When Anglos, Hispanics, African-Americans and Nigerians gather in the same place on Sunday morning, planning worship presents challenges.
“Its a lot more than just a question of hymns or choruses,” said Charlie Brown, pastor of The Crossing Baptist Church in Mesquite, Texas.
When people in the pews look at the front of the sanctuary, Brown wants them to see somebody leading in worship—praying, singing, preaching or whatever—to whom they can relate.
He also wants worship services to include elements that reflect the cultures represented in the congregation—and the increasingly diverse community around the church.
“Theologically, we say that sin is separation. But practically, we don't do enough to break down separation,” Brown said. “We have to be intentional about it.”
When Brown and others started The Crossing Baptist Church 10 years ago, Anglos comprised all its membership. Now, non-Anglos make up about one-fourth of the congregation.
“We are richer—much richer—for it,” he said.
Brown realizes his congregation still has a long way to go before it becomes “a genuinely multiracial, multi-ethnic church,” but he believes it has the right vision. “We want to reflect the kingdom of God. We want to look like what God's people look like,” he said.
But in most Ameri-can churches, the observation Martin Luther King Jr. made more than 50 years ago still holds true—11 a.m. on Sunday morning is “the most segregated hour” in the United States.
Some blame the church growth movement for perpetuating Sunday morning separation. Donald McGavran, the longtime senior professor at Fuller Theological Seminary who became known as “father of the church growth movement,” pioneered the homogenous unit principle—the idea that congregations grow when people don't have to cross racial, linguistic or class barriers.
Bob Perry, congregational health team leader with the Baptist General Convention of Missouri, refuses to lay the responsibility for lack of diversity in churches at the feet of the church growth gurus. He believes McGavran and others “simply stated a theory that is born out of nature and social tendencies.”
But Perry also believes healthy churches put forth the effort needed to reflect the larger communities they serve.
When he served as director of missions in Richmond Baptist Association, he realized the association had 15 predominantly African-American churches, about 60 Anglo churches, a handful of other ethnic congregations but not a single truly multiracial, multi-ethnic church.
Perry made attempts at the individual level to bridge divisions. He and his wife, Marilyn, joined Bethlehem Baptist Church, a black congregation in Richmond, Va. He led the association to call its first African-American moderator and include African-American church leaders on associational councils and committees.
“All of this was just taking small steps to try to move in the direction of greater inclusiveness, diversity and unity,” he said. “But I can't claim that we moved very far in my six years there toward truly integrating a church or creating a multi-ethnic church.”
Perry became convinced worship style remains the dividing line between races, particularly between African-Americans and Anglos.
“I don't think there are theological barriers to black and whites worshipping together. I don't think there are sociological barriers that prevent it; we have learned to integrate almost every other institution of society. I think the major holdup has been the varying expectations people have developed about what genuine worship of God looks and feels like,” he said.
“If everyone would be a little flexible, and if the church would make a real effort to accommodate the preferences of those they hope to reach, we will see more multi-ethnic churches.”
Churches that want to bridge barriers of race and culture need flexibility and patience with each other, Brown agreed. Based on his experience at The Crossing Baptist Church, he has become convinced that not only includes issues regarding worship style, but also matters of church governance.
Black members whose previous experience has been limited exclusively to African-American congregations often want to leave decisions about the church to the pastor, he observed.
Some Hispanic members have told Brown any disagreement expressed in church business meetings make them uncomfortable. They are accustomed to reaching a consensus after private conversations rather than openly debating issues and deciding matters by an up-or-down vote, he said.
The Crossing offered a seminar on Baptist polity to help its members understand the importance of congregational governance. In the process, members have grown in their awareness of the varied decision-making processes different cultures follow.
Brown believes one other ingredient is essential in multi-ethnic and multiracial congregations—humility. Church leaders who represent the majority racial or ethnic group in the congregation need to recognize they don't have all the answers, he stressed.
“We have to stop all the nonsense—the over-under relationships and paternalistic attitudes,” he said.
In relating to Chris-tians from other racial and ethnic backgrounds, Brown said: “I have to recognize their understanding of the kingdom of God may be far greater than mine. They have something to teach us.”
