The Highway Forums General Discussion Open Forum Race in the Church

Although this article is specifically with reference to the PCA, the issue obviously has broader significance for Reformed churches:

"The Challenge for Racial Diversity in the PCA."

What do you think of the goal of achieving greater racial diversity in Reformed churches? How should we as Christians view racial issues? What can we do to make Christians of minority backgrounds feel a part of the family and not alienated by cultural and economic circumstance?

I think it's wrong to make it a "goal" to achieve greater racial diversity in our churches, Reformed or otherwise. That shouldn't be our focus. First thing you know you'll be thinking like our government and developing entitlement programs and affirmative action. That's nonsense! Our goal should be to please God, preach the Gospel, and welcome those who the Lord calls. Irregardless of race or ethnic background! The church should be color blind and view those who come to gather with the church not so much as black, whites, or hispanics but as souls who bear the image of God. That's not to say this is not a real challenge practically.



We can't completely overlook our differences. After all we even have differences within ethnically pure churches of one race between generational interests, intellectual, and economic status. But when you introduce different cultural, ethnic, and racial backgrounds you will find that even people who love the Lord will have many long standing differences.

I happen to attend a Reformed church which is racially diverse and have attended others that are also. We even have diversity within our church Council. It's a beautiful thing to behold and yet there are many challenges as well. The key is to open your heart to those who are interested in worshiping with you and getting them involved in the life of the church. Let me just say there's a BIG difference between talking about it and practicing it.


Wes

Wes, Thanks for your remarks as they are right-on.

What do you think about the Korean congregations within the Presbyteries of the PCA? Is that a good model?

The ruling elders come to Presbytery, but I haven't seen much fellowship between the the Korean congregations and the others.

I'm not familiar with the Korean congregations within the PCA but I imagine unless they speak English, language would be a limiting factor. As far as fellowship with people from different backgrounds it can be very hard for some folks who tend to be introverted and intimidated. They can exist under the larger umbrella of a denomination like the PCA (or others) but they are more comfortable in churches made up of their own background because of cultural differences.

I have a friend who happens to be Japanese and he prefers to worship with people of his own race and background. So he belongs to a Japanese Christian Church here in the Chicago area. However, he and I meet as Christian businessmen monthly and we study the Bible and pray together. He's certainly not racist but has chosen to be a member of a Japanese church rather than look for a diverse one.


Wes

Wes,

I do agree with you on your point that the primary focus of the church is to preach the gospel period. And yes God will choose whom he will choose and send to our churches whom he will send. However, I think that your statement regarding racial diversity in the church leading to affimative action programs, etc. in the church is a slippery slope argument.

I would hope that the Church is wise enough to recognize that we don't need to over-compensate in the area of racial harmony but rather we are equal in Christ. And we should've recognized that a long time ago.

I DO see the need for racially diverse churches especially reformed churches. Tell me, how many reformed black or hispanic churches are there out there? Or how many black or hispanic believers are there who have never heard of or been taught the Doctrines of Grace? Do I believe that God will call whomever? Yes, and as a black man I am thankful for God's mercy that He reached out to me, but it causes me unrest to know that there are many black churches who have been either led into error or have not been taught properly.

I will not place the blame on others but I have to wonder whether or not some believers will not reach out to "others" because they don't want to get their hands dirty, or because of intellectual or economic differences. My apologies if this sounds harsh but I don't think that seeking racial diversity will lead to entitlement programs. I think that those who love the Lord should seek to lay down any prejudices or apprehensions that they may have and attempt to reach out and share the truth of the true gospel.

Dear TJ,

Brother in Christ, I concur. Our inner-city church has wrestled with these issues over the last 35 years, and I appreciate the wisdom our pastors have shown. Here are a few thoughts based on what we have seen here:

From jump-street, I will admit there are some churches that probably can't help being homogenous, at least for a while; e.g. in a 1st-generation non-English-speaking immigrant community, like the Koreans in the 70's. But if they remain that way once the bulk of the community can function in the English culture, they run the risk of becoming mere cultural centers where one can remember how good it was "in the old country". Needed: the minority elders should attempt to cross-pollinate their flock with events, speakers, classes; surrounding majority elders should offer all assistance possible (ESL, financial, meetings) to their new neighbors.

