Do We Really Desire a Multi-Ethnic Expression in Our Churches?
Issue 014
MAY 16TH, 2018
WRITTEN BY LABREIA CHERRY
Labreia Cherry is a licensed clinical social worker and the co-director of Mama Africana, a mentoring program for black girls to help empower them in their ethnic identity and foster their relationship with Christ. Labreia was born and raised in Rochester, NY but she escaped the cold weather of NY to obtain a B.A. in Sociology from the University of Florida. She also holds a Master of Social Work and a Master of Public Health from the University of South Florida. She has served as a case manager for severely mentally ill adults, and a special education middle school teacher in addition to her current work with Mama Africana.
"Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit… "
- Matthew 28:19
I grew up in a black Baptist Church in Rochester, New York. Sundays were known as the Lord's day around my house as we spent our day dedicated to worship and spending time with family. We woke up early in the morning to attend Sunday school before 11 am service. Some Sundays we attended afternoon service that would last into the evening. In my church everyone was like family: we had church days at the park and ate dinner together in the church basement. On the Sundays we had multiple services, we would celebrate the youth on their scholastic accomplishments and would even give them one Sunday out of the month to lead service. The choir was lively, and the organist was always on time to coincide with the pastor's sermon points. Most Sundays someone “caught” the Holy Spirit, and we went on praising God even more. People would be shouting, dancing and praising the Lord without worry of disrupting their neighbor. We wore our Sunday's best: the women wearing big beautiful hats while the men wore their fine suits.
This was Church as I knew it; it was how the body of Christ interacted and fellowshipped with each other and God in corporate worship. I knew my experience was common to most black people, but the few times I visited a predominately white church with a friend, I was surprised how different the expression was; it seemed more like a sad occasion than a time to thank God and fellowship with others. I just thought 'this must be why people of different races could not worship together.'
“Even though black people may walk through the door and sit next to someone of a different race on Sunday morning, it is not an indication that that individual is feeling seen and heard in that community.”
When I went to college, I started to attend a church that was a non-denominational, multi-ethnic church, and it was a culture shock! Even though everyone in the church was American and Christian, it was a big adjustment for me. I only remained at the church because a friend offered consistent transportation and company. I was amazed that it was acceptable for people to wear flip-flops and jeans on Sunday morning. I had difficulty engaging in worship at first due to the different style of worship and no gospel music. I was out of church within an hour and 30 minutes with the rest of my day ahead of me.
I was baffled and delighted that church could be a place where I wore comfortable clothes and get back home to do what I wanted to do in such a short amount of time. It was the first time in my life being a part of people of different cultural backgrounds worshiping together. I was excited and amazed that God’s people were seeming unified and relating to one another in ways I was not used to seeing. I saw black and Hispanic people in leadership roles. I thought I had finally found a place that was an example of God's heart for all men.
As months went by and I became more involved as I lead through different seasons, I began perceiving a picture of what I THOUGHT I was a part of more clear: Two worlds coming together but the church, even though multi-ethnic, did not represent anything from my past experiences of church. It was, in many ways, the presence of different races but the culture of white people. I was glad to see people who looked like me and who had similar upbringing as me, but I was unsure as to how we were supposed to be family when some voices were more dominant and accepted than others. I came to find out that this is how non-white people usually perceive multi-ethnic worship, work, and other settings. Our faces are wanted, but our cultural influences are often sifted through and picked apart.
It seems like the church wanted to bring ethnicities together but didn't want to do the work of addressing the mistrust, assumptions, and dark history of racism and white supremacy in American culture. Even though black people may walk through the door and sit next to someone of a different race on Sunday morning, it is not an indication that that individual is feeling seen and heard in that community.
For many black people in multi-ethnic churches, there is usually a feeling of being on the fringes. There is also a feeling of lacking an equal say but always hoping for more. Our culture, our dances, our styles of worship, our ways of preaching, our ways of expressing the presence of the Holy Spirit can be easily seen as showy or too much making dominant cultures feel awkward. It's hurtful and confusing as one expression of God's heart, and one expression of worship is not better, easier or more holy than another, but it is implied as such.
One could argue that this was simply due to one race being in greater number than another, but if we take time to examine that argument further, we will discover that it is not about the numbers within the congregation; it is about who holds power and decides on the shaping of the church's culture. It’s critical for a multi-ethnic church to have multiple voices of varying ages, experiences, and ethnicities at a place of a valued input.
So, my question is what is going on in our churches? Do we allow the Holy Spirit to examine our minds, hearts, and intentions concerning who our church makes feel comfortable, welcomed and most relatable? Do we hope to use the presence, gifts or talents of other cultures to show the appearance of multi-ethnicity, and do we have an open heart and ear to the ideas and suggestions of everyone in our churches? If we do, are we willing to implement their suggestions and ideas?
May the grace of the Lord be upon us, the love of God be within us, and the fellowship of Holy Spirit is with us. 2 Corinthians 13:14