Race relations and church

Richelle Foreman Gunter

This project explores the intersections of racialized trauma and faith development in individuals who have sometime during their life identified as religiously unaffiliated or “nones.” Through the lens of life stories, nine individuals describe their faith journeys from their earliest memories of life to their most recent adult experiences. Their courageous sharing sheds light on the connections between racism and racialized trauma and the precious moments when faith in God moved them forward on their journey of faith. Their stories highlight the experience of 250 plus years historical trauma from slavery and its intergenerational influence, alongside the instances of racism members of the black community continued to experience. The stories that they shared also help us to understand that God inserts himself into the lives of His people in ways that are unexpected, not written about or understood. Like life, faith development is a journey not a destination.

Celestine Fields

This research study seeks to gain more knowledge from the experiences of Black clergy who are serving in predominantly White congregations and learn from their experiences. This research will assist Black clergy and the congregations that call us to understand what is involved when calling Black clergy to serve in a predominately White congregation. In addition, this study will investigate how positive psychology can be used when a predominately White congregation calls or desires to call a Black clergy to achieve a mission of creating a diverse multicultural congregation. [This is the complete abstract from the original work. This project includes bibliographical references.]

Vernell Ross

The purpose of this ministry research project is to increase the knowledge of transurban discipleship at Jordan Missionary Baptist Church of Lancaster, Texas (JMBC). Chapter 1 illuminates the history and the ministry context of JMBC’s African American membership and the goals of this project. Chapter 2 provides an exegesis of three passages of Scripture (Luke 14:25–35, 1 Kings 19:19–21, and Philippians 3:17–21) that examine biblical principles regarding personal Christian discipleship along with a brief overview of the usage of μαθητής (disciple) concerning Jesus’ command to “go make disciples” in the Great Commission. Chapter 3 examines relevant scholarship that presents a rationale for transurban discipleship by exposing racial discipleship while espousing and embracing Black evangelical theology. Chapter 4 describes the project itself, recounting the content and training method of the specific curriculum used as well as the measure utilized to determine if project goals were achieved. Chapter 5 evaluates the efficacy of the project based on the completion of specified goals. Ultimately, this project seeks to equip Christians with an understanding and praxis of vital spiritual disciplines that aid them in becoming more and more like Christ.

Vernell Ross, D.Min.
Supervisor: Carl Bradford, Ph.D.
The Jack D. Terry School of Educational Ministries
Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, 2022

Mark L Sadley D.Min.

For various reasons, homogeneous Anglo churches in demographically changing communities frequently experience a severe decline in membership. Unless such congregations adopt a missional mindset that seeks to reach other ethnicities and socioeconomic groups, they will cease to exist. This project aims to create a strategy for pastors and church leaders to guide them as they seek to instill such a mindset into their congregations.
The first section of this project will briefly trace the church’s understanding of the Missio Dei over time. It will set forth the proper role of the church as a participant in God’s mission. It will also emphasize the responsibilities of church leadership concerning discipleship, stressing the critical need for assembling a team of discipled leaders before initiating significant change programs. A discussion of the applicability of McGavran’s homogeneous unit principle to the planning of missional outreach will conclude this section.
The following sections will examine the process of leading organizational change. After explaining the various reasons individuals resist change, the author will describe and compare the change leadership principles advanced by noted secular and Christian authorities. Principles common to each group will then be juxtaposed with the change leadership actions of Jesus Christ and the Apostle Paul. The author will use the resultant listing as the basis for creating an effective strategy for instilling a missional mindset into congregations. That strategy will be the basis of a presentation to be used in training sessions targeted at church leaders. The dissertation will conclude with the creation of a presenter’s manual to be used in upcoming Equip to Serve leadership training workshops.

Jeffrey Charles Porte

In this project I intend to lead the reader into considering the link between racism and revival. If seeking revival for our communities is our highest aim, then fostering racism is one of Satan's main strategies to frustrate our desires and efforts.

I begin this work with an autobiographical first chapter. My guess is that most readers have their own story of racial prejudices in their childhood. How God transformed and redeemed these prejudices is the heart of this chapter.

In chapter two I attempt to outline the biblical conviction that the universe is the playing field of the "powers" both good and evil. I encourage the reader to take very seriously these unseen forces which influence people and institutions.

Chapter three is a historical analysis of the Fulton Street Revival of 1857. I chose to write on this revival because it began in a Reformed Church in New York City.

The fourth chapter is an overview of the historical roots of racism, and my effort to identify racism as a significant spiritual stronghold. In chapter five I invite the reader to consider the history of Kalamazoo from a spiritual power perspective.

