4There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling;5one Lord, one faith, one baptism;6one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.
He is above, through, and in us - what a great perspective as we realize what the Lord has done inside each of us, and as new creations in Christ, those who have called upon His name are internally the same - it's just the externals that can give us a problem. I believe God directs each of us to have a mindset that acknowledges that while we may have physical, cultural, racial, or denominational differences, we all belong to Him and we can seek ways to forge a greater understanding with one another.
Galatians 3 gives us a picture of how we are called to be one body in Christ Jesus, to put aside those things which could divide us and concentrate on our identity in Him, which can unite us:
26For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus.27For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ.28There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.
In Rock Hill, South Carolina, Bethel Baptist Church discovered that their sanctuary had been deemed to be unsafe to meet in any longer. According to a report on the Breaking Christian News website, one of the deacons approached the pastor of another church in town, Second Baptist, about sharing spece. After a unanimous vote, the two churches now meet at different times in the same building, sometimes even sharing worship experiences.
What is really cool, and instructive, about this set of circumstances is that Second Baptist is predominately white, and Bethel is predominately black.
Second's pastor at the time, Bob Porterfield, said, "It was unanimous to bring Bethel here...All were for it. And it has turned out to be an experience that has enriched us all."
Rev. Robert Crawford of Bethel agreed, noting that color has never been a barrier since the merge. He said, "Our experience here [at Second Baptist] has been amazing and wonderful."
The report notes that the two churches "have continued to operate distinctly, with separate service times, and Bethel continues to make plans to raise money to have its own sanctuary again in the coming years. But they often share worship experiences and there is crossover between the congregations. There is no 'us and them'—only 'we.'"
When the day comes to move into their new house of worship, Rev. Crawford believes their spirit of unity with one another will remain.
"The relationships we have created here will last forever," he said.
The BCN story was linked to a piece on The Gadsden Times website from the Herald of Rock Hill which drew national attention. The piece says that when Porterfield, at age 81, stepped back from so much responsibility last year at Second Baptist, the church interviewed the Rev. Mark Bradley about taking over as senior pastor. Bradley was asked by church members whether he had any concerns with keeping the arrangement with Bethel.
Bradley is quoted as saying, “I was proud to come to a church that shows that Jesus Christ is the savior of us all...Jesus looks at the heart of a man, not at his color. This church shows that to be the only way.”
I think this story can speak to all of us about the way we regard people different than we are. It reinforces for us that we are all part of the body of Christ - even though we may have different worship styles or approaches to ministry, if we are Christians, we all serve the same Lord. These churches have maintained their own identities, but there is a unity between them that has been forged.
Generally, I think we can be motivated to pursue a path of unity with those who name the name of Christ. The enemy would want to keep us separated, in our own little Christian enclave, without an appreciation of the greater formation of the body of Christ. But, God has a better way for us, a way in which artificial divisions are obliterated and the reality of the risen Christ drives our fellowship.
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