The Obdurate Church is sometimes referred to as a Segregationist Church. These churches consist of a belief that each racial group, or even classes within a racial group, must seek only like people to be a part of the Obdurate or Segregationist Church. These churches are mono-cultural, mono-ethnic, and mono-class by choice, not necessity. “Good Christian people” dress excuses up in pious sounding verbiage that sometimes fools man, but God sees right through to the heart. The Segregationist Church never erects signage in front of their edifice to declare their disobedience to God’s Word, but their actions clearly define who is welcome and who is not. Contrary to the belief of some, this is not only an Anglo-Saxon issue. Segregationist Churches exist among every racial group.
Only slightly more biblical, yet the most common, are the Assimilationist Churches who have started inching on a journey from mono-cultural to multi-cultural, from mono-ethnic to multi-ethnic, and from mono-class to multi-class. These churches claim to favor integration, and have a well established method by which another class, race, or cultural group become an accepted member of their homogeneous community. Christians find it hard to voice opposition to integration, so most churches verbally say they are open to all people becoming a part of their church, but what exactly do they mean? Usually what is being said is not what is meant, and it is time for the leadership of our churches to address and correct this sinful behavior.
The Assimilationist Church will “welcome visitors” but will not acknowledge or treat those who are different as a true “guest.” If the “visitor” continues to come or wants to join, he must “assimilate.” Assimilation is the process in which one individual or small group takes on the culture of a larger group based on the class or ethnicity of that group. In simple terms, the visitor must become “like” the larger group and learn to “fit in.”
When I was a student at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary I served as pastor of Sanford Memorial Baptist Church in Brodnax, Virginia. The whole area held a communal view of assimilation. The story was told of a resident who had died before our arrival to the community. The resident’s family moved to the area when he was a boy of four years of age. He died at the age of ninety-six. For some ninety-two years he lived in the community, longer than most people who were born there. Everyone who knew him loved and respected him. In fact, when he died the epitaph on his tombstone read, “He was almost one of us.”
The attitude of this community at that time is representative of the Assimilationist Church today. This type of church will accept a person of another race if that person moves in, becomes like everyone else in the church, but deep down that person will never be fully accepted as “one of” the larger group. He will always be the outsider, the one who is different. The church will not attempt to modify or change to the desires or preferences of other races, cultures, or even classes. The Assimilationist Church has little enthusiasm for racial, class, or cultural sensitivity. The educated upper social class African American who goes to a White Anglo-Saxon Protestant church may be racially an African American, but has become culturally white and is thereby happy in Anglo-Saxon churches, but never fully accepted by the Anglo-Saxon church racially, but rather culturally because the African-American has accepted the Anglo-Saxon church’s culture and usually class. Studies show that racial groups that are upwardly mobile, well educated, and have some level of wealth tend to association themselves with White Anglo-Saxon Protestant churches.
Assimilationist churches are found in every racial and cultural group. So what do you do if you discover that you are in such a church? First, commit to serious prayer about your church. Admit to God that the church has prejudices and is not conducting itself like a first century church. Pull together likeminded persons to pray with you about the church, pleading with God to transform the church to a more biblical model. Second, confess to God and to others your desire to fully accept and befriend other races already in the church. Since these individuals have already taken on the culture of the group, this should be fairly easy; however, you must make a conscious effort to become friends with the individuals from other races and have them in your home. Third, talk with your pastor about ways to highlight and honor all races and cultures currently represented in the church (include all organizations, scouts, daycare, etc). Share your concerns with your pastor and let him know you have pulled together a small group who are praying for serious revival and unity within the church. Fourth, work with your pastor and seek his support in teaching and mentoring a true Christian love for people who are “different” and pointing out the benefits of coming together and learning from each other. There is so much about God cultures and races can learn from each other. Fifth, be intentional about developing friendships and socializing with people who are different from you. Visit the Wal-Mart closest to your church and notice the people groups and cultures represented in the store; the shoppers should be representative of your church congregation, and if not there is much work to do. Sixth, seek to diversify the leadership and staff of the church. It is important for other races and cultures to see “like faces” in the worship service and other church events. Seventh, actively begin encouraging different cultures and races to attend worship, discipleship, and other church events. Look for opportunities to create special events designed to purposefully draw others groups into the church. This may even mean pairing with other churches and having joint services to build greater community within the larger community.
It is most important that you not give up. Stay determined to help your church move being the small number of “token” members of other races and cultures to a true picture of the first century church.
