Pastors, Ministry Leaders and Christians Don't Want To Talk About This…
Most Pastors, Ministry Leaders and Christians don’t want to talk about the fact that “Church Diversity Sucks!” Jesus said, “Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation.” All the world and all creation includes neighborhoods and pockets of the world where people don’t look like you, your church brethren or me.
It’s important to have His will done on earth as it is in heaven. What will it look like in Heaven? It will be diverse, a great multitude of different people where that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and in front of the Lamb…
Pastors, Ministry Leaders and Christians don’t want to talk about this, but they should. It’s not acceptable for The Church to settle for status quo and live out Dr. Martin Luther King’s 40 year old statement where he said ”We must face the sad fact that at 11 o’clock on Sunday morning, when we stand to sing… we stand in the most segregated hour in America, and the most segregated school is Sunday School.”
Pastors, Ministry Leaders and Christians don’t want to talk about this and that’s the problem. Start talking, start listening and start doing!
What do you think? Why aren’t these folks talking? Is it a problem?
16 Responses to “Pastors, Ministry Leaders and Christians Don't Want To Talk About This…”
My church must be different. We have Chinese, Arab, Phillipino, Iranian, along with everything from addiction recovery participants to CEOs of major corporations, community outreach to homeless and breakfast program for poverty stricken area – all in the middle of a mostly upper-middle class white neighborhood. Our pastors talk about it. No problem.
I’ve visited several churches crossing several racial boundaries. What I’ve discovered is the same thing I observe with most of the way we behave in the world, which is this…
…People prefer being around, living with, and talking to people that either look like them, act like them, or can identify with them. People who have spent most of their life around a particular race, age group, or social class are more likely to spend the rest of their life mostly around or within that same category.
As sad as it sounds, it seems that the institutional church is one of the worst when it comes to that. We divide racially, financially, socially, and denominationally. As far as America goes, I think we are a very comfortable society with the freedom to choose who we want to be around and who we don’t. Though we may engage in relationships with people outside of our race, it seems like most of them are very surface. I rarely find a lot of people who do life and live in deep relationship or community with anyone outside of their race. Maybe one out of every 25 people or so. This has always bothered me.
I admire some people’s efforts to bridge this racial gap that has stretched across centuries. However, I’m not sure if pastors and leaders are “scared” to talk, or if they feel that addressing this issue is just too big to handle. I would even say that most of us as Christians in America are more American than Christian. And because of this, it seems that this issue runs deeper than most pastors are willing to handle. Most pastors are limited to a Sunday service and a few events throughout the year to engage people, and of all the 1,000+ issues they may try to address, this seems to be one that they stay away from.
I’ve heard this statement before… “You can’t “make” people want to be around people they don’t want to be around.”
I hate that statement. I wonder if some pastors avoid the conversation in fear that they may lose influence and even members. I wonder if this conversation is left out because some pastors would actually rather stay the way they are, without the hassle of learning other races of people.
For example:
It’s not everyday that you see an Andy Stanley having lunch with a Bishop Eddie L. Long. And they are pastors of the two biggest churches in the city of Atlanta – one being mostly black and the other mostly white. I wonder what would happen in the city of Atlanta if a church like New Birth and North Point decided to have a service together… just ONE SUNDAY! What if leaders with a lot of influence within their cities REALLY began having this conversation with one another FIRST? What if THEY began setting the example? I’ve been members of both of these churches, and they are great churches. I love them both. However, what I find so sad is that most members from either church has never heard of the other. And it seems that they are comfortable if it stays that way.
So that’s my solution: Pastors, set the example with one another in your local communities. Build deep relationships. Do life with one another. Converge your influence. Don’t just wait for the Catalyst Conference. Start now. Today. Everyday. Then, maybe we will begin seeing change and momentum.
@Joyce I am with you. My church has everyone in it as well…and we are a very outward focused church. Our pastor talks about it too! We love diversity..have I missed what the big deal is!?
@Joyce & @DavidLawrence- That’s great, you are definitely in the minority! #FistBump to you and what God is doing in your ministries.
@AntwonDavis- That is a blogpost my friend… I appreciate your candor and perspective. Let’s work on the Andy Stanley & Bishop Long piece. Steven Furtick & Elevation church did have a joint service w/ New Birth Charlotte.
Scott –
I think you are right, in the main – but, because of that, I also think it’s helpful to lift up those congregations who are working and succeeding at being multi-ethnic churches. Look at Church of All Nations in Minneapolis, predicated on confession of societal and racial sins and forgiveness (http://www.cando.org/main/index.asp) and the Cornerstone Church in Austin (http://www.austincornerstone.org/). These are just two that I’m personally aware of, but I humbly suggest that one of the best ways to address the very real problem that you mention is to give high visibility to, and praise to God for, those congregations who are being faithful in this respect.
