My Encounter With Christian Racism
(This is a little long, but I had to get it out. It will give you a glimpse of a life-event that definitely served to help shape the person I am today.)
Drake came by my office that afternoon. His intent was to try to "straighten me out", and "perhaps save my job", he said. In the twelve months I had served the church, I had come to like this man. He was a lifetime resident of the little town, had worked until retirement as a supervisor in a large factory, and generally came across as level-headed and fair. And he professed to love his church and his Lord. He was on the pastor-search committee that interviewed me and brought me to the church.
I was very tired, and really did not look forward to this meeting. We were in the middle of Vacation Bible School, and word quickly spread throughout the church family and small town that I had committed a grave and probably unpardonable sin. In the course of canvassing the surrounding communities, I invited black children to our church. More damaging, I used the church van to give these kids a ride. There were around 20 of these little ones. They appeared to truly enjoy themselves and behave well, and I was feeling good about being a true church to our community. But, I guess I should have known better. A couple of VBS teachers refused to return after the first day. Some of the husbands came to see what was happening, and left with disgust, refusing even to speak with me. Now I knew the phone lines were burning and I was in serious trouble.
Drake sat across from me, grim in demeanor, and sought to talk some sense into me for over an hour. He said he did not hate black people, that he even worked with some. He would not invite them into his house, and certainly did not want to eat at the same table. It was no good to mix the children, because next thing you know they’ll be dating and marrying. He told me of a grave situation, some twenty years earlier, when black teenagers came into the church and displayed a total disrespect for the worship. Many were thankful when a “wise” church leader stood up and dismissed the service in midstream. Drake informed me he had spoken with several church leaders, and that I had no right to use the church van to bring these kinds of people into our church.
I spoke a few times, and then sat back and listened. I tried to understand this man. He is really not unique. And then I started feeling sick, a nausea deep inside my being. When he finished, I looked him in the eye, and told him I felt sorry for him. Now he was speechless.
The week of VBS ended with record attendance. Eleven older children freely committed their hearts to Christ’s Lordship, including two teenagers who happened to be black. The church leadership called a special meeting to tell me I had ruined their church. Many people stopped attending services, and many more committed to withholding their money until I left. I tried to understand, tried to reason, and pleaded for dialogue. Interestingly, local ministers were silent toward me. My children were ridiculed at school because their daddy was a “nigger lover”. It was a very painful experience, and I will carry the scars for the rest of life.
That was 7 years ago. I now pastor a multi-cultural church. My children now tell me they are proud of how I handled the matter. That same church called me last year, and asked if I would return to preach “Homecoming Services”. I thought about it, then called them back and politely declined.
I wonder, still wonder…How can a person go through his/her life claiming to be a Christian, and never grasp the necessity to love people of all colors? They dress in their Sunday fineries, tote a big Bible, sing songs and shed tears. And they cannot imagine sharing a church building with a black person. It’s all around me, but I seriously question the validity of such religion. I believe such people, even as they sing “O How I Love Jesus” put a sick feeling into the pit of the stomach of God.
08.03.05 (8:40 pm) [
edit]
posted by:
preceptlady (
reply)
post date:
08.03.05 (6:06 pm)
I have to ask...what denomination is this church?
I agree....I will never understand how people can "claim" to love the Lord and not love others no matter their skin color.
I believe He created us all, each of our own color and He loves us all.
<><
posted by:
PastorDave (
reply)
post date:
08.03.05 (6:13 pm)
These kinds of churches are all around, of different denominations. Such ugliness often lies beneath the surface. But it will come out. It has to come out when the Light shines on it.
posted by:
BareKnuckleBxer (
reply)
post date:
08.03.05 (6:45 pm)
i agree completely,
so in other words, you pastor a nondenominational church?
posted by:
Godsgirl (
reply)
post date:
08.03.05 (6:55 pm)
It is sickening to hear of these things, i live in newmexico and in my town especially as most all are, there is not much racism except towards white people, which is unusual in the US. Well I believe people that are racist are just lost. Even if they are christian, they can still just have trouble in that area, just as each of us have our own vices that are hard to let go of, this is one of some, so just be praying for htem
posted by:
PastorDave (
reply)
post date:
08.04.05 (2:01 am)
Reply to: BareKnuckleBxer
I really do not think that racism has a particular denominational connection. I believe it is embedded in culture, ignorance, and just plain old Sin. I was born and raised in a small town where the blacks literally lived on the other side of the tracks. There was very little interaction among the races. But, when the Christian faith became real to me, I felt compelled deep within my heart to deal with this issue. God just would not let me be comfortable being prejudice.
posted by:
CBar (
reply)
post date:
08.04.05 (6:44 am)
It is sad & I am glad you stood up to what you KNEW was God's will. Your reward will be great in Heaven & also just think, if it hadn't been for you then some of those children may have never heard the Gospel of Christ.
posted by:
Fairmoon (
reply)
post date:
08.04.05 (12:29 pm)
When i read these stories i find then so hard to be true. i just can't comprehend how people can 'still' feel that way towards people of anoth race or colour. I really admire your strength and your courage to stand up against that sort of behavior.
