wfn.org | Growing the racial-ethnic church

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Note #7365 from PCUSA NEWS to PRESBYNEWS:

01-August-2002
02279

Growing the racial-ethnic church

Convocation celebrates cultural diversity, envisions a more inclusive church

by Evan Silverstein

LOS ANGELES - Attending a national racial-ethnic convocation of the Presbyterian Church (USA) for the first time gave the Rev. Emerson Walls a peek at his own vision of the denomination's rightful future.

"I think the message I'm hearing is basically an affirmation that ethnic people are an integral part of the Presbyterian denomination," said Falls, a Native American whose tribal heritage is Choctaw and Sac and Fox.

Falls and more than 600 other Presbyterians from diverse backgrounds and the far corners of the United States gathered recently for the PC(USA)'s fifth Racial Ethnic Convocation, sharing a vision of a church enriched by worshipers from a variety of races and cultures. At times the July 25-28 event resembled a high school pep rally as participants sounded a battle cry with one thunderous voice.

"We need to come out of our 'ethnic-ethnicity' and celebrate the larger church and be a part of the larger church," said Falls, the president of Cook College and Theological School in Tempe, AZ, an institution that has served Native Americans since its founding 90 years ago.

Ministers, lay people and youth took part, waving their arms and clapping their hands during spirited worship services at the first national gathering of racial-ethnic Presbyterians in three years. They celebrated their fellowship, thanked God for their special gifts and talents, and learned more about building a fully inclusive church.

"As I look across this audience, I am reminded of a beautiful rainbow," said the Rev. Helen Locklear, the PC(USA)'s associate director for racial-ethnic ministries. "You all represent the rainbow."

Some participants snapped photographs and shot videotape during an authentic Korean fan dance by performers wearing ornate headpieces and traditional Asian garb.

Many donned the traditional clothing of their native cultures - Asian, African, Hispanic, Middle Eastern and Native American. 

Some were members of the denomination's five racial-ethnic caucuses: the National Hispanic Presbyterian Caucus, the National Black Presbyterian Caucus, the National Middle Eastern Presbyterian Caucus, the National Asian Presbyterian Council and the Native American Consulting Committee.

The program featured networking, skills workshops, Bible studies, caucus gatherings, greetings from church leaders, events for youth and young adults, speeches lifting up inclusiveness, and discussions of racial-ethnic and immigrant church growth.

The Rev. Ella Busby delivered a thunderous sermon during opening worship, challenging PC(USA) congregations to "dance" in step with the convocation's theme - A New Attitude for Discipleship and Ministry.

"We say we have a new attitude," said Busby, the pastor of New Harvest Presbyterian Church in Florence, SC. "Then the attitude is that we could be about the business of dancing. This is a joyful time in the life of our new church. This is a joyful time. ... This is a time to dance and to worship and to praise God."

The racial-ethnic gathering, held every third year, is sponsored by the denomination's Racial Ethnic Ministries program area and the National Cross Caucus, which is composed of two representatives of each of the five caucuses. The 1999 convocation, in Orlando, FL, drew more than 1,000 people.

Program participants discussed four objectives: reaffirming and celebrating God's gifts of unity and diversity; providing opportunities for a deepening of spiritual awareness and commitment; learning to create and revitalize racial-ethnic and immigrant ministries; and forging connections between generations, cultures, communities and church entities.

Danyal Joseph, who emigrated to the United States from southern Sudan in 1996, described the event as a "big opportunity" to garner support and exposure for a Sudanese new-church development he is helping to manage in Sioux Falls, SD. 

"It's nice to be here," he said, "because I meet a lot of different people and it's a good experience and good to have a relationship with the churches, to know each other." 

With the PC(USA) continuing to lose members at an alarming rate each year, church-growth efforts are commanding a lot of attention, particularly those in racial-ethnic and new-immigrant communities.

The 1996 General Assembly (GA) set a goal of increasing racial-ethnic membership in the PC(USA) to 10 percent by 2005 and to 20 percent by 2010. Racial-ethnic membership now stands at about 7 percent.

The 1999 GA endorsed a new Church Growth Strategy that combined all of the PC(USA)'s growth objectives into a unified plan and created a process intended to empower the church's racial-ethnic communities to make their congregations vital parts of the denomination.

In addition to placing an emphasis on racial-ethnic church growth, the 1999 Assembly also declared the United States a key mission field.

While the PC(USA) has committed itself to racial-ethnic church growth in recent years, more work is needed. 

"I think the word is good," said the Rev. Curtis A. Kearns Jr., director of the denomination's National Ministries Division (NMD). "Not good enough, mind you; but the word is good. As I travel throughout the church, I see a genuine enthusiasm and a genuine amount of support that is growing within our denomination all across the country. We have a renewed emphasis in church growth, in mission, in being in communities where we aren't. And that emphasis is growing."  

As an indication of progress, Kearns pointed to more than $1 million in new mission program grants throughout the PC(USA) last year, noting that 65 percent went to racial-ethnic projects. 

He also pointed to this year's GA's overwhelming approval of a $40 million Mission Initiative to raise money for international mission personnel and new-church developments, especially in racial-ethnic and immigrant communities. 

"I want to raise this campaign of a mission initiative to all of you," Kearns said. "And I furthermore want to challenge us as racial-ethnic people to contribute at least 10 percent of that $40 million to the Mission Initiative. Because the work is ours, and God is doing a new thing." 

Several PC(USA) leaders addressed the convocation, including the Rev. Clifton Kirkpatrick, the PC(USA) stated clerk and the Rev. Fahed Abu-Akel, moderator of the 2002 Assembly.  

Abu-Akel, a Palestinian-American pastor from Atlanta, urged participants to stay the course: "I challenge you, as racial-ethnic people, never stop struggling for justice in the church and in America and around the world," he said. "If we lose where we come from, something's gone with us."

Participants said they believe the PC(USA) has taken positive steps to support diversity in congregations; some called the church-wide Racial Ethnic Convocation a key example of efforts to create a more racially harmonious church.

The gathering is also invaluable in helping to dispel "erroneous notions" some may have about racial-ethnic groups, said Arthur Hyrams, an elder at Sixth Grace Presbyterian Church in Chicago, IL.

"It's a major step forward, and I think it gives us the tools to sort of implement what goes on here," said Hyrams, an African American who was attending his first convocation. "I think someone mentioned yesterday that this was the way the complexion of the church should look. A very diversified, a very multicolored situation." 

Others mentioned hurdles that still stand in the way.

"Just having a voice in the church in general," said Kirsten Shepler-Ross, a 25-year-old seminary student at Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary. "Getting resources in the (appropriate) languages. Like, I work with the youth group (at Beechmont Presbyterian Church in Louisville) and it's kind of hard to find Sunday school materials in Spanish."

Shepler-Ross, whose husband, Keith Ross, is a Native American, said the convocation helps keep racial-ethnic issues before the church, and provides a forum for problem-solving and the sharing of information.

For Falls, the Native American college president, the challenge is not getting the larger church to accept racial-ethnic members, but persuading "people of different ethnic backgrounds to themselves become a part of what's going on in the Presbyterian church.

"I think that's the big message that I'm hearing."
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