Thanks for your ministry. #FistBump
Brint- I agree, maybe I will do a post tomorrow that will do just that… Identify those churches that are doing it well. #FistBump back at ya’ thx. for the comment
I grew up in the 60s. I was a toddler when Kennedy died, in second or third grade when Mr. King was killed. I know the stories of traveling on a bus through Montgomery and Birmingham when I was a baby and my very country, very white mother was assisted by a very large, non-racist black man.
I was taught to love everyone. Now, because my father fought in the Pacific during WWII and Korea, he had a bit of an issue with those of Asian ancestry, but he and Mother taught me to not see color or other differences. To me, people are people. The color or style of their overcoat (skin) is of little consequence to me.
What I have experienced is its own form of racism. Because I’m white, and live in the South, I MUST be racist and am treated as such. Before I’m even given a chance to open my mouth. Some of the most amazing people I’ve met are people of color and I’ve learned much from them.
My point? That judging of a book by its cover goes both ways. It’s a problem for every human being on this planet. Diversity is great, if one lives in an area that is diverse. But don’t assume that because a church doesn’t have people of color in attendance they are racist. Sometimes it’s the area in which they live.
Our church? Little church in the Smoky Mountains? We have a few black folks who attend from time to time. Some come from a halfway house an hour away. Some have driven the half hour from a nearby town. All have experienced the same love that was shown to the strung-out prostitute who came with her friend to prove that church people always treated her badly.
Warning: long comment ahead.
I’m not sure I agree that people aren’t talking about it. Is it a problem that American churches aren’t diverse? Yes. But are people talking about it? Absolutely. In fact, a lot of churches are being really intentional about it. I rememember our church in Chicago making a very big, intentional deal of it, which I supported. But I was also disappointed when as a worship leader, I didn’t get asked to sing as often because I was white. They were knocking themselves out to get different-colored faces on stage, and they had an abundance of white singers. It was a big disappointment for me, even while I was happy to see new faces leading us in worship.
If I may play Devil’s Advocate for a minute, here’s something I’ve thought about a lot. It’s not an answer, though — another question
When we moved back to Denver after being in Chicago for 12+ years, we knew we wouldn’t be going to the church we got married in (for a variety of reasons; not the least of which is lack of diversity of thought). So we spent a significant amout of time looking for a church after the move. There were several churches downtown that would have been great, but the fact was that although we wanted a house downtown, what we could afford was in the suburbs. And the thing is that if we want to bring our neighbors to church, we needed a church closer to home. Certainly we didn’t mind driving downtown, but that wasn’t the point. If you invite your neighbors to something in Denver, they don’t want to drive more than 15 minutes or so (different from Chicago where people are used to driving a minimum of 30 minutes for something). And we knew we wanted to invite our neighbors to church.
Anyway, the suburb we live in is, well, pretty white bread and generic. The fact is that most of the people here look just like us. That fact makes me sad, but that doesn’t mean Jesus loves them any less.
So, onto church. We did find a church that we love that meets about 12-15 minutes from our house. And while there are a handful of people in it who don’t look exactly like me, the majority definitely do. But its fed from the neighborhoods nearby, which are mostly white. If the neighborhood were mostly Hispanic, I’m sure the church would be mostly too. Likewise if it were a Greek neighborhood, or a Korean one.
I guess the thing I’ve never fully understood is that if people want to go to a “neighborhood” church, and their neighborhood mostly looks just the same as they do, is it *bad* that their church would reflect that too? I don’t know the answer, and frankly, I don’t want to only be friends with people who look just like me. But in general, the people I interact with on a daily basis do.
Do I want more diversity in my life? Absolutely. One of the ways I have gotten it over the years is with online friends. But here’s the thing: I don’t want to only be friends with people who THINK just like me (regardless of race). I try to surround myself with diversity of thought, so I’m not living in a Christian subculture bubble that uses a language the rest of the world doesn’t understand, or worse; doesn’t interact with the rest of the world at all. I don’t have the answer to racial diversity — I really don’t. And I love when my church isn’t just a sea of white faces. But if that’s all that is around me, for now, shouldn’t I do my best to do and act and be what Jesus wants me to do and act and be to introduce them to him?
I’ve often thought that if the church (any church) spent more time just full-on ministering to the neighborhood around them, they might naturally experience some diversity, but regardless if they did or not, they’d just be doing what they were commanded to do. Honestly? I think that might be more of a “miss”. Should Christians in general be intentional about relationship with each other across boundaries (age, race, socio-economics, politics)? YES. Is it necessary to attend the same church with each other on Sunday for that to happen? I’m not so sure.