My respect for you was aready pretty high, it's more so now.
Rock on Pastor Dave. Rock on.
:P
FM
posted by:
PastorDave (
reply)
post date:
08.04.05 (4:14 pm)
Reply to: Fellow Travelers On This Spiritual Journey
I'm thinking about why I felt it so necessary to tell this story. I'm really not fishing for compliments. I feel o.k. about myself at this time in life. And I know there have been times when I have reflected my faith well to others, and times when I really did a poor job.
I guess I told the story because it exposes an aspect of the church that truly does a disservice to the cause of Christ. Genuine Christianity has little to do with those people. They hurt the cause of Christianity much more than any cult, or atheism, or threat from the outside world.
I wonder if others are dealing with such inconsistency with the established church?
posted by:
BareKnuckleBxer (
reply)
post date:
08.04.05 (5:53 pm)
so in other words.... you don't want to tell me the denomination of the church YOU pastor?
posted by:
PastorDave (
reply)
post date:
08.04.05 (6:19 pm)
Reply to: BareKnuckleBxer
I am pastor of Mt. Tabor Baptist Church in Duluth, GA. A link to the church website is on my blog, although I'm having a hard time getting our web savvy folks to update and improve the site. You might be interested to know that Southern Baptists are actually the most ethnically diverse denomination in the world. Here in Gwinnett County, our association of churches is made up of about 110 congregations. About forty of them are ethnic congregations.
Obviously, most of Georgia and most of the US is not as racially/ethnically diverse as Atlanta. Thus, I think ungodly racism is much more prevalent the further one travels from a metro area. But I do not think that is an acceptable excuse. The God who enters the human heart surely works to change a person. Surely when God lives within, He will not allow a person to be comfortable or at peace with a racist attitude.
What do you think?
posted by:
hippielunatic (
reply)
post date:
08.05.05 (5:58 am)
There is a story that I heard that I am reminded of. You are peach, PasterDave. Peach.
My home church is in pretty urban area, and when I went there is was mostly filled with people who traveled in order to get there, because it had a "home" atmosphere. We ranged in age, but were mostly white middle class. I returned recently, and I was happy to see that the church's outreach programs were working. One of the women who runs the youth program told how she was talking to a girl, and the girl said the woman wasn't white, and neither was the church... Peach. That's what they are.
posted by:
PastorDave (
reply)
post date:
08.05.05 (6:14 am)
Reply to: hippielunatic
Maybe heaven will be peachy.
posted by:
DrForbush (
reply)
post date:
08.05.05 (9:27 am)
Reply to: BareKnuckleBxer
I don't really understand what the point of pushing PasterDave on what the denomination of his church was. That wasn't the point of the story. I was raised in a Catholic Family and there was certainly racism in the family. People had negative opinions about the Poles, Italians, Croatians, Blacks, and Jews. It wasn't a pretty sight after I went to college and found out that people do not always emulate their stereotypes. However, some people do, and I credit PastorDave on his effort to try not to propagate the stereotype of Southern Baptists being racist.
The point is that culture pushes people into certain behaviours which sometimes become stereotypes for that culture, especially if they are negative. But, people have been given free will by God to change those cultural pressures from within. When people make those difficult efforts they should be given credit.
PastorDave has related to us one story that demonstrates the difficulty in fighting against some cultural ideas that are certainly not Christian.
Keep up the fight!
posted by:
gesn (
reply)
post date:
08.05.05 (9:39 am)
I think that is one of the things that turns many people off from Christianity here in the US. I know it's not all christians but many of the most vocal are not tolerant of anything different than themselves.
I've seen the same thing happen with differences in race, religion, social class, orientation ... it seems to me to be the anti-thesis of what Christianity is supposedly about.
posted by:
Kupov (
reply)
post date:
08.05.05 (11:46 am)
this is teribble.........where did you live?
posted by:
Kupov (
reply)
post date:
08.05.05 (11:47 am)
Reply to: gesn
Yes i could not agree more also the history of Christianity has not5 been a very tolerant one.
posted by:
LeananSidhe (
reply)
post date:
08.05.05 (4:07 pm)
It's so sad that in this day and age that there are people who still hold these racist thoughts. I applaud you for standing up for your belief that anyone, one and all, are welcome to walk the Christian faith, and that you also stood up and believed in those children. Are we not all God's children no matter what?
