I've posted a lot about my experiences with OP churches but I have not posted about one of the things that disturbs me most. Here where I live the churches are all divided along strict racial lines. Also most pastors typically will not marry inter-racial couples even when both are HG filled.
I am a light skinned biracial person who is usually assumed to be white married to a white man. We have always been accepted in the local OP churches but hear the N-bomb dropped pretty often as well as slurs against hispanics. My nephew that we raised is a darker shade of brown and was razed at the local OP christian school for his color.
Just wondering if you find these kinds of things typical or if this is something unique to my area too.
look at the people in the picture linked, you will need to wait as it cycles.
the first page cycles thru several pictures, one of the pictures that will come up is the congregation, you will notice that it is very multicultural, a pretty even mix of tan and brown people
my church is ultra-multi-cultural. I am white and a minority on sunday morning. LOL.
On a typical Sunday we will have American Black and Anglo and Hispanic and Asian people. (By American I mean not first gen the rest of the post will explain the deliniation), Then we will have Black, White, Hispanic, and Asian people who were born in other countries.
Korea, Burma, India, Kenya, Nigeria, Liberia, Croatia, Albania, El Salvador, Mexico are almost always represented on Sundays. I remember one wednesday night I counted 10 different nationalities with less than 70 people there.
__________________ If I do something stupid blame the Lortab!
Wow that's refreshing Amanah and Ferd! I know that the south is a little more divided historically anyway but these churches are in areas where many races are represented in the community but not in the church. Also there have been very sour reactions when minority preachers have been invited in (very, very rare but has happened once in each church that I am aware of). The tension was so palpable in one church with a visiting hispanic preacher that he actually said over the pulpit 'You will have your revival the day a black man walks out on this platform'... to which there was almost an audible gasp.
No problems in my church. We have several different races in the congregation, on the platform and in leadership. We are currently looking for someone who is bi-lingual to start a class for the hispanic in our community. My pastor has married mixed race couples.
After all of these post I think I will add Houston to my prayer list.
__________________ You can't reach the world with your talents. People are sick and tired of religious talents. People need a Holy Ghost annointed church with real fruits to reach out and touch their lives. ~ Pastor Burrell Crabtree
In fact I think that the insinuation of "hateful" Pentecostals is coming mostly from the fertile imaginations of bitter, backslidden ex Apostolics who are constantly trying to find a way to justify their actions. ~ strait shooter
No problems in my church. We have several different races in the congregation, on the platform and in leadership. We are currently looking for someone who is bi-lingual to start a class for the hispanic in our community. My pastor has married mixed race couples.
After all of these post I think I will add Houston to my prayer list.
From your descriptions, I would say you live in the suburbs of hell.
Of course it could be worse, you could always try a WPF church.
__________________ You can't reach the world with your talents. People are sick and tired of religious talents. People need a Holy Ghost annointed church with real fruits to reach out and touch their lives. ~ Pastor Burrell Crabtree
In fact I think that the insinuation of "hateful" Pentecostals is coming mostly from the fertile imaginations of bitter, backslidden ex Apostolics who are constantly trying to find a way to justify their actions. ~ strait shooter
My church pretty much reflects the racial demographics of our town. We do not have a large black or hispanic population. We are a little light on minorities but do have them.
However I think in the world of affirmative action one homeless person equals two minorities and we have a lot of homeless people so I think we are "diverse"!
Our pastor would not tolerate any kind of racism.
By the way I assume you meant your nephew was "hazed" not "razed"? LOL!!!
__________________ "I think some people love spiritual bondage just the way some people love physical bondage. It makes them feel secure. In the end though it is not healthy for the one who is lost over it or the one who is lives under the oppression even if by their own choice"
Titus2woman on AFF
"We did not wear uniforms. The lady workers dressed in the current fashions of the day, ...silks...satins...jewels or whatever they happened to possess. They were very smartly turned out, so that they made an impressive appearance on the streets where a large part of our work was conducted in the early years.
"It was not until long after, when former Holiness preachers had become part of us, that strict plainness of dress began to be taught.
"Although Entire Sanctification was preached at the beginning of the Movement, it was from a Wesleyan viewpoint, and had in it very little of the later Holiness Movement characteristics. Nothing was ever said about apparel, for everyone was so taken up with the Lord that mode of dress seemingly never occurred to any of us."
Quote from Ethel Goss (widow of 1st UPC Gen Supt. Howard Goss) book "The Winds of God"
Linear Mode
