becoming a multiracial church, part 8
Some great recent conversations in the blogosphere about church diversity, or the lack thereof. Don’t have the time to add my own thoughts and comments, but I’m tired of holding back all these links in my draft folder. Here’s some I’ve found, in no particular order:
…what about some other brothers and sisters?
“Every emergent gathering I’ve been to in recent years is extremely white concerning skin tones. What possibilities of inter-racial and ethnic working together are being talked about…and actually done…within the Emerging Church…especially in North America?”
Postmodernegro in The Church, Embracing Grace, and Racism links to Jesus Creed’s Church, Embracing Grace, and Racism Part 1 and Part 2, who used tapas, salad, and other foods to describe diversity models, whereas I had used ice cream flavors to describe multiethnic churches, similiarly.
Quite a thread going at funkateer74’s xanga about the lack of diversity in the “church that is emerging” conversation.
“I really don’t see real racial reconciliation coming out of the emerging church just yet. It really seems like a largely white movement here in the states.”
One Voice podcast is finally online with Mark La Roi, who had previously noted that God is not colorblind!
“I don’t believe that the different colors of people are “races”. Why? Because if you accept the term “Human Race” as valid, everything else is sub-division. I’m not sub-human, are you?”
More personally and poignantly, Andrew Seely ponders on his own ethnic identity:
Or this just is an ongoing issue between how I see myself, how others see me. … It is my hope that people look beyond the initial appearance that I carry with me and look deep into my character in God’s eyes.
And, this Leadership Journal article slipped through my radar, from Spring 2005: An Army of Ones: Does diversity in the church work? This was a panel discussion of sorts with Craig Keener, Larry Osborne of North Coast Church, and Mark Driscoll of Mars Hill Church.
[update] Plus, let’s not forget the lively thread over at TheOoze.com: Seeking Diversity in Emergent, with 46 posts to date, and counting.
Hi Djchuang!
I’m actually from the Bumble’s church (www.xanga.com/I12know) and also the main coordinator for the AACF at UCSB (www.aacf.org). I was wondering if you would be interested in speaking at one of our large groups, I think we would be intensely blessed. Thanks for you time! Feel free to email me back at [email protected] or call me at 805-284-2543.
Blessings,
William
just wanted to say that i really am learning a lot from this series – thanks for writing it…
Clarkston Community Church in Clarkston, Michigan has some with more melitonin in their skin. McGregor Baptist in Fort Myers Florida is not all lilly white. North Point Community Church in Alpharetta, Georgia is all mixed up. Does it really matter?
This topic strikes at the core of who we are and how we really live our faith. To my way of thinking, our ineffectiveness in communicating the universal message of Christ’s love for ALL of us stems from the wall we create within ourselves. It is incumbent to reach outside ourselves as Christ does to us every day. The love of Christ SHOULD create an immunity from this world’s desire to see the differnces between us. It is our responsibility to reac out to everyone from every backround with that message of faith and hope.
Great post and thanks for the links to these articles/sites that continue this dialogue on racial/cultural divides in the church. I’m on staff at a multi-ethnic/multi-economic church in Little Rock, AR called Mosaic Church (www.mosaicchurch.net). I wouldn’t label us as postmodern, but we’ve definitely pursued unity and diversity in our local body. Some new developments on this front are discussed at http://mosaixblog.blogspot.com and http://www.mosaix.info. Check them out!
Peace,
Rob