Comments on: Changes in Church Demographics: Racial Mixing and Worship Styles http://oneinjesus.info/2009/01/changes-in-church-demographics-racial-mixing-and-worship-styles/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=changes-in-church-demographics-racial-mixing-and-worship-styles Thu, 24 May 2012 19:57:06 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 By: Jay Guin http://oneinjesus.info/2009/01/changes-in-church-demographics-racial-mixing-and-worship-styles/#comment-4343 Jay Guin Wed, 07 Jan 2009 21:37:34 +0000 http://oneinjesus.info/?p=2968#comment-4343 Joe, You are exactly right. We have a church (Assembly of God) that resulted from the merger of a white church and a black church. They were on the front page! Overcoming racial barriers is one of the most deeply felt concerns in America today. You'd think we'd be leading the way. Clearly, we've missed something important. Joe,

You are exactly right. We have a church (Assembly of God) that resulted from the merger of a white church and a black church. They were on the front page! Overcoming racial barriers is one of the most deeply felt concerns in America today. You'd think we'd be leading the way. Clearly, we've missed something important.

]]> By: Joe Baggett http://oneinjesus.info/2009/01/changes-in-church-demographics-racial-mixing-and-worship-styles/#comment-4342 Joe Baggett Wed, 07 Jan 2009 10:02:44 +0000 http://oneinjesus.info/?p=2968#comment-4342 In the churches of Christ in the USA racial diversity that even begins to mirror the surrounding demographics is very rare and by far the exception. So it is with most denominations according to George Barna and the TRG group. The newer non-denominational churches tend to be more racially diverse. Yes it is a little better than it use to be but the standard church of Christ with about 90 members in the south central USA is still overwhelmingly white middle class. Most of the integration within the churches of Christ is token integration either through marriage or some other civil or social phenomenon. The church we go has a few black families but they are well educated and well above the median income so they do not represent the socio-economic demographic of the majority of blacks living around the building. For the last 15 years Asian/Pacific Islanders have been the majority in our little community south of Houston but there is only one family from this background in the whole church. It is not a language thing most them speak English. Most people could really care less about this but it is a serious issue. When church is made of people disproportionate to surrounding demographics then the Gospel becomes exclusive for one group of people. Jesus’ great commission to make disciples of all people is a call to make the Gospel and church culture for everyone. The poor the rich, the educated the uneducated the tall the short everyone. I had an unchurched friend who asked me if white middle class people just understand that Gospel better than everyone else. I asked why he would ask that. He said well either that is true or the church culture is based more off of white middle class culture than brutal concepts of faith that affect ones core character and transcend all human divisions such as race, socio economic, ethnicity etcetera. If we wanted our churches to mirror the surrounding demographics and be integrated they would! In the churches of Christ in the USA racial diversity that even begins to mirror the surrounding demographics is very rare and by far the exception. So it is with most denominations according to George Barna and the TRG group. The newer non-denominational churches tend to be more racially diverse. Yes it is a little better than it use to be but the standard church of Christ with about 90 members in the south central USA is still overwhelmingly white middle class. Most of the integration within the churches of Christ is token integration either through marriage or some other civil or social phenomenon. The church we go has a few black families but they are well educated and well above the median income so they do not represent the socio-economic demographic of the majority of blacks living around the building. For the last 15 years Asian/Pacific Islanders have been the majority in our little community south of Houston but there is only one family from this background in the whole church. It is not a language thing most them speak English. Most people could really care less about this but it is a serious issue. When church is made of people disproportionate to surrounding demographics then the Gospel becomes exclusive for one group of people. Jesus’ great commission to make disciples of all people is a call to make the Gospel and church culture for everyone. The poor the rich, the educated the uneducated the tall the short everyone.
I had an unchurched friend who asked me if white middle class people just understand that Gospel better than everyone else. I asked why he would ask that. He said well either that is true or the church culture is based more off of white middle class culture than brutal concepts of faith that affect ones core character and transcend all human divisions such as race, socio economic, ethnicity etcetera. If we wanted our churches to mirror the surrounding demographics and be integrated they would!

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