I have a dream…although I steal this line from the great Martin Luther King, I truly do have a dream. It is the year 2020, and my prayer is that in my lifetime we can end the common usage of ‘white church’ and ‘black church’ terminology.
I have a dream that truth would be first and culture follows behind.
I have a dream that one day when my family are the only black faces in an Independent Baptist church it will be odd.
I have a dream that if someone is culturally different they will feel the liberty to voice their genuine thoughts and concerns to those in leadership without fear of being ostracized.
I dream of so much more, however I will leave it at those.
I do not believe there is malicious intent within the above terminology, but it is just ‘subconsciously separating’. I write from the viewpoint of the Independent Baptist movement. We sometimes can love ourselves so much that we are not willing to see a chink in our armor. Please know that I am evangelist that has nothing to gain by pointing out this chink in the armor. However, in my 16 years of traveling this country in IBF churches as a black man, I cannot say that we have put a prejudice mindset in the past altogether. It does not come up as often, but when FOX news comes on…it starts to come out. When high profile racial cases are talked about over dinner…it comes out. Most of the time with no ill will, but still ‘subconsciously separating”.
I was preaching at an Outreach Event at a predominantly white church, a visiting black man sat at the table and we all had general conversation. During the conversation, the subject turned to the NFL and the Kapernick situation. The men at the table loudly spoke their position on the topic thereby alienating the only other black man present, (who most likely was either neutral or pro Kapernick’s stand). Those men were simply saying their beliefs which is their prerogative, but had they been sensitive to another person’s culture, they might have thought through that this was NOT the time to voice this when we have visitor here for the evangelistic event. Unfortunately, the man kind of went in ‘shut down’ mode during the rest of the event, even when I was giving the Gospel presentation. I often think, just a little bit more education, sensitivity or just more SOMETHING can take these separating situations and put TRUTH in front of our personal cultural preferences.
The church should transcend culture. Although this sounds good on paper, there has been an intentional divide between the black and white culture especially in church. Therefore it would make sense that it is not going to be ‘unintentionally’ resolved, there will need to be intention to reach those who do not culturally think or speak like you. We gravitate toward those we are comfortable with, and sometimes we mistake uncomfortable for wrong. Uncomfortable could just mean God wants you to get an amazing view point of what the entire body of Christ looks like and that might be a stretching on your part. God help the church to be the church and not just the white or the black church in town.
The articles below were born as simple conversations I have had with pastors and ministry leaders. The articles are for the ones who may not think there is an issue but still wants to have all the tools in their tool box to be all they can be in relating to people. The articles are not for the critic looking to pick a fight. There is division enough in our churches and in our country. Let us prayerfully, celebrate the differences and not let Sunday continue to be the most segregated day of the week.