It’s a good discussion to bring up, regardless
I pastor a multi-cultural church (not simply in name only) and I wouldn’t have it any other way! I go after everybody that needs Christ and I’m thrilled for anyone and everyone that the Lord sends our way!
Preach on Preacha !
Yeah, I think most of them just aren’t intentional about it, it’s not they are avoiding it they just aren’t intentional about it. Since I’m in worship I’m constantly looking for people who look different from the people already on our team, I need diversity represented on our Church stage to show the attendees that ALL are welcome in God’s house. If I can’t have that singer or musician I’ll find a video or someone who can read a scripture that represents that Diversity to bring balance. I love Diversity, I grew up in New York, different food, languages, clothing, music…it’s all beautiful. It’s Godly.
I’m a leader at a multi-cultural church in Rhode Island. There are a few unspoken factors that come with being a mutlti-cultural church that require more attention. 1. Demographics. Good luck planting a multi-cultural church in Gary, IN – the make up of the community doesn’t lend itself to being anything more than a prodominantly black congregation since (the last time I checked) they had the highest % of black people per capita. Likewise in North Dakota or Maine. The you need diverse COMMUNITY for your church to be diverse. 2. Intentionality. Too many pastors do what THEY like and not what reflects the community around them. I’m originally from Detroit and what I would like to see happen in our church musically doesn’t reflect the 70-80+% white, former Catholic population of Newport, RI. Are there leaders of diverse make up and people of diverse backgrounds VISIBLE in the church? 4. Are the people in the church open to diversity? If outsiders don’t feel welcome because of their ethnicity, economic background, culture, etc – then they just aren’t staying. My pastor is black and his wife is white so that may have a lot to do with the # of mixed couples at our church. 5. God’s grace. Have a multicultural church is unique (we’ve had mega church pastors come to our church and say “you just don’t see this”) and then to have our church be led by a minority is REALLY rare statistically. It goes against so many societal factors, it has to be a result on the grace of God.
But not everyone WANTS a diverse church. We’ve had people NOT join our church because “the diversity is beautiful but that kind of diversity is not for me.” I wish I wasn’t quoting someone who chose to go an all white church in our area but I am. Diversity sucks. Our church would be bigger if it was homogenous, but it would also be emptier because it wouldn’t be filled with what we believed a church could and should look like. Diversity is uncomfortable and will challenge your sensitivities sometimes. Talking about money is interesting when your church has millionares and homeless people sitting next to each other. When the person on the right is a DIE HARD democrat and the person on the left walks in checks off the republican candidate and walks out without even reading the name. Its hard when 2 black sitting next to each other thinks one is a sell out because of his white wife and college education and the other thinks he is simple minded because he came to church wearing a throwback football jersey and has a 4th grade reading level. When the seaman who earned his stripes looks down on the officer who hasn’t seen real combat ever and they in the same small group…it sucks. Its hard.
And I think that’s why people don’t want to really talk about it. Besides…I wonder how many of the pastors who want church diversity have a diversity of friends. Not twitter followers, not people they know but people they break bread with, go to the movies with, take day trips with, have meaningful conversations away from the office with, crack a beer with.
Some of the reasons why they don’t want to talk about this…
Remembering our saved as well as our lost. the biggest problem i see in the Americanized “church” today is the lack of Discipleship I think once you are truly saved by Jesus Christ the judgment involved in segregation fades away because you are truly in submission to Him. Only then can you hear Truth. I am a white 26 year old i preach on a gospel radio station only because I was led there i never thought twice of it the difference in ethnicity is one of the greatest test of true love for one another.
Okay I want to speak as one of the few Black people at LifeChurch N-Dub campus. I started going there because the church is nothing like what I’m used to. I have met people of different races who are friendly there and I’ve met some who aren’t so friendly. Personally that’s why I continue to go LifeChurch because of it’s diversity and I needed to venture out of my comfort zone. So I really don’t think it’s about the race of the people in the church as much as is it about the character of the people that you meet. We’re all there to worship one God anyway! Some people you will get along with and they will like conversating with you, others won’t….that’s just how it is.
Faye- Thanks for the history and your perspective. It’s more about a heart that embraces diversity vs. tolerating diversity.
Antof9- Your real life experience is great, again it’s intentionality and heart. Thx for playing devils advocate and thx for the comment
Henry- Amen!
Marc- Amen & Amen!
Steve- Wow… that’s real! Your comment is a blogpost and I might use it at a later time.
Dspivey- Definitely a true test… thx for what you do.
Lilian- Seeing people of all races on stage at the n-dub has been positive for everyone (minority and majority.) We definitely all worship one true God!
HA! This has been rattling around in my head for about a year. I was gonna blog about it I kinda just spilled it out on here. Feel free to use it you just have to treat me to lunch the next time I come back to OK :0)