Kainos Movement 2015 Conference Main Sessions: Session 2 with Dr. Michael Emerson
Previous Kainos Movement 2015 Conference posts:
The following posts will feature my notes from the strong collection of Kainos 2015 pastors, nonprofit leaders, and
sociologists who prophetically spoke into our segregated American
culture. Our prayer, hope, and striving is that Emmaus
City will be a transcultural and multi-ethnic church in Worcester, of
Worcester, and for Worcester. As we move forward, we have much to gain from these men and women who have gone before us and lead the way in Jesus' name.
Kainos 2015 Main Session 2: Race and the Church: Christians Joining God for Change
Dr. Michael Emerson
Allyn
& Gladys Cline Professor of Sociology and Co-Director of the Kinder
Institute for Urban Research, Rice University
Award-winning author of Divided by Faith:Evangelical Religion and the Problem of Race in America; People
of the Dream: Multiracial Congregations in the United States
Religion has immense potential to reduce racial inequality
and division. But racially segregated congregations are a powerful
countervailing force.
"Every man and woman is born into the world to do
something unique and something distinctive and if he or she does not do
it, it will never be done. The tragedy of life doesn't lie in not reaching your goal. The tragedy lies in having no goals to reach." – Dr. Benjamin Mays, President of Morehouse College and
mentor to MLK, Jr.
What is a multiracial congregation? No one group is 80% more
of the congregation. It takes at least 20% or more of another group for them to
begin to feel as if they have a voice.
Sadly, congregations are 10x more segregated than the
neighborhoods they sit in, and congregations are 20x more segregated than the
schools they are nearby.
Segregated churches reproduce:
(1) inequality
(2) separation of friendship networks
(3) strengthen racial division
(4) heighten political conflict
When we are connected across ethnicities, we learn how to
step back and not fall back into preconceived notions and foundations. Not
taking sides and listening help us grow. But when we don't understand and we
choose not to understand, we tend to hunker down in our monocultural ideas and
political and religious groups.
But there is a religious movement beginning.
The percentage
of multi-racial, - ethnic, and -cultural churches and amount of books focused
on becoming multi- is growing at a rate that is fascinating and exciting to see
as a sociologist:
1998: 7% of churches, 10 books focused on the topic
2012: 13% of churches, thousands of books
However, there is still a lot of room for growth.
83% of people involved with a church are only involved in
monoracial relationships.
70% of people not involved in church are only involved in
monoracial relationships.
But only 36% of people involved in a multiracial church have
a continuing trend of monoracial relationships.
Benefits | There are immense social benefits for people
across ethnicities who are involved in a multiracial church.
(1) Social ties are stronger
(2) An organizational home is formed for families and people
across ethnicities
(3) Group formation and solidarity begins and grows
(4) Attitudes about races are altered
(5) Inequalities are reduced across all people groups – economically, socially, spiritually – as there are growing opportunities through
a diversity of contacts
Criticisms and Concerns | There are worries from
people that multiracial churches will hinder more than help.
(1) Moving towards
multiethnic churches will obliterate race appreciation
(2) Moving towards multiethnic
churches will hurt marginalized groups of people
(3) Moving towards
multiethnic churches will reduce our unique and special differences within our
cultures creating an unequal ranking of people based on major differences in
wealth, education, employment, etc.
(4) Moving towards multiethnic
churches will force a move of unidirectional assimilation with the majority
culture
We need to have a gospel-,
love-, and service-focused movement of equally valuing all of God's people. One
example of how to do this as a church is going on mission trips to countries
that people in your church are from – and let them lead the trip and
orchestrate the details. Give up authority, learn from, and love those God has
placed you among.
Next post: Kainos Movement 2015 Conference | Main Session 3: Motley Crew: A Lion and
Lambs Club with Pastor Gabriel Salguero
– Sully
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