Race in the American Church
Western Theological Seminary
Spring, 2008

Race in the American Church was offered for the first time at Western Theological Seminary during Spring Term 2008.  Ten students enrolled in a course taught by an adjunct professor from Hope College, Charles Green.  For more information about either the class or the topic, please contact him at green@hope.edu or at 616/ 395.7725.

About the Class

The class began by studying the broader context of the role of race in contemporary North American society, including the following topics:

1. An overview of the role of race in American history
2. Biological and anthropological understandings of “race”
3. How race has been socially constructed, in conjunction with the ideology of racism, resulting in a “racialized” society—one in which access to resources is distributed largely along racial lines
4. Contemporary manifestations of stereotypes, prejudice, and discrimination
5. Understanding the perspectives of majority group members
1. Why members of majority groups want to think of themselves as “color blind,” and what they gain by doing so
2. How “subtle” manifestations of majority group members’ unconscious attitudes have significant, negative effects on members of minority groups
3. How members of majority groups can learn to become less ethnocentric in their thinking
6. Understanding the perspectives of minority group members
1. Differences between “voluntary” and “involuntary” minorities
2. How stereotype threat undermines successful performance among minorities
3. How racial identity development affects attitudes and actions of minority group members
7. The controversy surrounding affirmative action

In addition, we read five books specifically on race in the church:

Christerson, B., Edwards, K.L. and Emerson, M.O.  (2005).  Against All Odds:  The Struggle for Racial Integration in Religious Organizations.  New York:  New York University Press.

Emerson, M.O. and Smith, C.  (2001).  Divided by faith.   Oxford:  Oxford University Press.  Please read Chapters 7 and 8.

Perkins, Spencer and Rice, Chris (2000).  More than Equals:  Racial Healing for the Sake of the Gospel.  Downers Grove, IL:  InterVarsity Press.

Unity, Reconciliation, and Justice:  A Study Guide for the Belhar Confession.  (Reformed Church Press, 2006.)

Yancey, G.  (2003).  One Body, One Spirit:  Principles of Successful Multiracial Churches.  Downers Grove, IL:  IVP Books.

For their semester project, each student put together a packet of resources on a particular topic.  Together, they comprise a “ministry manual” for those in the church interested in becoming more inclusive in their ministry.  Each chapter of the manual is linked to this page.  We hope that you find them helpful.

Three Key Principles

The students in the class identified three themes they found most helpful in the course.

We must be theologically grounded
It is a cliché to say that God calls us to be in unity with all members of the Body of Christ.  But it is true nonetheless.  Our implicit understanding of what it means to be the church too often is grounded in cultural expectations and adaptations.  But a radical commitment to Jesus Christ and the Good News requires that we think theologically about the church, its mission, and its role in society.  The American church historically has reflected the broader society on racial issues, conforming to cultural expectations and blessing the racial status quo of each generation.  That is true today, as in the past.  But to be the church, the true church, we must be what we profess to be—one in the Body of Christ.  No other justifiable option exists.  To be a Christian is to dedicate your life to the gospel, the heart of which is reconciliation with God and with others.  It is the call of the church to go beyond cultural clichés, to work for justice and genuine inclusion for all—that is, unity in the Body of Christ.

The church universal is a multiracial, multicultural church.  That is not an aspiration.  That is a fact.  The various parts of the church, however, are nearly always monoracial and monocultural.  Bringing our separate parts into alignment with the church as a whole—and with the will of God—is an essential and necessary task for the church in our age.

We must be intentional
One concept that came up again and again in our readings and research was intentionality.  Only a deliberate, conscious commitment to racial justice and inclusion—unity—will enable us to move against the cultural tendency toward racial injustice and exclusion—disunity.  Most Americans believe that progress is natural, and that time alone will move us toward greater racial justice.  Nothing we read this semester supports that claim.  In fact, the opposite is true:  Progress toward justice and inclusion almost always results from intentional effort to combat the racialization of the society in which we live.  To do nothing is to do something.  That is, we either work toward a greater unity in the church or we affirm the status quo by default.  One can usefully distinguish between being non-racist (not actively adding to the racialization of society) and being anti-racist (actively resisting the racialization of society).  Only a deliberately anti-racist stance will enable us to overcome the pernicious effects of 500 years of racism in America and in the church.

Pretending to be “color blind” is one common way of acquiescing to the racial status quo that prevents us from recognizing racialization and fighting racism.  It freezes social inequities in place and allows people to rationalize disunity while pretending to support unity.

We must take one step at a time
Once we step back and realize how much work there is to do to create unity in the Body of Christ, there is a tendency toward despair, bitterness, or anger.  It is true that there is much to be done.  But it is also true that we cannot do everything all at once.  It is better to take the next step toward unity than to bemoan the difficulty of the task or criticize others who are doing nothing.  The Multiracial Congregational Team of the Reformed Church in America has several assessments for Christian churches to consider how well they are living in unity with their fellow Christians, and how they might work toward greater unity.  (See http://www.rca.org/NETCOMMUNITY/Page.aspx?pid=3126&srcid=2225)

No Christian is perfect.  No congregation is perfect.  We have to begin where we are while becoming more faithful to our commitments to all members of the Body.  Others, too, have to begin where they are.  We should look for ways to encourage and support their efforts, not criticize them for not being where they are.  If we each take one significant step after another, we will realize greater unity more quickly than we think.

Links to Student Papers:

A Biblical Theology for Diversity--Sophie Landt

Becoming a Belhar-Confessing Church--Kate Kooyman

Community Ministry as a Bridge to Multiracial Churches--Miriam Ippel

Equpping Consistories and Lay Leaders to Combat Racism--Tracy Van Opstal

Institutional Racism in the Church--Dustyn Keepers

Models of Multiracial Churches--Judy Tiemeyer

Multicultural Issues and Social Justice in the United Church of Christ--Ryan Ende

Racial Issues in Youth Ministry--Laura Osborne

Who Is My Neighbor--Conducting a Demographic Analysis--Taylor Russell