The last chapter is where I apply the learnings of the previous chapters to my interest in Kalamazoo. My earnest prayer is that if any of the ideas presented in this closing chapter are of God, that the Kalamazoo City pastors and intercessors would put these initiatives into practice.

Dan J Smith

In my thesis I begin by exploring the histories of Benton Harbor and St. Joseph. These histories show the development of the cities and how their histories have played a big part in shaping how things are today. After probing the history of the area I take a theological and exegetical look at the idea of reconciliation, as engaged in the Bible and the work of practitioners and scholars. The thesis then focuses on interviews I conducted, using the research method of Narrative Inquiry, with people that live in the communities of Benton Harbor and St. Joseph, and, more specifically, people from Union Memorial African Methodist Episcopal Church and Zion Evangelical United Church of Christ. Using these two congregations as a baseline for study, I interviewed a cross-section of both churches. The Narrative Inquiry approach helped me to identify similarities that existed between the two congregations. After the interviews were concluded they were analyzed and then presented to the participants from the two congregations for review. As I engaged the participants in this time of reflection I explored how future conversations or collaboration in the area of reconciliation might be beneficial to all parties concerned. I believe relationships were established through this project and that this was a measurable response in my thesis. By this measure, my project was very successful. Before this project I had little to no contact with my neighbors. Now I have a place to start and build upon as I look to the future of St. Joseph and Benton Harbor with a great deal of hope and passion. My final chapter is a retelling of the story of the tensions between the two cities in light of what I learned throughout the project and an anticipation of what steps we might take towards reconciliation.

Matt Waterstone

Nestled along the Little Calumet River, 20 miles south of the city of Chicago, lies the 165 year old First Reformed Church in the historically Dutch village of South Holland, IL. With a rich and proud history as a flagship congregation in the Reformed Church in America, “First Church” has experienced a quarter of a century decline in membership, an exodus of younger families to more affluent areas in the Southwestern Suburbs of Illinois and into Northwest Indiana, and a lull in congregational morale amidst a rapidly diverse community that now is nearly 70% African American. Dynamics of sharp change experienced in racial migration resulting in a changing community, the legacy of past, consistorial leadership and in corporate worship haven given voice to charter a course for a future season of ministry.

As a result of racial migration, conflict in worship and a growing sense of congregational despair, First Church was forced to confront their ecclesial mortality in their given context for ministry. Together, they entered into a corporate journey of transformation that changed their congregational composition and renewed their congregational structures and practices which have led to a more robust sense of their identity as God’s diverse people and their purpose in God’s kingdom. This is a story of revival without revolution and a story of how a white, agricultural congregation became a multi-racial, multi-generational body of Christ.

Freda L. Briggman

"The misinterpretation of what became known as the "Curse of Ham" played a formidable role in creating a narrative of inferiority and otherness for African Americans. For centuries, African Americans have been reframing that narrative. This project assists those reframing efforts in demonstrating how the arts can expose the racist usage of the "Curse of Ham." The researcher performs a theological and historical review of the "Curse of Ham" and then uses the data to create and implement a live theater performance. The results suggest that the performance provides a perspective not otherwise known and empowers the community to reframe the narrative." -- Leaf [2].

Arroyo Giovanni

"This project argues that Latino ministries in the United States are built on a cross-racial and cross-cultural DNA because of the cultural complexities and ethnic realities present in the Latino population. The author suggests a Wesleyan ecclesiology (orthodoxy, orthopraxis, and orthopathy) and an intercultural competence framework for the design of an introductory curriculum for pastors and lay leaders. The data obtain through survey, face-to-face consultation and pilot testing has resulted in the creation of a intercultural competency 101 curriculum that provides specific skills in a cross-racial and cross-cultural ministry in the Latino context. The author affirms the curriculum provides a way of preparing leaders to flourish in the multicultural, multinational, and multiethnic reality of Latino ministries." -- Leaf [2].

William E. Boyce

This project assesses the state of racial fatigue among Black pastors in the Presbyterian Church in America (PCA), triangulating phenomenology, Scripture, and theology to evaluate the PCA’s faithfulness to its stated aims regarding doctrine and race. An analysis of the denomination’s central tenets shows a theological mandate to welcome minority pastors. But the lived experiences of many Black pastors tells a different story. Though initially welcomed, these pastors sense that they are still “outsiders,” leading them to develop strategies to help them thrive and develop resilience in the face of a challenging racial ministry context.
his project assesses the state of racial fatigue among Black pastors in the Presbyterian Church in America (PCA), triangulating phenomenology, Scripture, and theology to evaluate the PCA’s faithfulness to its stated aims regarding doctrine and race.