Who Shall Separate Us?: Uniting the Segregated Church

By Dr. Angelo O. Dart

Multicultural growth in churches has increased significantly over the past few decades. Changing neighborhood demographics, styles of worship, leadership values, and denominational brands are all factors in church congregations becoming more diverse. As a result, many spiritual and sociological dynamics associated with such growth can significantly affect the overall health of any local church.

Who Shall Separate Us? explores the divisions within the church that reflect the separation of races and cultures in the United States as a whole. Author Dr. Angelo O. Dart identifies the underlying dynamics of these divisions as racism, bias, discrimination, and prejudice—elements that could certainly act on the development of the knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors between cultures in society. As the church, the Body of Christ has served humankind in both spiritual and social venues. If one of the purposes of the church is to provide the spiritual utility by which values and morals are created, it becomes vitally important for it to exude the kind of spiritual health worthy of emulation by the rest of society.

• Language: English
• Publisher: WestBow Press
• Release date: Dec 30, 2020
• ISBN: 9781664215665

Dr. Angelo O. Dart

Dr. Angelo O. Dart served in the US Army before joining the Department of Defense as a civilian, working as a professional counselor. He holds Master’s degrees in counseling and practical theology and a Doctor of Ministry degree in renewal and leadership studies. He is the founder of Times of Harvest Ministries and serves as an adjunct professor in social and biblical studies.

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ISBN: 978-1-6642-1567-2 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-6642-1568-9 (hc)

ISBN: 978-1-6642-1566-5 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2020924290

WestBow Press rev. date: 12/16/2020

Contents

Preface

Acknowledgments

1     Who Shall Separate Us?

2     Church in Culture—Twin Cities

3     Historical Contexts of Church and Culture

4     The Multicultural Component and the Early Church

5     Early Cultural Perspective

6     Multicultural Perspective in American Historical Contexts

7     What Exactly Is the Gospel in Race and Culture?

9     Exploring the Factors

9     Things of This World

10   Relational Community and Kingdom Culture

11   Implications and Future Work:

Conclusion

Bibliography

Appendices

Glossary

Figures

1. Describing groups of color

2. Describing group differences

3. Describing cultural strengths and weakness

4. Describing cultural social needs

5. Knowledge factor group trends: social community

6. Knowledge factor group trends: social church

7. Attitudes factor group trends: social community

8. Attitudes factor group trends: social church community

9. Behavioral factor group trends: social community

10. Behavioral factor group trends: social church

11. Responding to understanding the meaning of racism

12. Groups responding believing that racism exists in a community

13. Groups responding that racism exists in World Outreach

14. Groups responding believing racism exists in other churches

15. Groups responding understanding discrimination

16. Groups responding to discrimination existing in a community

17. Groups responding to discrimination existing in World Outreach

18. Groups responding believing discrimination exist in other churches

19. Groups responding believing all races/cultures can coexist

20. Groups responding to being uncomfortable with other cultures

21. Group’s response uncomfortable worshipping with other cultures

22. Cultural groups responding no to race or cultural superiority

23. Group’s response that a particular church or denomination is superior

24. Groups responding to the belief that diversity is important to the church

25. Group’s response as to other churches as multiculturally healthy

26. Group’s belief that WOW church is multiculturally healthy

27. Group’s response on the role of the Holy Spirit for multicultural health

Tables

1. Reporting social factors by percentages

2. Reporting theological factors by percentages

Abbreviations

Preface

M ulticultural growth in churches has increased significantly over the past few decades. Changing neighborhood demographics, styles of worship, leadership values, and denominational brands lend themselves to the acquisition of local congregations becoming more diverse. As a result of this growth, many spiritual and sociological dynamics associated with such growth could significantly impact the overall health of the local church. From a secular perspective, the acquisition of personal values through socialization processes certainly contributes to the development of individual attitudes toward others outside of a particular group, social, or cultural context. For the purposes of this study, the author will identify those dynamics as racism, bias, discrimination, and prejudice. It is possible, therefore, that the underlying dynamic processes noted could impact the development of the knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors between cultures in society.

As the ecclesia,¹ the body of Christ has served humankind in both spiritual and social venues. If one of the purposes of the church is to provide the spiritual utility by which values and morals are created, it becomes vitally important for the church to exude the kind of spiritual health worthy of emulation by the rest of society. Multicultural characteristics, therefore, will not drive the study. Rather, the investigation will provide an opportunity for individuals, groups, and communities in the World Outreach Worship Center to better understand one another in the context of cultural relationships. Moreover, this study will provide a unique opportunity for congregants to explore cultural relationships in the light of spiritual revelation.

