Church Attendance in Black and White

In Revelation 7, we see a snapshot of a large group, a multitude of people, those belonging to Christ, who are gathered around the throne of God:
9 After these things I looked, and behold, a great multitude which no one could number, of all nations, tribes, peoples, and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, with palm branches in their hands,
10 and crying out with a loud voice, saying, "Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!"

God has called us to unity with one another - we will be worshipping together before Him in heaven, and the spiritual fact is that we are called into one body now, here on earth.  We can explore how each of us can build bridges with people who are racially or culturally different than we are, including our brothers and sisters in Christ, demonstrating His love so that the world may see and know that Jesus Christ is Lord.

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The Bible teaches clearly that no matter what our background, as believers in Christ, we are one in Him - we belong to Him; we comprise the body of Christ.   Here is a passage from Galatians chapter 3:
26 For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus.
27 For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ.
28 There 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.
29 And if you are Christ's, then you are Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise.
In 1963, shortly after his "I Have a Dream" speech, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was invited to lecture on race at Western Michigan University. According to a new piece on the LifeWay Research website, in a Q&A session after the lecture, King said that, "We must face the fact that in America...the church is still the most segregated major institution in America. At 11:00 on Sunday morning when we stand and sing and Christ has no east or west, we stand at the most segregated hour in this nation. This is tragic."

As we enter 2015, a new LifeWay survey has been released, and the summary opens up with these words:

Sunday morning remains one of the most segregated hours in American life, with more than 8 in 10 congregations made up of one predominant racial group.

And most worshipers like it that way.

Two-thirds of American churchgoers (67 percent) say their church has done enough to become racially diverse.

And less than half think their church should become more diverse.

Ed Stetzer, executive director of LifeWay Research, is quoted as saying that, “Surprisingly, most churchgoers are content with the ethnic status quo in their churches...In a world where our culture is increasingly diverse, and many pastors are talking about diversity, it appears most people are happy where they are—and with whom they are.”

He added, “Yet, it’s hard for Christians to say they are united in Christ when they are congregating separately."

The survey found that more than half (53 percent) disagree with the statement, “My church needs to become more ethnically diverse.” Four in 10 agree.

LifeWay reports that many Americans believe churches should be more diverse. Half (50 percent) agree with the statement, “Churches in America are too segregated.” Four in 10 (44 percent) disagree. Again, two-thirds believe their own individual churches have done enough to become more diverse.  

African Americans, at 51 percent, and Hispanic Americans (47 percent) were more likely to say their church needs to be more diverse. Whites (37 percent) are less likely to say their church should become more diverse.

A previous study of Protestant pastors by LifeWay Research found more than 8 in 10 (86 percent) have congregations with one predominant racial group. The National Congregations Study reported similar findings in the area of diversity.

Most pastors, 84 percent of those surveyed, say they have spoken with a friend from a different ethnic group within the last week. Two-thirds (63 percent) say they’ve met with ministers from another ethnic group in the past month.

Four in 10 (43 percent) pastors say they speak on the issue of racial reconciliation once a year or less. Twenty-nine percent of pastors rarely or never do.

Today on The Meeting House, I begin a series leading up to the commemoration of the Selma-to-Montgomery march, coinciding with Black History Month, as well, in which I will feature conversations about how we can approach the general topic area of race relations from a Biblical perspective.  Today, it's Dr. George Yancey of the University of North Texas, an author and a blogger on the Patheos.com website. 

I think there are a number of takeaways as we ponder this data that has been gathered by LifeWay Research.  I believe that we can develop a greater awareness of others within the body of Christ, including those of a different racial background.  Our experience with other believers can go beyond just those with whom we worship on Sundays or Wednesdays - we recognize that there are people different than we are, but if they profess the name of Christ, they are our brothers and sisters.

I also think we move beyond just an awareness to an intentional effort to communicate - and understand.   I remember my conversation with author Christena Cleveland a few months ago, as she referred to the concept of sharing "brain space."  She writes on her blog:

Paul urges the Philippian church (which was extremely diverse, much like the American church) to be one in mind. To me, this doesn’t mean that we all have to agree on everything. Rather, it means that despite our differences, our disagreements and the vast cultural chasms that exist between us, we are called to share brain space. We must get inside each other’s heads and emotions and see the world from each other’s perspectives. We must do the work of connecting, truly connecting, so that we can know what each other’s interests are. This is the tall order of unity to which we are called.

Remember, God's desire, and truly the endgame, is unity.  As Ed Stetzer rightly points out in the summary of the LifeWay Research survey on churches and race, "The Bible talks a lot about men and women from every tongue, tribe, and nation being in heaven, so it might be good to get accustomed to that heavenly expression here and now."  We will be joined together as one body before the throne of God, but our status as a body, a unit, calling upon the name of the Lord, has already been established.  But, we don't unify for unity's sake - we unify in order to glorify God, to make Him famous, and to demonstrate His love to a fractured culture.