Thank you Holly! I found myself wondering the same thing recently. If the church belongs to Christ, then why do we feel out of place when visiting one of another culture? If one group dismisses another group in the body of Christ (or in life) then clearly God is not on the throne - man is. There are brothers and sisters all over the world and many tragedies happening throughout. How can we continue to view 'outsiders' as 'other' when God sees us as family? Heaven will not be segregated in any way, shape, or form whether by race, culture, music preference, etc. It remains my hope that one day, the body of Christ will truly worship and fellowship together while we're still here. Christians are supposed to be the light of the world according to the Bible. How can we expect the world to get something right when we can't?

As I was reading the article, I realize how prejudgice we are as a nation, even christians. Everyone like to stick to their own kind (as the older people say). I think if a diverse church can't be unified then they will have to spend the rest of their lives in hell thinking about why not. Do you think their will be separate worship areas in heaven. This article was very interesting and true. I think we as christians need to examine ourselves. Just think we are the people the world look to for direction, no wonder why so many people have a hard time joing the church.

I agree wholeheartedly!! Originally from southern California, I was used to hearing Pastors (White Anglo and other)teach against racism and prejudice from time to time. But I currently live in a small town in the Midwest and not only are many of the people obviously afraid of non-whites and clearly rude to them at times, but the ministers in churches here never seem to address this common problem! I think some of those very ministers might struggle with prejudice frequently themselves and avoid the issue altogether! Yet the basis for Christianity is LOVE! Heck, if we can't even love, respect and "include" another who looks alittle different from ourselves, how can we - in truth - call ourselves "Christian" with a straight face?? I have come to the conclusion that this region is in great darkness when it comes to loving and giving grace to those "other" enthnic groups. It needs a spiritual revival on how to actually LOVE others who are not in their racial group. This is a much bigger problem than many of us care to admit. Thank you for your valid article!

wow! you got it! and spoke out. Its the church of Jesus Christ not any one group...and it is long over due that reconciliation ...Christ centered sincere reconciliation start in The Church.
I loved this article !

Zondervan's Christ-like response is an example to each of us.

My only other comment is that unity in ANY church should start from the leadership down...

I continue to be amazed at the amount of prejudice at work here in America. It sometimes seems as if we have to wait until one whole generation passes... and that is not a good way to think, but I see that as a "baby boomer" , the ones before us are still hanging on to the hate and the differences that they are also teaching their children and it is still passing itself down the generations by grandparents teachings. The ONLY Hope is that we can bring as many people to Christ and make them understand that we are ALL HIS children, and none of us like our feelings hurt.

It took me a few tries to post a comment. Each time I had to start again, because I was trying to stem a tide of deeply mixed emotions. It made me feel melodramatic and kind of silly, in a way. Who feels anguish when thinking about their church? I was bemused, because I thought I was 'over' being an other, and had found a measure of peace. It is ironic, because I love my church--I have grown and learned and built relationships across race, culture, nationality. So where's the anguish? The tough part is the discipline--the effort it takes to keep working at claiming the truth that I am a part of the body. Mostly it is a mental battle--nobody is doing anything explicitly isolating. But still ... there is a way in which it seems like if I don't keep reaching out, if I don't keep showing up, then I might as well not exist. I bear the burden of proving my existence on a regular basis. And when I am visible, when I do exist, somehow it is heroic--heroic to be the only one like me in a predominantly not-like-me congregation. I am special, admirable, even brave. Or else, I am not--and need to be reminded that I am just like everyone else. People say sometimes, 'I don't even see your color!' and it makes me wonder--'Well, what do you see?!' In those moments, I am transparent in a way that is eviscerating. Of course a secondary question is, 'Why stay?' And I have struggled with that to varying degrees on an ongoing basis. Nobody asked me to be a part of this church. It is not the only church that exists where I live. There are more diverse churches, there are more 'like-me' churches. I don't get any points for sitting around being some kind of spiritual masochist. And yet ... at the end of the day, it is in large part about obedience. I know, with deep conviction, that this is the church I have been called to be at for the last 5 years. I have grown, I am growing, I know Him and love Him more now than at the beginning. So I must trust that He has a purpose for me here that is bigger than what, in the grand scheme of things, may bring temporary (and not eternal) discomfort.