Acknowledgments

W hile this project was worthwhile and will prove to be valuable tool to many people, the work was time-consuming and at times complicated and overwhelming. It would be seriously remiss on my part not to thank those who guided and supported me through this difficult and challenging process of dissertation work. For allowing such a controversial project to be conducted at World Outreach Worship Center, I would like to thank Pastor Bobby Collins, the staff, and all of the congregants who participated in this study. This project would have been impossible without your involvement. Deepest and heartfelt appreciation goes to my dissertation committee. Dr. Mara Crabtree and Dr. James Flynn have mentored, guided, and encouraged this author over eight years of graduate school. My prayers are that they will continue to have the opportunity to assist others who will take up the challenges of divinity school. Dr. Willie Vines was a great inspiration and provided many words of wisdom and grace during this process that impacted my life so profoundly.

To my family, who had to endure many days without my presence, a simple thank you is not enough. Your patience and faith in me has proven to be as enduring as your love. David, you are a treasure. I believe that I have learned more from your walk in the Lord than I have from anyone else. You are a chosen vessel of the Lord, and I encourage you to continue to make Him the center of your life. There is no substitute for a loving daughter. My daughter, Angela, believed in me and this project when it was initiated. You took the time to help shore up my computer skills while finishing your own graduate work. This was more than anyone could ask for. Thank you eternally. For more than forty-five years, I have loved my wife, Marsha. I would have never attempted ever going to school without your encouragement. You never doubted any project I have taken on—and there have been many. Thank you so much for loving me. Finally, to my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, who is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings, and Lord of lords. My loving praise goes to my King as I continually commit my life to His will and purpose. Without Christ, I am nothing.

Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? As it is written:

"For your sake we face death all day long;

        we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.j

No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

ROMANS 8:35-39

1

Who Shall Separate Us?

T he issue of separation of races and culture is not a new phenomenon in the United States. From its inception as a nation to this current day, the country has struggled with social dynamics of discrimination, racism, bigotry, and prejudice. The residuals of these dynamics result in clearly drawn lines within the cultures. We see it borne out on the streets of America today. As a result, a sort of class distinction infiltrates society to understanding cultures in the contexts of race, ethnicity, and social standing. Failure to understand and accept the aforementioned dynamics that resonate within the cultures can force separations among members of American society, and unity among the cultures is lost in unseen cultural warfare. Instead of a country positioned in the world as a melting pot of cultures, lack of unity among the cultures could result in a cauldron of division impacting the social health of an entire nation. If this is true, it could be argued that the same social dynamics found in society could also impact the social, racial, and cultural health of all society’s institutions, including the church.

The church, to a large extent, is divided in the United States. As a result of this division, the real purpose of the church as a social institution that teaches and communicates positive values to everyone could be skewed by known, if not realized, social agendas. True Christian spirituality could be lost in traditions of half-truths and limited thinking. Social labels become applied to local congregations, such as African American, Korean, and Hispanic churches. Such groups are then excused for their separation from others under a kind of cultural umbrella. Caucasian congregants may explain away their separation from others due to geographical preference, bypassing dozens of churches of color on their way to worship in suburbia. Black congregants may use mode of worship to justify their separation. Hispanics may put forth a cultural language requirement for their gathering.

While the examples mentioned are not true for every community, too often they are the case. From this observation, therefore, it is unclear that the Christian fundamental of loving one another unconditionally is not necessarily a truth that the church has embraced in its totality. At the heart of this is the lack of a sense of community within the body of Christ, regardless of race, culture, or class. Milfred Minatrea offers an opinion:

With regard to its communal nature, the church must reclaim the implications of being a community of authentic disciples. Through their shared experiences, members of the Body of Christ influence social structures and public life with values that find their source in Kingdom ethic. The church lives the Gospel; the Kingdom of God is among you.²

For the church, authentication of discipleship and clarification of values is found in this kingdom culture. Within this culture, lines are not drawn as a result of social structure but are redefined in light of a position taken in kingdom values. The results of such a position bear out and point to a diversity that needs no definition or motivation. The body of Christ simply becomes an extension of what the kingdom of heaven represents.

