Not exactly true... The black brethren in New York "Demanded" their own conference... The reason is not important for purposes of this discussion. Don't try to tell me differently...I was there. My father was Atlantic Union Auditor at the time and it was his responsibility to help separate assets from Greater New York Conference so that the new Northeastern Conference could be established. The first and only black leader that I have heard willing to discuss this in that context is Elder Calvin Rock. See the Adventist Review August 10 issue. Article: Readers Respond to "Four Big Questions" Regards, Don

Not exactly true... The black brethren in New York "Demanded" their own conference... The reason is not important for purposes of this discussion. Don't try to tell me differently...I was there. My father was Atlantic Union Auditor at the time and it was his responsibility to help separate assets from Greater New York Conference so that the new Northeastern Conference could be established. The first and only black leader that I have heard willing to discuss this in that context is Elder Calvin Rock. See the Adventist Review August 10 issue. Article: Readers Respond to "Four Big Questions" Regards, Don

And that has been true in other regions as well. In some cases, those demands have been acceded to, and separate Conferences set up. In other cases, compromises have been worked out instead.

The reality is that cultural differences exist, reflected in both administrative styles and worship styles. For example, in the hispanic culture, pastors are more authority figures. Hispanic administrators often tend to be more authoritarian. That simply doesn't work with Anglo constituencies.

It is quite challenging to please everyone! Church planting experts recommend separate churches for different focus groups, whether on the same campus or at other locations. Logically, that would seem to carry over into larger administrative units as well.

David, What "bugs' me is that I keep hearing about how racist the church is because we have separated the "blacks" away from the "whites" . This usually comes from the uniformed "younger generation" who don't know better or from some who have "their own agenda">>>Regards, Don

Many evangelicals are racist. Millions of them!

Let me explain. The sensational (and popular) end-time scenarios of Hal Lindsay, Tim Lahaye, Irvin Baxter Jr., and Marvin Rosenthall are specifically racist in that they teach that God is obligated to save all the Jews in spite of their decisions or obedience.

Ain't that somethin?

People with nothing better to do, on certain msg boards in particular, love to break out the topic of racism in the church, and stir up mean words and contention. Does racism exist in the sda church? If you look hard enough, racism can be found in every institution in this country. I haven't noticed it, but then I am not looking that hard.

I try to be pragmatic when it comes to issues like this. In college, I enjoyed classwork in sociology and cultural anthropology. My experiences after leaving college have confirmed some sociological principles. The hard facts are that cultural differences exist. There are cultural differences between caucasian, African-American and hispanic people groups. These manifest themselves in significant differences in worship style, in evangelistic techniques and in administration. Perhaps the old way of looking at things was to try to fit everyone together under the same roof, so to speak, and please everyone. Reality is that it doesn't work. The church planting intensive which I took via seminary extension, was a real eye-opener for me. The OPPOSITE of the old-school principle is taught in church planting. That is, DON'T try to please everyone or fit everyone under the same roof in the same room at the same time. It doesn't work. Instead, have focus groups, and faith fellowships built around those focus groups.

Thus, in one large city, you should ideally find a number of Adventist churches, appealing to different demographic constituencies. And, there are some 'rainbow' communities, cross-cultural in character, which would support a rainbow church. Yet, even within a rainbow church, a balance must be maintained, an equilibrium. Fairfield, CA is an example. It is a rainbow church, but I understand there are formulas for representation from the several cultural groups in church leadership, to preserve that balance.

We must also recognize that many communities are not there. To attempt to impose a cross-cultural church upon a community which is not cross-cultural in character, could be disastrous. Work with what you have to work with, and do nothing that would interfere with bringing souls from the community to the truth.

So, I submit that if the overriding goal is to win souls for the kingdom of God, that is, to be seeker-driven, then that principle will determine the character of the outreach, of the church and of adminstrative units.

Dave

As an "uniformed" young pastor and one who works for a white conference I can see why black pastors asked/demand separate conferences. The inability of some white Christians to accept diversity is evident in their need to flee churches and conferences when diversity reaches a critical mass.

Whats the agenda Don?

Dave,
I like your approach and I think the church planting movement offers the church a brighter future.
Here's the challenge though. How does a Church plant that is made up of 99% white folks deal with a influx of hispanic/African/ Carribean seekers. My guess is that alot of the white folks would struggle with it for all kind of reasons. I've seen racist attitudes lie at the root of white flight and result in very little or no evangelism at all. This goes for African American chruches too.

In some areas the most receptive to the gospel are those in transition, those on lower incomes etc.

Some folks would rather see their church die than have it revitalised/grow rapidly by immigrants!

Hi Lazarus,
I tend to be seeker-driven. I take a look at the community--demographics and such. I would then design an outreach approach which is compatible with the community. There are rainbow communities, in which a rainbow church would not be a problem. There are other communities, however, in which it would. My goals in developing and outreach program include networking with community leaders, building up a good 'footprint' in the neighborhood, etc. So I would identify the constituencies in the community, see how they interact, and plan accordingly. Personally, I am not a fan of one-size-fits-all. I do believe in neighborhood churches, reflecting the demographics of the neighborhood. In a public high school neighborhood, I would want to plant a family-focused church, same for middle school. IOW the neighborhood would determine the constituency of the church, because it would be a part of, and fed by the neighborhood.

So, foreseeably, in a community of 100,000 people, I could see, say, ten Adventist churches, strategically placed to serve the various constituencies in the city. Drawing a circle of 2-mile radius around each church, would determine the demographic profile of the church. I believe that excellent church growth could take place, if the church is in tune with its surrounding community, and is seeker-driven (or at least seeker-sensitive) within the parameters of the Bible and the Spirit of Prophecy.

Dave