[...]Diversity, the Global South, and the Assemblies of God via BlogRodent[...]…

Our Missionaries have heard the call and gone and taken the story and told it to the nations. The nations have heard and responded to the love of God who sent his Son. The nations have listened and learned and prayed and grown to maturity and are now taking their place along side those already in the field.

It was never colonialism. It was always the Indigenous Church. The Indigenous Church is alive and well and standing ready to go tell and let the whole world know.

God at work in us. WE are laborers together with God.

Since your post and Brian Larson’s post came in at about the same time, and deal with roughly the same issue, I hope my comment, above, helps answer it. See: comment 12.

Regards,

Rich.

You wrote:

I should probably just say the only truly Christian church is a diverse church. Even a cursory read of the early chapters of the book of Acts will reveal that diverse languages, diverse ethnicities, and diverse religious backgrounds all came together in Christ to worship and serve God. This kind of diversity was an earmark of what God truly intended for his Church.

What should a church do if 1) virtually all of the people in their area are one race/ethnicity? And what if 2) none of the people of another race/ethnicity want to attend their “white” church?

Perhaps you might revisit your comments.

I think any genuinely NT church will be 1) open to, and 2) would vigourously evangelize people of every race/ethicity. But I cannot fault a local church just because it is ethnically monolithic.

What do you think?

Best…

Steve Badger

You wrote, in part:

…some of your thoughts seem to run on the presupposition that church leaders can choose who comes to their church. … I cannot be responsible for what I cannot control.

I agree with you. Really, I do. And I understand. Rural pastor’s can’t expect an urban mix. And likewise.

Similarly, Chakwera, the gentleman from Malawi, obviously can’t expect a lot of whites to become members of the Malawi A/G churches simply because of some ideal of diversity that I rant on about.

So, you’re right. I wasn’t clear on that.

My post was already quite long, but my focus isn’t on the specific local church as much as the movement as a whole, and the Church, with a capital “C”, the Body of Christ. I’m looking at the big picture.

However, I believe my view of the big picture does have implications for the local church pastor. While you have no control over who decides to visit and, later, attend your church, you do have influence. To believe otherwise would denigrate your role as a shaper and influencer in your own church culture.

You, the pastor, have a great deal of influence over the leadership you mentor and delegate to. You have influence by your very posture towards the local culture and any ethnic groups in your area. How you preach, the language you use, your style, your attitude, your eye contact during the message, and the handshake after the service, all impact the individuals who choose to come to your service.

So, yes. You are not be responsible for who chooses to come. But you do have some responsibility over how you treat those who do come. And that influences the repeat visits.

But, what am I saying? I’m not the teacher here, you should be! I’ve seen your church, and though it’s small, it’s diverse. You already know what I’m talking about.

I’m really not trying to make anybody feel guilty … pastors with predominantly black, white, hispanic, asian or whatever kind of church should not feel guilty about their church’s cultural makeup. It may be due to nothing more than the accident of their surrounding cultural homogeneity.

I think, what I’m driving at, is we should be excited at how diversity in christian America is slouching toward maturity. Hallelujah! May it continue! And I think we should be excited that the Global South is now sending missionaries across their own national borders. A double hallelujah!

What probably has me ranting is what I perceive as continued patronizing attitudes about ethnicity from Springfield and the continued colonial mentality toward the rest of the A/G world outside of the white western world.

Does that make any sense? I hope so.

Regards,

Rich.

You commented favorably about the “Spiritual Life Report.” You should have been there when this was read! Afterwards, the Spirit of the Lord swept through that business meeting. Business was suspended at about 11:30 am as people began to worship and pray. There was ministry spoken by people in the gathering (just so happened that the speakers in the crown were from various ethnic backgrounds) Many stayed through out the lunch hour on their face before the Lord. Those who left the business meeting early before the reading of the report really missed a blessing.

Duane