiges of those influences that remain?
- Should it matter so much that, as Dr. Martin Luther King once famously remarked, 11:00 a.m. on Sunday morning remains the the most racially segregated hour of the week in our nation? If it does, then what is the best approach toward seeking a remedy in the local church?
- What message does it send to the unchurched when they see how racially segregated our churches remain in a culture that has made great strides in racial diversity?
While racial diversity can be a sensitive topic, it is a conversation that those of us within the Body of Christ, who have been given a ministry of reconciliation, (2 Corinthians 5:18) should be having as we move closer to that day John speaks of in Revelation 7. Whenever I visit churches where racial diversity is more the norm, inevitably I come away encouraged, anticipating the day when all our differences will disappear in the light of our Savior’s presence.
Clearly, I have presented more questions than answers here. But then reflecting on the questions, whether we can find honest answers or not, is not a wasted exercise. It helps reveal who we are, and more importantly, who God desires us to become. Scripture is divinely inspired and designed to accomplish that very purpose.
That has certainly been the case with me. Thanks largely to the impact of God’s Word in transforming my mind, today I can confidently echo another more encouraging quote by Dr. King: “I may not be the man I want to be; I may not be the man I ought to be; I may not be the man I could be; I may not be the man I truly can be; but praise God, I’m not the man I once was.”
And I might add, I’m not the man I’m going to be as he who began a good work in me brings it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ. (Philippians 1:6)
“And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.” (2 Corinthians 3:18 NIV)
Our lack of congregational diversity mostly reflects our ongoing lack of community diversity. Our lack of US Senatorial diversity (one black Republican from Utah) demonstrates how far we still have to travel as a nation to get rid off racism. Congregational diversity come from whites remaining in their homes supporting their community when diversity for their aging community occurs and congregations refusing to go where life is easier by choosing to STAY in the declining neighborhoods reaching out to their new diverse neighbors. We unnecessarily flog ourselves when we bemoan the lack of diversity in a church within a lily white and affluent community.
Allen, I believe you make an excellent point in that the typical lack of racial diversity in most churches merely reflects a much deeper problem in the human heart. It will only be solved with acknowledging the deeper issue and addressing it with active and intentional engagement with those who are different. I believe this is clear in Christ’s teachings and evident in the early church, but too often neglected in practice today.
Allen,
You said:
“Congregational diversity come from whites remaining in their homes supporting their community when diversity for their aging community occurs and congregations refusing to go where life is easier by choosing to STAY in the declining neighborhoods reaching out to their new diverse neighbors.”
That may be true sometimes. It certainly isn’t true for my church. We are located in a neighborhood that has grown quite diverse. And we have stayed. And we have reached out to our neighbors in many various ways including hosting a Christian rapper named Shai Linne. The black folk in our community don’t want to come to our [almost all] white church. They will come to our activities and eat the free food and drink, allow their children to play in the games we host at the rec park, and come to the free concert as well. Buton Sunday morning, they never show up.
Part of the problem is not recognizing that black folk like worshipping with other black folk. And here in Columbus, Korean folk and Somalian folk and Eastern European folk tend to congregate around those they are most comfortable with. Unless the church is charismatic with an emphasis on tongues, most churches are mostly segregated.
We are not going to give up. But neither are going to accept charges that we are biased or racist or such. Racism is a worldly flesh trait that should not be found in a church, but it is alive and well on both sides of the aisle in the world.
It is true that all ethnic or racial groups have a tendency to worship with like people. However, it’s not an impossible task. I became Pastor of one of those churches that had not changed with the neighborhood. One by one, we’ve seen blacks and Hispanics come and stay. They stay because we’ve intentionally cultivated relationships on a personal level; have helped them when others wouldn’t; have persistently gone to them instead of relying on events, which we do, but also have determined follow up; and faithfully preached the word, something many of them were not getting where they previously attended church.
It’s a huge challenge though, with many obstacles. And quite frankly the church had to reach a place where it was change or die. We have a million miles to go. But it is possible
Prayerfully mulling over the same thoughts you bring up in this post, a little over two years ago my wife and I decided to throw in our lots with a multi-ethnic church plant (60% African-American, 3% Hispanic, 37% White, with an African-American lead pastor, in a city with a similar racial breakdown—except for more Hispanics and others). It was one of the best decisions we have made in our life. We have grown and been so enriched in our new friendships these past two years. There are challenges, and at times we wonder why the growth is so slow, but we believe we are at the center of something God is doing in our community here in Memphis and have committed to stick it out for the long haul.
Thanks for your words here helping to keep the flames of this vision alive.
Great testimony, David. My wife and I have recently been visiting another church in our area led by an African-American campus pastor with a congregation that reflects more the racial and ethnic demographics of the area in which we live and have been blessed to worship in that environment. In less than two years, this church is already bursting at the seams and having to expand its facilities to accommodate the crowds.
My congregation has been in the same location for 27 years. The church started 27 years ago. We are in west St. Louis County, a generally middle to upper middle class area in the greater St. Louis area.