Rev. 7:9-10. After this I looked and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and in front of the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands. 10And they cried out in a loud voice:
"Salvation belongs to our God,
who sits on the throne,
and to the Lamb."

This is a voice that needs to be heard in the American church! The hardest part is truly asking God to examine my heart and see if there is any vile way in me!! That is where it starts...and that is where the healing will begin.

I agree – wonderful article. I think too often Christians are afraid to talk about racial issues. I am white, my husband and step-daughter are black and our boys are mixed. I often struggle with fitting in as a family. Church should be the last place we feel uncomfortable but is often the worst place. Early in our relationship, my husband and I attended his uncle’s church. Many Sundays I was the only white person there. I felt very uncomfortable and thought that everyone was staring at me – wondering what the white girl was going to do next. I see now that it was mostly my imagination. However, it gave me a very good insight as to what my husband and daughter face on a regular basis. A few years ago, I was picking a small group at church to join. I purposely picked a group lead by a black couple because I realized it was wrong of me to expect him to always be The Other. I am thankful that we attend a large, diverse church. Our pastor has a real heart for cultural diversity. We feel very comfortable worshiping God with our fellow believers – black, white, Hispanic, Indian, Native American, Asian, African, Middle Eastern, etc….

Holly says: Thank you all so much for taking time to post comments here. This was a scary post for me to write, to put out there both my personal hurts and the thoughts I've had that deeply trouble me. I'm thrilled to hear your passion and ideas. Joyce, you called it right: We need to make sure our pastors and leaders know this must be a priority for our churches.

I hope both church leaders and church members will discuss the issue of racial reconciliation honestly and frequently, preach and teach about the body of Christ, and model what it means to be a unified church body. I'm warmed inside to hear you bold ladies are living this!

Thanks so much for this article and for being bold enough to talk about a very sensative subject. But I am going to take it one step further and mention disability. That has been my biggest challenge in worship. I lost my vision some years ago and I have to be honest I was not embraced by my church when I started carrying a white cane. In recent years I have become a disability advocate helping to bridge the gap between the disabled and the non-disabled. When I went blind I immediately went to the Bible for comfort and found several passages of how Jesus interacted with disabled people; but unfortunately I was not "seeing" that in my concregation. I also discussed my experiences with other disabled people and found that I was not alone in this battle. Today I attend church off and on but am no longer an active member of any concregation. I am not bitter or angry anymore about it; but use my ability as a freelance writer to address this and other related issues.

Holly, thanks so much for this. It is sad to me that in today's society our churches are the most segregated places. As you said, if we are Christians we are all part of the body of Christ regardless of our color or race.
My Sunday School class is planning a day to go out in the community around our church and cut grass, rake leaves, clean gutters, whatever is needed. The community is very diverse with white, black and hispanics. Someone made a comment that the older people in the church might be offended if we invite different races to our church. As sad as it is, I know it is true. There will always be someone who just doesn't want to mix the races but I don't have to be that way. And I feel that if I invite someone of a different race to my church and others in my church don't welcome and accept them that is their problem and sin. They will have to answer for how they treated that person.
I think we should all just learn how to embrace others and what makes each of us different. After all, God made each of us. He loves us and we should practice that same type love with all people - not just the people that make us feel comfortable.

Thanks!

Most of the comments on here seemed to refer to different cultures based on the ethnic group we are a part of. My family has also noticed that so much culture can be contained just within a denomination. There are unspoken rules, expectations, thought patterns etc. that a person does not know unless you were raised in that setting. So someone who is new to a church can easily feel like THE OTHER even though it is not an ethnic division. In some of the congregations we have been a part of, there is an inner circle that knows the lingo and behaviour that no new believer can break into, and it creates feelings of being on the outside. That is something that breaks my heart, and it has been a personal journey for me to allow the Holy Spirit to clear my heart of denominational legalism that creates barriers.

