Beyond the Racial Conversation: One in Christ

I attend a non-denominational racially mixed church.Hate cannot co-exist with love.If you hate your brother you cannot have Jesus in you.I am 52 yrs old and I feel God led me to this church.I left a church that had to vote to let a black lady become a member.I stood up in church and said God does not care what color this woman is,this is wrong.There are racist of all colors,but I have always,always stood up for the oppressed,mistreated people whether it was a woman being beaten,A black man not being given a promotion when he should have at a company I worked at 7 yrs,I raised 2 daughters the same way and am now raising a bi -racial 6 yr old grandaughter.I will teach her to be a christian 1st,that there are good people who have Jesus in them and there are bad people,that we have to pray for that do not.Had I lived during slavery I would have been an abolishinist and risked my life to defend injustice.What grieves me is when people try to say all black or white people are the same.2 bcon

Actually, I see a lot more mixing in non-denominational, charismatic churches. Whenever I visit a mixed church, it is usually non-denominational. Segregation seems to be the rule in mainline churches. (At least, this is what I've observed.) I don't know why this is - perhaps because they are older and have more old-fashioned ideas about race.

I don't think christians will initiate the change. No one really wants to touch this - it is one of our acceptable sins. There is a lot of truth to the stereotype of the bigotted christian. And this isn't limited to just one race either. On the flip side, not too many people want to worship somewhere where they are simply tolerated, left out, and not valued. Or where no one in leadership looks like them.

I think the only way that it will change on a widespread level will be when it becomes necessary to do so. For example, if we were ever to start to really experience persecution in the US and Canada - we'd see a big change.

While I agree that we need and should get to a point where we move beyond the conversation of race, now is not that time. Many Christians, both black and white easily forget or are simply unaware that the black church as we know it is/was the result of the historical (slavery and post slavery)unacceptance of blacks in the mainstream or white church. It was not a preference but a forced result. As a result the black church birthed. Race and injustice are very much an issue today, and the Bible itself commands that we deal with these injustices and not ignore them. The church as a whole does a disservice in chosing not to deal with the issue. In today's time we must address the economic disparities that plague our communities due to race, the unfair imprisonment of individuals due to race, unfair housing practices due to race, and so much more. Yes, we are all Christians yet, we are different. We must learn these differences and seek to appreciate them.