So we have about 130 families. I checked the racial spread and looking at African American, Asian, Middle eastern, and Caucasian our diversity reflects very close to the demographics of our surrounding community. So, we are about 95% American born Caucasian. 4% other combined.
In your opinion, is that a good thing? An OK thing? Or a not so good thing? I would appreciate your collective thoughts.
I think it’s fine. There might be some circumstances whereby a church would attract a disproportionate percentage of minorities, especially in urban areas, but if your church looks like the community, I think that’s a good thing.
Les,
The first Scripture given in the OP was:
“And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.” (Acts 2:47 ESV)
It is the Lord who adds to our number. Our goal is to walk in obedience and proclaim the Gospel to all. So is it a good thing, you ask? It is a good thing if y’all are walking in obedience. Proverbs 3:1-6.
Thanks Bill Mac and Mike. I think it’s a good thing too but it never hurts to hear what others have to say. About 10 years ago we a couple of local seminary students interning with us and they were consternating lamenting that we didn’t have a more racially diverse congregation. They harped on it and actually said we should seek out more minorities.
My initial reply was a bit sarcastic when I asked, “Well do you propose we bus minorities out here from the city?” But more seriously I pointed to the demographics. We just don’t have that many minorities around us. I do think we have our proportion. And in fact in leadership, we have more. 2 of our 18 ordained elders are African American. That’s about 11%, way higher than our demographics.
The point is we reach our indiscriminately and take whomever the Lord gives us no matter their ethnicity.
BTW Mike, your comments about these ethnicities liking to worship together is spot on in many, many cases. In fact a friend of mine used to be on the staff of our local seminary (our denomination) and is African American. There are many PCA congregations in the area. Where did he worship? At a nearby (to us) African American Baptist church. 100% African American. He told me he just felt at home there.
Corrections:
…10 years ago we HAD a couple of local seminary students interning with us and they were CONSTANTLY lamenting that we didn’t have a more racially diverse congregation. They harped on it and actually said we should seek out more minorities.
The point is we reach OUT indiscriminately and take whomever the Lord gives us no matter their ethnicity.
Two things: First, in part it’s a mission/comfort issue. Second, in part it’s a second-tier issue.
To address the mission/comfort issue. We have a huge problem in first-world countries, namely that we have succeeded in making our lives quite comfortable such that we can’t imagine that we are only sojourners here. Our purpose every day is to be a witness to Christ to the rest of the world. But we treat this purpose as though if we are comfortable here, then we are fulfilling that purpose. Don’t we often hear from people who claim the name of Christ the argument that, “God just wants me to be happy,” as a justification for sin? When we go on a mission trip, we are glad to return home as though where our place of residence in this world is somehow permanent. When we look for a church home, how often do we look for those elements that make us comfortable: style of worship, size of the church, whether the men’s ministry does golf, the youth ministry goes skiing, or the pastor seems like our kind of guy? We want a church we can be comfortable in. And if something in the church changes to upset our comfort level, we hop on over to another church that is more comfortable to us and make up whatever reason we want to justify our doing so. We are royal narcissists. Why should a white person, couple, family join a black church? Why should a black person, couple, or family join a white church? After all, if the goal is to be comfortable then that simply wouldn’t work out. It takes people with a sense of mission to be able to make the jump.
But that’s not the only consideration. There are cultural differences that translate into theological differences that must be addressed. Even if you looked for a church you weren’t comfortable in, then you must at least recognize the need to be in a church that you agreed with on at least second-tier theological things. (Second-tier issues are those things that are necessary for a church to agree upon, like theology of baptism, church membership, or continuationism/cessationism.)
So, to address the second-tier issue, most traditionally black churches that I am aware of are quite charismatic. They may or may not be explicitly continuationistic, but they seem to function as though they are. So white continuationists tend to see no theological barrier for worshiping in a black church. That’s why white charismatic churches are more easily mixed. Convictional cessationists (who are often also proponents of the regulative principle) have more of a problem with this. Continuationism is generally a theological deal-breaker. Very few black churches are convictionally cessationistic and cessationistic white churches tend to have worship that is too subdued for blacks who are used to worship gatherings that are less structured.
Now, all this talk is often framed in terms of black and white. However, there are plenty of other ethnicities that bear consideration, and these issues as well as others, need to be addressed lovingly and carefully lest we falsely accuse each other of some ill will, but rather honestly owning up to our own faults and concerns and treating each other with forgiveness and grace in light of these.
An excellent article about one of the tragedies in the Baptist Churches in USA.
I am so in love with being in an international church, I really hope God does not call me back to US to serve. Two different worlds. I choose this one.
Thanks for this thoughtful post. I’m sure there are churches that are racist, but I believe there are relatively few these days. I think the main issues now are worship style and language. Immigrants like to worship in their heart language, and that is easy to understand. A lot of African-Americans find the worship at “white” churches boring and unsatisfying. In a healthy church the congregation will reflect the diversity of its community. When I was a boy, growing up in the Ozarks of Arkansas, there was one African-American family in our county–one. Guess what? Our church was all white. Diversity is desirable, but in some communities it may not be practical.