Comments on: The American Church and Racism http://www.daveingland.com/2009/10/07/the-american-church-and-racism/ Commentary and discussion on the missional church, faith, culture, media and more... Sat, 29 Oct 2011 02:53:22 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: Danny Ray http://www.daveingland.com/2009/10/07/the-american-church-and-racism/comment-page-1/#comment-1099 Danny Ray Thu, 17 Dec 2009 03:14:08 +0000 http://www.daveingland.com/?p=943#comment-1099 I have ancestors from Europe, Africa and North America. I know there is only race, the human race. I look much like my ancestors. I do not feel the least bit uncomfortable worshipping with other Christians at a "Black Church" (There is only one church). I do not participate in anything that satan uses to divide the Body of Christ (racism or denomimationism). Let us all worship God and love one another. I have ancestors from Europe, Africa and North America. I know there is only race, the human race. I look much like my ancestors. I do not feel the least bit uncomfortable worshipping with other Christians at a “Black Church” (There is only one church). I do not participate in anything that satan uses to divide the Body of Christ (racism or denomimationism). Let us all worship God and love one another.

]]> By: Jason Mitchener http://www.daveingland.com/2009/10/07/the-american-church-and-racism/comment-page-1/#comment-876 Jason Mitchener Wed, 07 Oct 2009 21:51:37 +0000 http://www.daveingland.com/?p=943#comment-876 Until the age of nineteen, I was a member of the Baha'i Faith which has a strong emphasis on the equality of the races. The Baha'i services I attended growing up were a good mixture of whites, African Americans, Hispanics, East Asians, and Arabics (mostly from Iran where the Baha'i Faith originated). When I became a Christian, I was sorely disappointed that the churches I attended were predominantly white. As you pointed out, this might have made sense if I lived in a small farming community in Iowa. But I didn't. I lived in Phoenix, Arizona, the fifth largest city in the U.S. which has about a 30% Hispanic/Latino population. I loved my churches, but I missed the racial diversity of the Baha'i services. In 2000, the house church I had been attending disbanded, so I had to find a new church. One particular Sunday, I visited a church that became my home for the next several years. One of the reasons I chose it was because of its racial diversity. The church's racial make-up was almost identical to my old Baha'i services (minus the Iranians). I was also impressed when during the singing portion of the service I saw a white guy holding a little African American boy on his lap. I was further impressed when I discovered that the white guy was the pastor. I was even more impressed when I learned that the African American boy was his adopted son. My pastor has two other adopted children. One is Native American. The other is half Native American and half white. Until the age of nineteen, I was a member of the Baha’i Faith which has a strong emphasis on the equality of the races. The Baha’i services I attended growing up were a good mixture of whites, African Americans, Hispanics, East Asians, and Arabics (mostly from Iran where the Baha’i Faith originated).

When I became a Christian, I was sorely disappointed that the churches I attended were predominantly white. As you pointed out, this might have made sense if I lived in a small farming community in Iowa. But I didn’t. I lived in Phoenix, Arizona, the fifth largest city in the U.S. which has about a 30% Hispanic/Latino population. I loved my churches, but I missed the racial diversity of the Baha’i services.

In 2000, the house church I had been attending disbanded, so I had to find a new church. One particular Sunday, I visited a church that became my home for the next several years. One of the reasons I chose it was because of its racial diversity. The church’s racial make-up was almost identical to my old Baha’i services (minus the Iranians). I was also impressed when during the singing portion of the service I saw a white guy holding a little African American boy on his lap. I was further impressed when I discovered that the white guy was the pastor. I was even more impressed when I learned that the African American boy was his adopted son. My pastor has two other adopted children. One is Native American. The other is half Native American and half white.

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