Some of the country's largest mainline denominations are stepping up efforts to fight membership decline, partly by diversifying their predominantly white churches.
African Americans, Hispanics and others are still in the margins of the Presbyterian Church and "underrepresented," said the Rev. Fernando A. Cascante, assistant professor of Christian Education at Union Theological Seminary and Presbyterian School of Christian Education.
Union-PSCE, a predominantly white seminary affiliated with the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), is installing the Rev. Brian K. Blount as its first African American president on Wednesday.
A pre-inauguration conference explored how to best educate and train the next generation of African-American leaders in the PC(USA).
There is a need to analyze and bring the margins to the center and "to think that another world is possible," Cascante said, noting that a lack of diversity is present both in theological education institutions and in churches, according to the Presbyterian News Service.
“Each of us here has been a boundary breaker in one way or another,” Blount said Monday.
“It will be, for me, a wonderful thing to be a … part of this boundary breaking event in the company of so many of you boundary breakers in the faith,” he added.
The PC(USA) joins the United Methodist Church and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) in recognizing the need for a multicultural denomination and diverse leadership.
Last month, the United Methodist Church approved a 12-year-old initiative to strengthen the African-American churches.
There are more than 2,400 African-American churches and 432,354 African Americans among the 8 million United Methodists in the United States. The theme of the initiative, "Strengthening the Black Church for the 21st Century," is transformation and resources will help train churches to increase their effectiveness, mission and ministry. The initiative will also explore the strengthening of relationships among United Methodist churches outside the United States.
ELCA presiding bishop Mark Hanson spoke at the United Methodist Church's quadrennial meeting last month, informing them of a desire in ELCA for more diversity. ELCA membership is 97 percent white, Hanson often notes.
"We white folks must be pruned of our power and privilege. We will not bear fruit in mission if we are not pruned of the racism within ourselves, our church and our society," Hanson said.
RSS
When The Holy Spirit leads the "Church" it is made up of many parts, and each part has its place, some are hands, feet, legs, eyes, ears; and we all have gifts and callings from The Holy Spirit as it pleases Him!
God is no respector of persons, and in Christ, there is neither Greek nor Jew, male nor female. The BRIDE of Christ (The Body of Christ) is NOT a divided body, it is united in faith, love, the fruit of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is our Comforter, and HE guides us into all truth!
Our Heavenly Father, is Sacred and Holy; and we are created in His image; to carry HIS Holiness...but first we must deny ourselves, pick up our cross and follow Jesus...not into religion, but into a "personal, intimate, relationship with God!
He desires that we "SEEK HIS FACE" not HIS gifts, blessings etc. My prayer is that the Holy Spirit will continue to PRUNE the Body of Christ, prepare us to be The Bride of Christ and that Bride will humble herself before The Bride King and be worthy of Him!
I'm a GodChaser and I pray that you are too! In JESUS NAME! Be glorified Lord God!
They worry about it, because they have not spread the Gospel to the ends of the Earth and that is how you become more diverse but not for diversity sake for a persons soul. This should motivate people to continue to preach the Gospel everywhere much like the Catholic Church has done for 20 Centuries.
God sees no color or race, He just sees those who love Him and love Him not.
According to Hanson, if a church is mostly white, then somebody at the top must be a racist. Does this ever happen in a black church situation? Do black church leaders ever call for an effort to get more white people or Hispanics into their congregation?
canadianchristian
Could not have said it better.
The worship of GOD by all believers in a church should be open to ALL people regardless of color. No church should try to keep membership along racial lines, this is discrimanatory and bigotted. THE HOLY SPIRIT calls people to worship and to salvation through JESUS CHRIST, if you interfere with that I believe you are sinning. On that note- I don't think church's should actively try to "recruit" along racial lines, that is wrong. It is GOD who fills the church not man, this is often done through an obedient spirit-filled pastor who proclaims the message of the GOSPEL which is salvation through faith in JESUS CHRIST and REPENTANCE of a sinful heart by the GRACE OF GOD. When this is done GOD will fill that church with people of ALL colors and the church will grow as long as it does'nt have any bigotry in the aisles- one way or the other. IN JESUS NAME