Now for the big elephant, racial interaction where primary language is no issue, black/white/hispanic. (BTW, I think Pastor Ken Jones' take on the sorry history, of neglected church discipline and twisted theology, that led to this point, is excellent.) While a quota system to achieve an artificial "diversity index" would be misdirected zeal and boneheaded, our natural, fleshly abhorrence of the "other", especially where there is a history of hurt, produces an inertia which must be constantly resisted. Unresisted, this inertia, even if we consider our particular church to be officially "open", can send increasingly clear signals to "the other" about which is our preferred kingdom. This is true whether the church is mimicing the majority culture or the minority culture.

Solutions? Elders have got to cross racial, and if necessary denominational, lines to meet "other" elders and talk and pray and weep and plant and reap and rejoice and rebuke and repent and restore together; teach and lead their flocks to do the same; offer real, not token, assistance, from dollars to dogmatics. Although gospel preaching must scatter the seed wherever we can, other decisions can affect how comfortable the redeemed feel in the sheepfold. One elder has dissuaded his sons, though they would have been capable, from training to replace their father here, because one goal is to have the 2nd-generation leadership be indigenous.

I share your lament about under-representation of minority leaders in reformed circles; as real communication is opened, redressing those issues should be paramount and could have massive implications. I was thrilled when the president of Erskine Seminary in SC, in response to personal contact with one of our members, saw that the time had come to start to climb out of their rural stronghold and open a branch campus in Harlem. Other local personal contacts have opened classes that several of us have been asked to teach at a nearby RCA church. I am especially grateful that my favorite student of several years ago, an intensely earnest young black deacon in the predominantly hispanic church, who sees the cracks in the semi-pentecostal foundations, has now taken over leadership of the education division, and is calling us back this year to present: Intro Theology, Church History, Apologetics, Hermeneutics courses.

One final thought (for the rest of you out there!). Francis Schaeffer warned about dire consequences for church and culture if our callings are motivated primarily by the pursuit of personal peace and affluence. As one manifestation, I fear that a disproportionate majority of the Reformed community have "felt led" to live where the need ain't. James Montgomery Boice in Two Cities, Two Loves was a lot more blunt than TJ has been in his recommendations:

While I can see the truth in this statement, I think it is still perpetuating the same kinds of problems with emphasis. I have lived in a very exclusive suburban neighborhood--the best street in the best neighborhood in town--and my neighbors needed Christ. In some wealthy suburban neighborhoods life only appears to be safe and comfortable. Bored and lonely teens with lots of time and money and little adult supervision can make for a very dangerous neighborhood. Beautifully appointed homes and lawns can hide many kinds of pain and family suffering.

Right now I live in a neighborhood that is just three blocks from downtown. I find it much easier to meet and greet and engage my neighbors because they are out and about. It may be easier here to engage people in conversation and to bring up the gospel, but guess what. . .my neighbors still need Christ.

Maybe my thoughts on this have been colored by the fact that we have moved quite a bit because of my husband's job, but I have come to believe that each Christian has a realm of influence--and we are called to be salt and light right where we are. Every geographical area has it's inherent challenges. But the biggest challenge is the same--getting out there and being faithful. There is never a wrong place to be Christ's ambassador and wherever we are we are called to be faithful.

Now, I may be getting the influence of the individual and the church confused in my mind. I am willing to be corrected and I am sure that there are things I haven't considered. This is a broad subject. But it seems to me that if individual Christians would just be faithful to share the gospel to those around them that would be a step in the right direction.

Kim,

If by "problems with emphasis" you mean that a particular approach (e.g. Boice's "back to the cities" call) may be either poorly motivated or inappropriate in a particular situation (geographical or individual), of course I agree we must have the attitude "you in your small corner, and I in mine" wherever we are led, and I do not mean to imply that many are not exactly where the Lord wants them!

But while there will always be a diversity of levels of diversity(!) in our churches, I continue to feel the cultural playing fields of suburban vs urban churches are so vastly different that without radical effort to overcome it, the inertia of status quo swallows up any comfort one might have from the other.

I just did a little census research on our own situation here in NYC and a major suburban area. Hopefully a graphical representation will highlight the different playing fields. (Note, the church info is estimated).

