I was talking to a student the yesterday who said he went to a hispanic Church.

I asked him did it ever bother him that the family of God sometimes artificially divides itself based upon something that would make no difference to Christ. I'm not talking about geographical reasons (it's closest and there are a lot of {fill in the blank} who live nearby). He said he also was confused as to why the family didn't act like a family sometimes in this regard.



My BIL teaches and preaches sometimes in a tiny little town in Texas. There are two churches there of the same faith. One is white and the other is black. Together, they have about 50 people between them, maybe even less. He is confused as to why members of the same "family" would not combine for obvious reasons, but some of the people there resist for whatever reason.



I have a black minister friend who also has an excellent singing voice. He used to preach a black congregation, sometimes lead singing, but he primarily spent his time traveling around to college and youth groups speaking at retreats or college church events. He could sing some songs with more heart and feeling than I had ever felt before, and I would ask him to sing those songs specifically to hear the "flavor" he brought to them. He wasn't showbopating or grandstanding--I know him, and he wouldn't do either. There was just a different feel and flow and rhythm that he brought to the songs that moved me.



All of this background for this:

Do we do separate based on race for our own comfort? Tradition? No good reason at all? Wouldn't the feeling of family and unity be strengthened and the obvious racial differences be consumed in the fellowship of Christ?

I am not trying to suggest people do what they don't want to, nor talking about less than obvious reasons they might remain separate. I'm talking about resisting mutual fellowship when there seems to be no good or clear or compelling reason to do so.

I have been to "hispanic" churches and "black" churches and "white" churches and "asian" churches. I have loved the spirit in them all because they were all Christians.

Outside of "good" reasons, why are these saeparations still evident, when the church and all of us would be strengthened to stand next to our brothers and sisters of all descents as a family?

Ever go to a Catholic church (outside of c.s)? People of all races go to them.

Catholic=Catholicos=unified

I've been to a "Black" Catholic Church before. They exist.

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I've been to a "Black" Catholic Church before. They exist.

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There are no "Black" Catholic Churches or "Hispanic" Catholic Churches. There are Spanish masses which anyone can attend and some areas of the country, state, city actually have a majority of one race in that area. San Antonio for example. But go anywhere in the world to a Catholic church and you will hear the same readings that day so does it matter?

I only browsed the first post but what made this a Catholic thread...again?

The SBC split with the northern Baptists over slavery and its abolition. That led to a lot of black/white Baptist Churches.

Now, the Spanish language and the lack of all Latin in the Mass has led to a splitting of Catholics who like their Mass in either Spanish or English, and who like Spanish music over traditional music.

There are black Catholic Churches in predominantly black neighborhoods as well, and the music is usually different too.

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I asked him did it ever bother him that the family of God sometimes artificially divides itself based upon something that would make no difference to Christ. I'm not talking about geographical reasons (it's closest and there are a lot of {fill in the blank} who live nearby). He said he also was confused as to why the family didn't act like a family sometimes in this regard.

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With regard to Hispanic churches, one of the reasons behind it is the language barrier. In my congregation, we have many Sephardic Jews (Hispanic) which requires that we have a translator.

Its been said the most segregated hour in America is 11am Sunday morning.



"There are 10 kinds of people in this world: those who understand binary and those who don't."

Good question, and good implied observation. We Christians make many cultural and artificial distinctions; race is simply one of them.

We usually go to churches that agree with out doctrines and have a culture that we are comfortable with. This sometimes leads to cultural divisions.

I wish I had a solution because I think that the blending of "flavors" can make for a better worship service.

There is one Lord, one faith, one baptism.

Good question, I wish I had a good solution.

The only thing I can think of that would divide churchs like that would be the language barrier. That is why there are hispanic churches, chinese churches, Italian churches, etc. And for the so called black church, I have seen white people attend "black churches". And vice versa. For instance my church is made up of white people and one Indian family. We would in no way consider ourselves a "white church". Our pastor often preaches at a sister "black church" as well.

I think it all has to do with your first point, comfort. For me, I am not comfortable in a church where there is a lot of clapping and dancing in the aisles and raising and waiving hands and shouting. That is just my choice. Does that mean I wont step foot in a "black church"? Absolutely not. When I was stationed in Northern California, the only SBC church in my town was a so called "black church". I went as often as I could because the sermons were taught the way I was used to. But when I came back to Texas, I went to a church I was more familiar and comfortable with.

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I think it all has to do with your first point, comfort. For me, I am not comfortable in a church where there is a lot of clapping and dancing in the aisles and raising and waiving hands and shouting. That is just my choice. Does that mean I wont step foot in a "black church"? Absolutely not. When I was stationed in Northern California, the only SBC church in my town was a so called "black church". I went as often as I could because the sermons were taught the way I was used to. But when I came back to Texas, I went to a church I was more familiar and comfortable with.

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I used to be Assemble of God, and we white folk can also get down with clapping, dancing, waving, raising hands, and just general getting down.

It's all cool as long as we don't make it a test of true worship or fellowship.