It's stories like this one, of hypocritical Christians who, for most of my life, put me off the Christian faith. We need not have to be of the "right" color, creed, financial status, nor social standing in order to be welcome and feel we belong...we just do.
Great story, thanks for sharing it with us all :)
posted by:
gesn (
reply)
post date:
08.05.05 (4:49 pm)
Reply to: Kupov
well, that's true - it hasn't. unfortunately it's not just history either ....
posted by:
BareKnuckleBxer (
reply)
post date:
08.05.05 (5:08 pm)
Reply to Dr. Frbush:
i'm sorry, i was just curious to know what denomination he was pastoring, and if he said he didn't want to tell me, i wouldn't of asked.
i happen to be baptist as well.
posted by:
PastorDave (
reply)
post date:
08.06.05 (10:53 am)
I really appreciate the insight of Dr. Forbush.
What I have attempted to share is an ugly side of Christianity that is not limited to any particular denomination. I'm no hero. The person to be admired is the minority individual who can live on the periphery of such a hellhole and do so with dignity.
You know, politically I am on the opposite spectrum of such racially focused individuals as Georgia Congressman John Lewis or Cynthia McKinney, and certainly Jesse Jackson. But let's face it; folks like I have described are the very reason for the need for these representatives.
posted by:
kurtmaddox (
reply)
post date:
08.08.05 (1:53 pm)
i have no way to know if "God" is proud of you, BUT I AM! i had a difficult exchange with my own father just a few days ago. dad used the word "nigger" in a joke. the joke was actually pretty innocuous but i have made a commitment to never allow the use of that word go unaddressed in my presence. i didn't make a big deal about it but simply said i didn't see a reason to use the word "nigger" in any context ever. his response was that "in Centertown, 'nigger' is just word". My counter was "...and how does that make any difference?". this was the end of the exchange.
we live in a small town in rural kentucky with a population of 400 people. my dad isn't racist. in fact, he has expressed generosity, hospitality, and acceptance to people of all races on several occassions that i have witnessed. having said that, with him and others in my rural kentucky culture, i have noticed a tendency for white men in my culture to use pejorative descriptors of minorities when in the pleasure of a homogenous and like-minded gathering. most of these men would never use these racist terms at work or with their families or in public. it seems to be sort of response to their own sense that their own cause has been marginalized over the years as minority and women's rights are the cause celeb of the politically correct crowd. sure there is some remnants of hate and bigotry in these displays but, from my perspective, the bite has gone from the words and these displays now serve more as a sort of "nod and wink" to each other of some perverted recognition of the power that once rested with simply being white and male in a racist and bigoted society. these displays could now be characterized more as pathetic as they woudn't strike fear into anyone regardless of their race of gender. the best response, oftentimes, is the exact response you delivered to your church friend -- sympathy. i prefer the classic slow head-shake while contorting my facial features into a "you poor ignorant bastard" expression. they may not acknowledge it -- but they, more than anyone, understand exactly how pathetic they are when they stoop to racist behavior.
my test for "are you a racist" is "what would you say if your daughter brought a boy of another race home to meet you?" if you say anything other than "i'd do my best to learn about the values, visions and character of the young man" then you are a racist to some degree -- maybe a very small degree but, like being pregnant, you can't be just a little racist :-)
great post and i admire your convictions and join you in your desire to be part of humanity that doesn't even see race other than to acknowledge the horrors and collective ignorance of previous generations related to any majority race's or faith's treatment of any minority class of people.
posted by:
PastorDave (
reply)
post date:
08.08.05 (5:12 pm)
Reply to: kurtmaddox
Thanks. Very well expressed.
I still struggle with the race issue. I would not make 100 on your test. But I think I know what God would want from me, and I would dare not incorporate racism into the practice of my faith.
People of all colors should be able to worship and serve God together. They should love one another and, as a body of believers, share that love with the world.
MLK once said the most segregated hour of the week is Sunday morning at 11:00. It's still true, and that is sad.
posted by:
kurtmaddox (
reply)
post date:
08.08.05 (5:21 pm)
Reply to: PastorDave
hmm... if you would not score 100 on my test, on what basis do you apply your principle to being welcome into your church family but NOT into your biological family???? i hope you don't mind a little gadfly-ism from me ;-)
posted by:
CyberRev (
reply)
post date:
08.10.05 (4:44 pm)
PastorDave, keep loving people of color, for that is EXACTLY what we all are.
I am yet to find one person that is identical to a white, brown or black sheet of paper. Umm...as for me I am Spirit to spirit of Romans 8:16 colorless.
Heaven is eternal and death also of hell.