The role of the Holy Spirit in such a scenario cannot be understated. Indeed, it is this one operation at work in the hearts of humankind that offered the world the first church and a new cultural dynamic. Pentecost puts forth a new and different agenda in terms of who, how, and why we worship. The birth of the church from the Greek (ecclesia) is defined as a religious organization that claims to include most of or all members of a society and is recognized as the national or official religion. Acts 2 brings about the intent of universal worship that exceeds the superficiality and sociality of humankind. This ecclesia, therefore, is truly unified under one Lord, one hope, and one calling. In the truest sense of the scriptures, ecclesia is organic. Its purpose and cause makes it progressively impossible to claim to love God and not love everyone within and outside of the universal church. If this love of God persists, then a separated church should not exist.

The local church, particularly the multicultural or multiracial church, becomes, in essence, more than a physical utility designed to meet the basic needs of certain groups of people based on culture or class. The ecclesia, in an organic sense, is centered at the heart of God and lived out in His people as a result of relationship with Him. That relationship transcends any earthly or secular call humankind associates with a community, or life itself, relative to the multicultural church. Tony Evans offers a perspective:

We are going to have to explain to our congregations the racial implications of the middle wall of partition being broken down (Eph. 2:11–18) in terms that are meaningful and applicable to the contemporary Black-White debate.³

For clarification, this phenomenon does not begin or end with the so-called black-white debate. The body of Christ can be defined in part by its diversity, no matter the race, but not by schisms and divisions based on the ideas of humankind. The notion of healthy multicultural churches within a nation that may not be multiculturally healthy can present a paradox in terms of how values are developed and disseminated. This is particularly true in American society since this nation espouses an agenda that speaks to equality for all. In this writer’s opinion, that equality begins and ends with how the larger society views and accepts the local and global church and the values projected by the church.

Many of this nation’s values, as they relate to multicultural/multiracial contexts, stem from lessons acquired from scripture and promulgated by the church. Breckenridge states, Multiculturalism cannot be equated with the development of an awareness of other cultures. We must look for indicators that display an awareness of the value of diversity, but we must also look for intentionality.⁴ The diversity that Breckenridge notes cannot be understated. Division is a creation of humankind that concludes itself outside of the body of Christ. Thus, to build true Christian community is to recognize the life of the incarnate Christ within and to share His life in accordance with the scriptures. This, in effect, becomes the draw that brings balance to any congregation regardless of culture, race, or ethnicity. In the author’s opinion, there are not many churches, no matter the culture, that will feel compelled to respond to the need and call of civil freedoms, balance, or connectedness relative to the cultural health of the nation or the church. Perhaps as the result of imposed social restrictions, many churches may feel more compelled to serve Christ in their own cultural context, meeting a social agenda as opposed to a totally invested spiritual connection with Christ. Such an investment brings the requirement of a Gospel-centered ecclesia whose focus resonates with Jesus Christ and His mandate of loving our neighbors as ourselves. Tim Chester writes, So being Gospel-centered means being Word-centered, and being mission-centered. The Church exists both through the Gospel and for the Gospel. The problem is the gap between rhetoric and the reality of the practice of the theology put forth to inform us.⁵ Chester offers a reality that needs no agenda. Centering the Gospel also effectively means entering the Gospel. To do so requires taking on the agenda of the Lord under one hope and one calling. To build community, particularly from a multicultural perspective, means divesting of worldly culture and entering kingdom culture—a culture only Christ can bring. Morality, equality, social justice, and fundamentally loving all people in this sense would not precede the Gospel; it effectually becomes the result of the Gospel. Eric Law presents another approach to the challenge:

The first step toward becoming a multicultural community is to recognize our own tower of Babel—our ethnocentrism. Each cultural group has a tendency to make itself superior, believing that its tower is better and taller, and can reach the heavens. In a multicultural community, we need to identify our tower of Babel and decide to consciously stop building it.⁶

There is a reality associated with the institutional church transforming to the ecclesia: that is, universally reaching the conclusion that the institutional church becomes that glorious church for which Christ died. Apart from this reality, the church does not become the emergent church as one body in Him. This realization within the body of Christ speaks of one people serving the true Christ in the beauty of holiness. Holiness in the context of the ecclesia is more than a theological dirge. True holiness connotes the idea of God’s people in oneness with Him. Culture does not shift this spiritual paradigm.

If the church is unable to recognize or conceive of the possibility that in many ways a culturally divided church still exists, it will be difficult at best to address the healing of such a division. To this end, the church’s mandate of bringing the salvation that Christ offers to the world could be hindered by the very thing upon which the church was built—the love of Christ to all humankind. Instead, many