Holly says: Thanks, Empish Thomas, for addressing an important point: Diversity in the church extends beyond race. It's about reaching out to everyone who is different in some way, and recognizing they are a vital part of the body with needed spiritual gifts and talents to contribute. That might be someone who's disabled, older/younger, single/married/divorced, or earns an income that differs from our own.

For more about this topic, check out a piece I wrote on my personal blog last year:

Just Like Me: Are Affinity Groups Hurting the Church?
(http://h-n-t.blogspot.com/2006/02/just-like-me-are-affinity-groups.html)

Empish, I will be praying God brings you a church family that recognizes your gifts and talents.

It is very depressing to see the level of spiritual understanding displayed by countless number of church folks. A casual reading of the Bible will clearly reveal that there is no respect of persons with God- a truth which Apostle Peter discovered (or recovered) early enough.Countless people are rendered ineffective or limited because of their myopic insight.
An innumerable number of people are perishing. How sad that those who should be busy doing kingdom business for God are busy with such prejudices.
Surprisingly God uses His people.He uses us despite our little understanding.He loves all his people. We just must patiently pray and practice that same love that we are all talking about. We must consistently show love.It has such power and it can change anyone and any situation.

Such an insightful, sensitive understanding is rarely expressed these days. Thank you for helping to make the world a little bit more loving and caring.

I love this article I'm proud to say that I'm a member of a church with members of all nations. And every year we celebrate All Nations day we march around the church carrying Flags from all the different nations, afterwards we go to a rented hall were we celebrate and eat food made by the members themselves from there nationalities. It's awesome I'm pretty sure that if Martin Luther King was a life today he would be a member at my church. Promisel Land Church of God in West Haven, CT

When my daughter was about 13 we started attending a church where the congregation was all black. It was the closest church to where we lived.
The way we were treated was awesome. We were loved. God's presence could really be felt there. We eventually moved out of the area. My daughter is 30 now and she still remembers that church. I taught my children from the time they were small that God made the different races and that it is a sin to be prejudiced. I prefer attending a church with mixed races and belong to a bi-lingual church. I speak fluent Spanish. Heaven will not just have one race of people. I consider it a blessing to have brothers and sisters of different races.

Thank you for this excellent article. One Fall Saturday (1989) I drove, alone, 45 minutes to attend a retreat in a lovely setting.....for people with AIDS. I just showed up! Which was a miracle in itself-a God-thing. It was hosted by Love & Action. When I arrived, I found the group singing hymns and praise songs. The day sped by--crafts, lunch, Bible Study, recreation, supper, and ended with a large bon-fire on a hill. Several men and women (black/white/spanish/mixed races)shared how they found God in jail; drug-addicted; as gays; Many reflected on how AIDS had changed their lives. Some became Christians as children--sitting at their grandmother's/mom's knee, and somehow lost their way; others not yet ready to respond to Christ; some still angry at being exposed to AIDs by a husband who was drug-addicted/gay. Many disappointed in the church's response to AIDS. The testimonies led to break-out praise songs to our God. I walked away a changed woman. As I drove home, alone, in my thunderbird with the sunroof opened to the midnight sky--sprinkled with stars and a full moon--I began to praise God! Suddenly I had an "aha" moment. So this is what heaven will be like! It will not consist of people sitting in pews--decked out in church refinery--hiding their own hurt/shame. Pretense is not Christianity. Christianity is not about "appearances." Christianity is not about comfort. It is the opposite. It's about getting out of your comfort zone--touching people, touching lives, being vulnerable. And praising God. Thank you God for opening my eyes to precious people with AIDS--through the loss of my twin brother to AIDS. Thank you that you did not let me walk away...but led me instead to 12 years of AIDS ministry...in the heart of the Bible Belt.

Holly says: Thanks, Develyn, for sharing about your church. It's exciting to hear how God has given your church members an appreciation for each other and the many cultures represented there.

