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Date: May 10, 2005
Contact: Cheryl Brumbaugh-Cayford
V: 847/742-5100 F:  847/742-6103
E-MAIL: CoBNews@AOL.Com

CHURCH OF THE BRETHREN	NEWSLINE
May 10, 2005

STUDY COMMITTEE LISTENS TO PAIN AND RECEIVES  CALLS FOR ACTION

May 10, 2005 (Elgin, IL) -- The Church of the Brethren	Annual Conference 
Intercultural Study Committee held a listening session at the  denomination's

annual Cross-Cultural Consultation and Celebration on April 21-24  in
Richmond, 
Ind. The committee asked, "What are the barriers in the Church of  the
Brethren 
that keep the church from being multicultural?"

Racism and  prejudice were the most painful barriers brought to the 
committee's attention.	Racism remains a fact despite the civil rights
movement, said a 
Hispanic member  of a Pennsylvania congregation. "Racism is still 100 percent

in America. Because  we are surrounded by it, the church is still in it," he 
said. He told the story  of his own transformation from hating Anglos,
because 
of their prejudice against  Puerto Ricans, to being able to love all people 
"who love Christ." Through God	he is even learning to love enemies, he said.

"That's the way it should be, the  way it has to be." He warned the
committee, 
however, that "change is going to  hurt."

"We have a lot of work to do because most of us don't recognize  the sin in 
ourselves," said a white participant from Indiana. "It's racism, it's  
prejudice. It's internal in us." Anti-racism training is crucial for the
church,  she 
said. "I pray that more people would be willing to engage in the work of  
anti-racism training."An African-American from Maryland pointed to "laziness"
 
that keeps Brethren from educating their children and youth about other
ethnic	
groups. Ingrained racism "goes really deep into the roots of the family of
our  
mainstream members. It's a hard nut to crack." He called on participants in 
the  consultation to "stay determined and stay in the battle."

Language and  economic barriers were mentioned several times, in particular 
by a church leader  who identified them as the most problematic barriers for 
Puerto Ricans. A white	pastor from Iowa urged the church to translate other 
languages into English so  that those cultures are heard.

The situation of small rural churches also  was of concern. An 
African-American Pennsylvanian said he hears congregations  ask how they can
be 
multicultural in areas where minority ethnic groups are not  well
represented. An Anglo 
participant from North Carolina called for the	cross-cultural experience to
be 
"brought home" to small rural churches. "I want  to bring you home to my 
church, I want to see you there," she told the	group.

Some congregations do not want a cross-cultural group in their	midst, said 
another participant. The church's history of persecution has caused  Brethren

to build churches in isolated places and to isolate themselves from the 
world, 
one person said. That history of fear lives on in many Brethren, "and  they 
fear change," he added. An African-American pastor expressed concern that 
"we 
don't do what has been done to us," citing the example of a white family 
that 
left a church because they did not feel accepted by the majority ethnic  
group there.

Institutional barriers in the organization of the  denomination were 
identified. Until the queries that brought the Intercultural  Study Committee
into 
being, cross-cultural issues could be not understood in the  denomination,
said 
an African-American participant from Pennsylvania. Now, how  can what is 
happening at cross-cultural consultations be organized for the whole  church?
he 
asked. A white pastor from Michigan pointed to the Annual Conference 
election 
process as a barrier. She called for intentional structuring of the  ballot
to 
eliminate gender bias and racial bias. "This is a critical issue," she	said.

"The denomination needs to be pressed to attend to this."

The  committee also heard calls to move beyond talk of barriers, to action. 
"It's  time to do it," said an Illinois pastor, referring to cross-cultural 
ministries.  "This is where God is calling us."

"The first tool to use is prayer,"  responded a Puerto Rican pastor. 
Referring to the story of Peter's conversion  from anti-Gentile prejudice in
Acts, he 
asked each congregation represented at	the consultation to pray continually,

"God, change the mind of the Church of the  Brethren."

Another tool proposed by a pastor from Illinois was placing  cross-cultural 
leaders in positions of influence in the church. He called on  pastors of
color 
to attend meetings of the Ministers' Association, for example,	and to serve 
as district leaders. He warned, however, that those working for  change 
sometimes are hurt in the process. "To do what we intend to do, it's  going
to take 
some sacrificial lambs. Who is going to be the sacrificial  lamb?"

Others joined in the call for action, including an  African-American woman 
from Ohio who said, "We can't wait for someone to say  there's money in the 
budget. If everyone concerned about this, and every  sensitive person gave $1
we 
could fund a budget for one year of an intercultural  agency." Another 
African-American participant suggested forming a nonprofit  agency and
foundation for 
cross-cultural work. An African-American from Michigan	gave suggestions for 
congregations including having a Sunday to bring someone  from another 
ethnicity to church.

Several participants called for  cross-cultural evangelism. "Are you telling 
somebody about Jesus Christ?" asked  a Hispanic participant from California. 
If districts see something they like  happening in a congregation, such as 
evangelism and growth, then the districts  need to support it, he said.
Another 
Hispanic participant said that many pastors  do not understand that the Great

Commission is not just about overseas mission,	but also about cross-cultural

ministries. "In this country we have all nations,  we don't have to go
overseas."

Brethren may "fail to recognize the Cross,  with a capital C," in 
"cross-cultural," said a white participant from Atlantic  Northeast District.
When the 
cross of Christ is recognized, "then the barriers  are broken down."

"We have an awesome task in front of us. We are  committed to do our part," 
committee member Thomas Dowdy responded to the group  at the end of the 
session. The Intercultural Study Committee will bring an  interim report to
the 
Annual Conference in July. Committee members are chair	Asha Solanky, Dowdy,
Darla 
Kay Bowman Deardorff, Ruben Deoleo, Nadine L. Monn,  Gilbert Romero, and
Glenn 
Hatfield, ex-officio from the American Baptist	Churches USA.

The Church of the Brethren is a Christian denomination	committed to 
continuing the work of Jesus peacefully and simply, and to living  out its
faith in 
community. The denomination is based in the Anabaptist and  Pietist faith 
traditions and is one of the three Historic Peace Churches. It	celebrates
its 300th 
anniversary in 2008. It counts about 130,000 members across  the United 
States and Puerto Rico, and has missions and sister churches in  Brazil, the 
Dominican Republic, Haiti, and Nigeria.

# # #

For more  information contact:

Cheryl Brumbaugh-Cayford
Director of News  Services
Church of the Brethren General Board
1451 Dundee Ave.
Elgin,	IL 60120
847-742-5100 ext.  260
cbrumbaugh-cayford_gb@brethren.org

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The  Church of the Brethren Newsline is produced by Cheryl Brumbaugh-Cayford,

 director of news services for the Church of the Brethren General Board. 
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