Pastor Jim Elliff author and pastor of Christ Fellowship of Kansas City has written an amazing article which is titled above. The artcicle is very challenging and even if you don’t agree with everything at least read it and gleam from it what you can. Here is an excerpt. Thanks Pastor Jim for keeping us focused on Jesus Christ the lover of our souls!
In our own local church we are making some steady progress in demonstrating harmony of divergent cultures, thanks to God’s grace. It is only a start, but it is driven by a real, workable and biblical concept that we believe can be carried out over time. What we have already seen is glorious. Perhaps it is easier for us in our church to mix ethnicity and socio-economic levels since we meet in several homes as our meeting pattern. The flexibility of the house church network model allows us to locate in any part of town, and to avoid that stigma that a single location may bring. A church building often has limitations because it is perceived as identical to its neighborhood. Whether intended or not, it represents to many that a certain class or kind of people are welcome. Therefore, extra efforts for those who use buildings will need to be made to overcome this dilemma. Building or no building, however, we are to pursue this beautiful diversity to the greatest possible extent.So, I will say as strongly as I can, you should not start (or have) “a black church” or “a white church” or a “homeschooling church” or a church for professional people and another church for poor people. Nor should you start a church aimed at younger people or older people. In this the modern church has erred. I do not mean that we should not be evangelistic toward all categories and types of people (actually, that is my point), but in building the local church our aim is too low, and frankly, sometimes selfish. We are forfeiting something of the glory of the church by not seeking to blend all kinds of people together, even if we cannot fully accomplish it. A cowboy church or a country music church may reach cowboys or country music lovers, but is this anything like what God intends to promote as the primary social implication of the cross? Does it depict real earth-side yearning for a future glorious church? We have diminished the meaning of the church by doing this. Paul simply refused to have a Jewish church on this end of town and a Gentile church on the other.
Bro. Lionel,
I can comment openly on this one. I agree with EVERYTHING he said in this article! Diversity of nationality, culture and socio-economic class has got to be the social implication of the cross. No doubt about it! From Genesis 12:3 to John 12.32 to Galatians 3:28 and everywhere before, in between and after, this has always been the Master’s openly declared plan. Oh how beautiful the local fellowship is when those of diverse backgrounds and lifestyles are joined hand-in-hand in prayer, hymn singing, and intake of the Word of God taught and preached and discussed. Hallelujah to His Name!
I think we should have what ever serve the people as long as Jesus is the head. Why do we want every body to be the same? I don’t have a problem with black or white church. We are different people who worship differently so what’s the problem?
I am a 50 year old black woman who have no problem with either title black or white. I can get with any teacher who is brining the word of God weather it be John Macarthur, John Piper, Chuck Swindol, Charles Stanley, or Dr. David Jeremiah. TO me these men have white churches because the majority of people who attend are white so what? Dr. Tony Evans, Jakes,Wright,and Pastor Randy Sewell are black so therefore their churches are consider black.
I don’t think either one of those mention started out calling their church black or white. Too me if your congregation is a certain % of a race that’s how people look at it. I don’t believe any one of those churches started out will that in mind.
My pastor made a statement that he did not want his church label as a black church but guess what the only people who come and worship there are blacks I often wonder why. My pastor is a good teacher of the word he studies and he be well prepared when he come before us so should he not preach any more because the whites won’t come? He did not start the church with that in mind he believe that every body is welcome.
I have read the article and I do agree. I too have a wonderful pastor and our church is predominately African-American. We have as a goal of the church to be a diverse church where people of all races, educational levels and socioeconomic levels can come and worship in an atmosphere that is embraces everyone’s differences. As many of us know, Sunday mornings are the most segregated times in America. Blacks go to their churches and whites go to theirs. Seems to me that this is want the enemy wants, to divide and conquer. We have go to come together in the body of Christ. One faith, one body, one baptism, one Savior. The wedges and walls that separate us needs to come down. Our communities are suffering, and we suffer because our lives are not enhanced by sharing the experiences of our white brothers and sisters and their non-paticipation in ours. We are all much better together than apart. Finally, my prayer is for a diverse congregation at my church and with the help of Christ, we will get there.
I agree 100% Larry. I go as far as to say the Holy Spirit is grieved by such segregation and we could probably turn the U.S upside down if this barrier to fellowship wasn’t there.
I agree with Larry as well. My husband is stationed in Hawaii and we are members of a predominately white church in the most well-to-do part of the island and to say the least, we feel uncomfortable a lot. My husband and I constantly feel such a huge cultural gap to say the least. Yes the word is being taught and biblically sound at that but we want genuine fellowship also. Most of the people in our church are rich and their life experiences have been with primarily people of their same race so I know that plays a huge part in the gap. There are other multi-ethnic churches on the island but they are either on the prosperity gospel tip or they are incorrectly interpreting scripture.
We love our church but how do we bridge the cultural gap? I was thinking of talking to the pastor about it and seeing if we could maybe have an open discussion about it as a church. I just believe that we as believers must discuss how to embrace our differences and have harmony together. Do you think it is the pastor’s duty to address race in some type of way if he wants different ethnic groups to feel welcomed? What are some ways that pastors can help blend all kinds of people together?