Racial Ethnic Evangelism and Church Growth

[Rhashell D. Hunter]

Some of us in the Racial Ethnic and Women's Ministries/PW ministry area and in the Evangelism and Church Growth ministry area of the General Assembly Council have been meeting and collaborating together to share best practices on how we can grow Christ's Church Deep and Wide in diversity. We have been specifically focusing on evangelism and church growth in racial ethnic congregations. There is a new evangelism resource, for instance, that will soon be published on Hispanic/Latino-a evangelism and church growth from the office of Hispanic/Latino-a Congregational Support. In seeking to grow the church deep and wide in diversity, some of our questions are: 1) What is required of us in order to grow Christ’s church in diversity? 2) What are our challenges and potential pitfalls? and 3) How can we achieve success in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) in reflecting the racial, cultural and ethnic diversity of God’s peoples in the world? We welcome these conversations in our GAC ministry areas and also with those still gathering and entering into conversations following the Deep and Wide Evangelism consultation that was held at Stony Point last year. How would you add to this discussion?

[Naphtali Moore]

In the great commission (Mat 28:16-20) we are called to go out and make disciples of ALL nations. If we follow this commandment we would have diversity in the overall church. As for ideas to achieve this....
- The PCUSA could have a language requirement of all semonary students.
- The PCUSA could focus on planting churches in all areas reguardless of ethnicity.
- In urban areas of great cultural diversity churches could offer ESL classes.
- The PCUSA could offer evangelical material in multiple languages.
- Final we should love eachother. I know that ones a bit general but the Bible tells us John 13:35 "By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another." So if you go out...and make disciples they will seek out a church, and they will know PCUSA is a church of Christians by how we love one another. I'm the one hispanic in my church. I didn't join because of any special program. I didn't turn away from the church because it was mostly white. I joined because it was full of God fearing, Christ loving, Spirit filled, Bible believing Christians.

I think the one pit fall is forgetting the ultimate goal is the "end" of diversity. Gal 3:28"There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for you are all one in Christ Jesus."

[Uncle Max Bialystock]

A diverse church would be a wonderful thing. The more diverse, the better, but not for the sake of diversity. Let us spread the Good News to all, so that the Body of Christ grows in all ways possible. I don't see the point in attracting any and every sort of person just because "this one" or "that one" is different from me... I'm different from THEM, too. All of this only leads me to ask: So what? How about we make sure that if we are accepting new members from diverse backgrounds and races of all the various possible colors to be found in the human race, that when we claim them to be among the fold called "Presbyterian," that they truly understand what that means? Even among the "Old Guard," biblical/theological illiteracy surrounds us wherever we turn. Let us have COMMITTED members of faith who are anxious to learn, to seek, to understand and live the gospel-mandate, whatever their background. But let the emphasis be on "committed." No denomination needs new members just so they can say they're gaining new members---of whatever race or nationality.