Racism and the Church: How Should We Respond?

Pastor Theologians ^ | 2020 | Dennis Hollinger

[CondoleezzaProtege]

The early Church of course experienced its own racial and ethnic divide, that between Jew and Gentile. As both were coming into the Body of Christ suspicion and prejudice degenerated into polarization and condescending labeling, which Paul addressed in Ephesians 2.

“You who were far away have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For he himself is our peace who has made the two groups one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility” (2:13-14).

Reconciliation to Christ meant that now “the other” was to become a friend, brother or sister. New levels of respect, appreciation and empathetic understanding were to characterize the Body of Christ, as Paul admonished Philemon with regards to Onesimus, a former slave (Philemon).

This is not easy, for as the Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. once lamented, “It is appalling that the most segregated hour of Christian America is eleven o’clock on Sunday morning.” …

While it is a unique blessing to be part of a local church family where power is mutually shared between racial and ethnic groups and where different cultural worship styles are celebrated, this goal can be challenging for some.

Perhaps a concrete first step is for pastors from black and white churches to begin meeting together with open hearts to learn from one another before identifying projects of felt need around which they can collaborate as equals. As love and mutual trust grow the Holy Spirit can begin to heal fractured relationships, and lay members from their respective congregations can follow.

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TOPICS: Moral Issues
KEYWORDS: christianity; church; jesus; ministry; race

[CondoleezzaProtege]

Reconciliation through Christ doesn’t stop with divine reconciliation, for it leads to human reconciliation with “the other” in the life of the Church.

”All of this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation” (divine and human, II Cor. 5:18)

[Scrambler Bob]

... be part of a local church family where power is mutually shared between racial and ethnic groups ...

== == ==

Just what power is to be shared? Tithes and Offerings?

Power to call down lightning?

What power?

[Worldtraveler once upon a time]

What an interesting choice to post. One reads from President emeritus Hollinger's alma mater:

"Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary is a multi-denominational, evangelical seminary representing over 85 denominations from 50 countries on four campuses — united around a common commitment to Christ and the authority of Scripture."

85 denominations, so 85 divisions between the denominations. No mention of Roman Catholics nor the various Orthodox.

[Scrambler Bob]

Col 3:11

New King James Version
where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcised nor uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave nor free, but Christ is all and in all.

[cuz1961]

Condi again

Gaslighting, again

Crying DIVISION !!!

Is there any end to your supply of dual purpose shiny wedges with its slpc esqe stank ?

You need to hype division to cure it ?

Very SPLC of you.

[Cronos]

To be frank I’ve never seen racial divides at mass.

Recently I was in Malta and fir a mass there there were Maltese, English,french, African, Filipino. Arabs, indians, south Americans and chinese.

No division

[Worldtraveler once upon a time]

---- "Condi again Gaslighting, again Crying DIVISION !!! Is there any end to your supply of dual purpose shiny wedges with its slpc esqe stank ?"

One observes that this NEW post is of a 2020 op-ed. Gotta go back many years, to stay "current" with the politics.

[Uncle Miltie]

Here we go again, Condi stoking the flames of conservative division as well as any paid Soros troll could accomplish.

[Big Red Badger]

Just like Odumbo to chirp on.

[Steve_Seattle1]

The Catholic church that I sometimes attend is very integrated. I would say at least half of the attendees are Hispanic, Philippine, or African. One of the two priests is from Africa.

[CondoleezzaProtege]

No mention of Roman Catholics nor the various Orthodox.

Yes discussions for those churches are much less USA-centric.

Re: Catholic, the word "catholic" literally means universal...There may be slight cultural spins, but the liturgy is consistent across languages...you don't need to speak Portuguese, to walk into a church in Lisbon and understand what's going on. The calendar and assigned Scripture readings for the day will be the same across countries.

It also isn't unheard of to be in Mobile, Alabama and have a priest assigned to your church who is from Cameroon or the Philippines...