1 letter equals 50,000 people
W=White
B=Black
H=Hispanic
A=Asian

1 letter equals 100 churches
R=Reformed (more or less!)
E=Evangelical (much less reformed)
P=Pentecostal

Bergen County, NJ (suburban):
People:

WWAWWBWWHWWWWHWWWAW

Churches:

EEPEREEPEE


New York, NY (urban)
People:

BWHWAWHBWHBWHABWHBHW
WBHAHWWBHWBBWHWBHBWA
AWBHBWHWBWAHWWHBHWHB
HBWHAHBAWWBHWWBWHBBW
AWHBBBWHWWHBWHBWHAWH
HAWHBWHWBWAWBHBWHBBW
BHWBWHWWBHHHWAWBWAHB
WABHHBWWAHBWWBHBWBHW

Churches:

EPEPEEPPEE
PEPEPEEEEP
PEEPPEPEEP
EPEPEPEEEP
EPEPPEEPEE
PEPEERPEEP
PEEPEEEEPP



The real imbalance imo is what I think Kyle alluded to ("What can we do to make Christians of minority backgrounds feel a part of the family and not alienated by cultural and economic circumstance?") and TJ stated outright: that there simply is not a noticeable Reformed presence among the vast majority of blacks and hispanics. And a huge element of "cultural and economic circumstance" is the fact that most minority subcultures live in urban, not suburban, settings, which does point to an appropriate biblical motivation, namely, ministry to the poor.

I didn’t say racial diversity would lead to affirmative action programs if we focus on the Gospel and welcome those who the Lord calls to join us in worshiping Him. I said “if we make racial diversity our focus” it can lead to thinking like our government and developing entitlement programs and affirmative action to create equality. Believe me this does happen when we make diversity our focal point. We can end up trying to favor some over others to make them feel a part of the church. (James 2:1-13)

I've had some personal experience in this area when a family that joined our church viewed the deacons in the same way as they view the social security welfare office. When they came they brought a certain mindset to the church from their background and it created a challenge for the body of believers who didn't understand that mindset. I'm using this illustration as a sample of the kind of issue that can arise from a different background. In this particular case the family needed to learn about money management not just receive financial assistance. So the deacons needed to develop a new program to address this need.

The government has programs which are intended to solve some of the issues relative to race. I hope we can all see and agree that many government sponsored programs have actually hurt the very people they are intended to help. The church needs to do a better job by ministering to the spiritual needs of whoever inters its doors irregardless of race. This means we're going to have to understand those differences and learn how to address them.


I understand what you are saying about needing racially diverse churches but I would phrase that a little differently than how you did. I would say we need churches that reflect the mind of Christ and can look past racial differences. It would mean we wouldn’t use the terms a Black Reformed or Hispanic Reformed church but a church that truly represents the Body of Christ with the mind of Christ.

I also agree with you that there aren't many Reformed churches among blacks and hispanics. IMO there just aren't enough good Reformed churches to go around. We are a significant minority among Christian denominations. Not only in the inner city like Paul points out but in many rural areas as well. Just pick a town somewhere in the USA and ask James to do a church search in the Church Locator Forum and I think you'll see what I mean. Realistically we need to build inter-racial, multi-culteral relationships right where we are. That's why my church is diverse. We happen to be located in a changing neighborhood and we decided to stay (rather than move) and minister to those who move into the community.



Wes

I'd be interested in anyone's take on this article. It doesn't speak directly to the topic exactly but it does touch on some of what we've been talking about here.

http://bpnews.net/bpnews.asp?ID=21348

Does Keller have a point about reaching the big cities as the biblical way to spread the gospel?

Kim,

I've never heard of Tim Keller before you posted this article so my first impression was that he's part of the church growth movement and sounds like a reconstructionist who believes in a Christian America with his comments about focusing on the city rather than the church. However I found other articles written by him and by reading some of them I can see he is very focused on "church-planting." He's written quite a bit on having a "church planting mindset" and a central ministry strategy. Actually some of his stuff sounds more like a business plan than a biblical mandate. There's a lot of philosophical material in his suggestions.

He suggests a small group" ministry to help improve the quality of fellowship within the church in a city environment. Although he doesn't provide many answers to cross-culteral and economic differences except to suggest that "small groups" can improve relationships.


Tim Keller even has a blueprint for the key elements in inner city church planting.


You may notice there's not a lot of Scripture in his plan even though some of it is very practical.


Wes