I'm blessed to be part of a diverse church. Its diversity is partly due to location: Los Angeles draws folks from across the country and around the world. Much more importantly, our church leadership is committed to promoting an environment where all are welcome. Some of this is subtle, like our worship leader's selection of diverse styles of music, and how we decorate the church with different styles of art (we currently have origami doves hanging in the sanctuary; there are plans to do some Mexican-style folk art). Some of it is very intentional, such as a willingness by our senior pastor to have candid discussions with church members about race relations, tensions and hurts.

Churches don't need to "look" diverse in order to be places where racial reconciliation occurs. Many places in the United States don't have an ethnically diverse demographic. And yet, I'm sure there are churches where any given minority feels accepted and comfortable within their largely homogeneous congregation.

We begin creating a welcome environment in our churches by first making this heartfelt pledge: Every person who walks through those church doors should feel they belong here. The next step is to communicate that desire to our church leaders, and, as a church body, make this a priority.

There's raicial prejudice everywhere, particularly in the church. Take a simple thing as marriage - how many inter-racial marriages do you see amongst the so-called pastors and men and women of GOD?! How many blacks do you see in 'white' churches...how many whites do you see in 'black' churches? We all revel in our self-righteousness, but unfortunately leave out the very essence of our christian belief - we are all equal before the sight of GOD..thankfully HIS kingdom is not about skin color, tribe, tongue, country or what-have-you! Some of us would never get past the door, if it were so, just for the simple reason that we are not the right color, don't speak the acceptable language or don't belong to the right country. Thank GOD, the kingdom places no such entry qualifications. Would that we, as christians and family members of the kingdom, would come to appreciate this simple fact.....someday. By HIS grrace, we will......someday

Holly says: Wow, I'm blown away by the stories shared here! Thank you so much, Jrsygrl62, for letting us hear about your wonderful experience in a largely homogenous church! And thank you, Linda, for your moving story about how God has led you into AIDS ministry. My heart is so full and joyful because of these great words that have been shared here.

God is big--much bigger than the things that would divide us--and all these great comments here are evidence of how God is bringing his church together.

It is very important if we are followers of Jesus Christ for us indeed to be diverse- he taught us to love everyone, not just those who belong to us already! How can we understand and care for others if we don't share with them? I hear mean-spirited things all the time, people don't even want to share God let alone our love or time or possessions, we have built backwater churches each representing our own little personal family, and often excluding and forgetting the very people Jesus ministered to the most. If we would love everyone, as Jesus did, we must set aside our prejudice and let the holy spirit guide us to do what is right. There is no bad in God- if we are not loving each other it isn't God's fault, and if we are following religious instructions which divide us further or make us mean of spirit it is our responsibility to look again at why we are there and is what we are doing really representative of how Jesus lived? One day we will look at all people and see beyond their colour, sex, culture, faith-practices...whatever we choose to judge and fear: to look at what Jesus saw and remembering 'the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.' We may not be able to take up his cup or his cross but we can at least try! Great topic, one which is often avoided in Christian apologetics. None of the recent events in Jena for example would have happened if the churches there were committed to bringing love to everyone. People don't want to hear it- but that's what Jesus tried to do, share God with everyone and shake them up from apathy to Christian unity!

As a black/white bi-racial person, I must say that I'm deeply grieved over the ongoing disconnection between the races even within the Christian community.
The church I currently attend used to have a predominately white congregation, until the pastor retired and was replaced by a black Jamaican-American pastor. Now there are two white people who still regularly attend the church, and both are elderly people who actively serve in the ministry.

As much as I understand that both races are guilty in many of these situations, I stuggle with anger toward whites in particular. This is because in so many situations I have witnessed, it has been white people more often separating themselves and behaving as though they believe they are better than blacks. Why do we have to have color-coded churches? Does this represent Jesus in any way? Apparently, most people don't care about this.

Thanks for your honesty, and bringing this topic to the table.

Race is a very touchy issue that people often ignore and pretend it doesnot exist. The fact we are created differently and uniquely to make a difference in this world.Holly thanks for the article color shouldnot be the yard stick for judging people i think character should be determing factor