African Christians are pretty evenly split between Catholic and Protestant...African-Americans however are vast majority Protestant.

Re: Orthodox. Having lived in Russia myself, I know the cultural/nationalistic dynamics are a whole other can of worms esp. now with the Russia/Ukraine War...However as far as black Orthodox Christians. YES there are Ethiopian Orthodox who trace their origins to the Bible itself, as Ethiopians are mentioned both in the Old and New Testaments.

Below is photo of joint Russian and Ethiopian Orthodox liturgy:

[CondoleezzaProtege]

There does seem to be a parallel between American segregation-nostalgia and those who gravitate toward Dispensationalism...Which is all about segregating God’s people and segregating the Scriptures.

“God doesn’t care how racist I am. Just as long as I support Israel.” Nevermind that “Jews in the South experience more antisemitism than other regions, survey finds”

https://forward.com/news/535820/jews-south-antisemitism-ajc-survey-israel-campus/

[ChessExpert]

We will always be able to imagine that “racism,” whatever that is, exists in the hearts of others.

In the real world, there have been government policies that many would agree are racist. Here are some:

Indian removal.
Slavery.
Segregation.
Internment of Japanese-Americans.
Affirmative action.
DEI.

These were all policies of the Democrat party. The Democrat policy has had racist policies for as long as it has existed. Giant leap - the Democrat party is racist.

[kosciusko51]

"While it is a unique blessing to be part of a local church family where power is mutually shared between racial and ethnic groups and where different cultural worship styles are celebrated, this goal can be challenging for some."

The highlighted portion is the problem. Church leadership should not be about power, but servant leaders. When one views every relationship in terms of power, one will always find inequities.

[ChessExpert]

‘as the Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. once lamented, “It is appalling that the most segregated hour of Christian America is eleven o’clock on Sunday morning.”’

I don’t see it as a big deal. I’m white and have never gone to a black church. Many black people make a similar decision. As a rule, white people are welcomed at black churches and vice versa.

Irish and Italian Americans may be over-represented at Catholic churches. So what? I doubt anyone else is turned away. I suppose Greeks and Russians may be over-represented at an Orthodox church. Again, so what? Bringing us up to date, where do you imagine Somalis in America pray?

[Worldtraveler once upon a time]

--- "Having lived in Russia myself....."

Really? When and for how long? Do you speak/read Russian? Thanks in advance for some details.....

[Worldtraveler once upon a time]

---- "The Catholic church that I sometimes attend is very integrated. I would say at least half of the attendees are Hispanic, Philippine, or African. One of the two priests is from Africa."

Thanks for that. Though not a Catholic myself, I have had lovely relationships with priests, monsignors, and one bishop who became cardinal. The first I knew was fifty plus years ago, and he was Ugandan and in southern California at that time.

So, an anecdote. During the "11AM on Sunday being the most segregated time of the week" malarkey from decades ago, the assertion was trotted out by a black neighbor and friend. Not knowing her denomination but knowing there was an AME Zion church only blocks away, I suggested "next Sunday" she and I could attend together there. Her response: "Oh, no, I'm Episcopalian." Worth of chuckle then; worth a chuckle now.

Best wishes.

[Steve_Seattle1]

When I was a kid, the Catholic church and school that I attended were almost 100% white, but that reflected the city's "de facto" segregation of the time, not Catholic doctrine. Catholic schools in what we called the Central Area (east of downtown, where the vast majority of blacks were concentrated) had black students, and we competed against them in the citywide Catholic track meet.

We won the championship one year because - even though we finished second and third in most of the individual events - our coach taught us the proper way to make handoffs during the relay races, and we swept those events.

[PAR35]

Slavery.

Was it racism when Negro slaveowners owned Negro slaves in the states that formed the Confederacy?

Was it racism when Italians and Germans were interned in the United States in the early 1940s.

[PAR35]

While it is a unique blessing to be part of a local church family where power is mutually shared between racial and ethnic groups

Quotas? "Sorry, you can't be an Elder because your skin is too light?