Kids practice for the annual Christmas program at a local daycare. A weary teacher breaks up an argument of two four-year-old girls. "You can't be Mary. She's white," explains one youngster. The other girl counters, "Yes, I can. Daddy said Jesus was black." The two girls then look up to their teacher for an answer. She is silent.

The Problem

In America, Sunday morning has been declared the most segregated time of the week. Many people see the current church a heavenly multi-ethnic representation. I don't yet. Across our nation, churches are segregated. Some justify this status quo by noting we have a few blacks in our church. Others argue it's insignificant to the overall big picture. I asked my pastor Richard S. Brown of Payne Avenue Baptist Church. He explains, "I have lots of white pastor friends. We are working on some things together. I think this matter is a larger social problem. The same guy who sings next to me in workshop service at church will not speak to me once we're out of service." We must not forget that the government forced integration of schools and public outlets. Churches were spared. If multiracial team in athletics can work toward a common goal, why can't America's churches? Let's explore this phenomenon with an open perspective.

The Reality of Today's Churches

Over 90% of churches nationally remain segregated. That equates to over 300,000 congregations that remain segregated. Multiracial churches comprise only 5-8% of America's congregations. Multiracial churches in this context mean no single racial group comprises more than 80% of the congregation. Racial divides started as a result of denominational splits over slavery, wounds that never healed between Northern and Southern Baptists. Most churches subscribe to the Homogeneous Unit Principle, which suggests that individuals join Christianity from their own cultural perspective. Michael Emerson and Christian Smith, authors of Divided by Faith, argue that some evangelical principles actually promote racism. They explain, "A racialized society is a society wherein race matters profoundly for differences and life experiences." Therefore, blacks found comfort in predominately black churches where they are shielded from prejudices and allowed to control their own religious experience.

The Encounter

Currently, separated churches rarely engage each other. Lindy Apon, pastor of the Parkway Baptist Church (www.parkwaybaptist.us), explains that churches should be focused on
Kingdom building. He explains, "I think we may be asking the wrong questions. It may not matter to God." Todd Stewart, pastor of Mosaic Church (www.mosaicknoxville.com), got his multicultural vision of God's Kingdom. It sent him to the inner city, not the suburbs. He finds himself building a multiracial church in a non-inclusive, religious environment. Stewart explains, "It's been tough [launching his multiracial church]. Because my family moved around a lot and I was an athlete, I have always been accustomed to a diverse group." Stewart sees his multicultural focus as a divine mandate. He notes, "We cannot decide who comes to our church. However, we can decide who is in leadership." In fact, his church has a multiracial leadership model. Stewart works with both black and white churches. This isn't the norm for most local pastors.

The Answer

Can today's churches obtain racial reconciliation? I'm not sure. The authors of United by Faith argue that without an apology for past deeds it's virtually impossible for racial integration and the fulfillment of God's purpose for the church. Some progress is needed. Some steps to bridge racial divides include exchanging church officers, conducting joint evangelic projects, and conducting meaningful dialogue with other racial churches. However, praying together may be the ultimate solution instead of living together according to a University of North Texas study. America's churches will face more demographic shifts in the future. Will they be more inclusive? Only time will tell. Let us pray that it will happen soon.