Is your church mostly white?

@vivify said
Do any Christians here attend a church that's *not* all or almost entirely white?

I'm not refering to churches that merely have a white majority, since whites are the majority in this country. I'm asking if any Christians here attend a church with a reasonably mixed demographic.....or, if any white Christians who attend a non-white church?

My church is not majority white.

It's majority Asian.

@vivify said
Yes. But given how Christians are supposed to believe all people as God's children, self-segregation seems wrong. Churches should be the least segregated of places, shouldn't they?

I'd say the inside of churches you'll see more battle grounds taking place than outside. Every reason under the sun is there to divide, and one GREAT reason to unite. Where you heart goes when confronting both is revealing.

@vivify said
Yes. But given how Christians are supposed to believe all people as God's children, self-segregation seems wrong. Churches should be the least segregated of places, shouldn't they?

This is true, but I will say this... Many people live in areas that are 95% one race, and most people want to go to a church that is near them.

I think many places want to have diversity, but they can't because this is just the way that things are.

Let us also say that a white or black person drove 45 minutes to attend a church made up of people not of their race, and drove past dozens of churches in the process... That would also be controversial, wouldn't it?

In certain circumstances, the white man or woman who drove 45 minutes to attend a majority non-white church could be accused of having a 'white savior complex.'

And a black person who drives 45 minutes to attend a majority white or Asian (or whatever) church could, I am sure, be accused of other things or thought ill for other reasons...

I think if the situation presents itself and you don't attend a church because you don't want to be with people of another race, you are sinning. Indeed, it might even be preferable to make a point by crossing lines to go to the other church if it is an issue in your community...

But I honestly believe that this doesn't describe a lot of people's situations, and I also believe that Christians have not been failing to do this in the 21st century.

@vivify said
Do any Christians here attend a church that's *not* all or almost entirely white?

I'm not refering to churches that merely have a white majority, since whites are the majority in this country. I'm asking if any Christians here attend a church with a reasonably mixed demographic.....or, if any white Christians who attend a non-white church?

yes

@vivify said
Do any Christians here attend a church that's *not* all or almost entirely white?

I'm not refering to churches that merely have a white majority, since whites are the majority in this country. I'm asking if any Christians here attend a church with a reasonably mixed demographic.....or, if any white Christians who attend a non-white church?

As someone here suggested that some areas have only one majority of either white or black, etc, or sometimes it's because of languages that make ones churches or congregations only one color or nationality. That can't be helped.
But the JW's back in the early 70's arranged where ever possible that all congregations were to be segregated. No just black or white congregations which was very common in the south just because of the history that made society that way. Galveston TX where I grew up was that way before the early 70's, but all that could that had the transportation to drive across town were asked to visit the others congregations which finally led to us all having our meetings together at the larger Kingdom Hall. There were absolutely no problems as most of us all knew each other anyway and were more then happy to combine the two congregations. As expected a few of the white neighbors didn't like the new across town black brothers and sisters parking on their street but that was their problem.
In contrast my wife's Baptist Deacon grandfather's church never had a black person ever even allowed on the property, and his favorite word to use for them was the "N" word. I always had a feeling he either was a KKK or was very friendly with them. How sad that still exist today but it still does.

@galveston75 said
As someone here suggested that some areas have only one majority of either white or black, etc, or sometimes it's because of languages that make ones churches or congregations only one color or nationality. That can't be helped.
But the JW's back in the early 70's arranged where ever possible that all congregations were to be segregated. No just black or white congregat ...[text shortened]... e either was a KKK or was very friendly with them. How sad that still exist today but it still does.

The JWs practiced racism ?
Are you for real?

@sonship said
@vivify

There are no other black people on this forum.

I am black.

Okay. I started at least two or three threads over the years asking if there was anyone on this forum who wasn't white. The closest I got was someone who was a white Hispanic.

Well, good to know there's at least one other poster of a different race. I'm black as well.

@rajk999 said
The JWs practiced racism ?
Are you for real?

What an ignorant question......

@vivify

Well, good to know there's at least one other poster of a different race. I'm black as well.

I recall mentioning my ethnicity I think twice before since I've posted here.

@galveston75 said
As someone here suggested that some areas have only one majority of either white or black, etc, or sometimes it's because of languages that make ones churches or congregations only one color or nationality. That can't be helped.
But the JW's back in the early 70's arranged where ever possible that all congregations were to be segregated. No just black or white congregat ...[text shortened]... e either was a KKK or was very friendly with them. How sad that still exist today but it still does.

Concerning the language thing...

Our congregation has a separate chapel in which a Ukrainian Priest conducts the Divine Liturgy in Slavonic and gives a homily in Russian. Of course, it is attended mostly by Eastern Europeans...

Meanwhile, in the cathedral, we have our Divine Liturgy perofrmed in Korean -- occasionally, the Bishop or the Priest will say something in Greek, Russian, or English in an effort to make others feel more welcome, perhaps.

The homily is delivered in Greek when it is the Bishop, and Korean when it is one of the Priests. The homily is then translated into English to the right of the altar, and, when the Russian language chapel is closed, in Russian to the left of the altar, and if the homily is in Greek, it is translated from the very front into Korean.

It is not uncommon for the homily to be provided in four languages in the same building -- no microphones involved, just one man speaking, and then the others all translating.

Even remarks during lunch are often in Greek or Korean, and then translated...

It's a pretty remarkable thing, IMO, and I am sure that this happens in other places, and that this very well may have been what churches in Antioch were doing once upon a time.

@vivify said
Do any Christians here attend a church that's *not* all or almost entirely white?

I'm not refering to churches that merely have a white majority, since whites are the majority in this country. I'm asking if any Christians here attend a church with a reasonably mixed demographic.....or, if any white Christians who attend a non-white church?

I’ve attended a predominantly non-white church.
Why do you ask?

@vivify said
Yes. But given how Christians are supposed to believe all people as God's children, self-segregation seems wrong. Churches should be the least segregated of places, shouldn't they?

If a group or groups choose to “self segregate” how does that make them less of God’s children?
Even if some groups choose to self segregate, what makes you think churches aren’t the least segregated of places?

@kellyjay said
We will get a roof? Right now we are renting a cafeteria in a school, we show up 3 hours early to setup, after the services we have to put it all back the way we found it. It is causing us to work together so we get to know each other, instead of showing up and leaving when it’s all done.

3 hours to “set up”!? What are you “setting up”?

@galveston75 said
As someone here suggested that some areas have only one majority of either white or black, etc, or sometimes it's because of languages that make ones churches or congregations only one color or nationality. That can't be helped.
But the JW's back in the early 70's arranged where ever possible that all congregations were to be segregated. No just black or white congregat ...[text shortened]... e either was a KKK or was very friendly with them. How sad that still exist today but it still does.

You say “in contrast” as you refer to the racist Baptist church minister and yet the Jehovah’s Witness organisation has been institutionally racist since its inception, in fact your post describes the church meeting segregation that was still going on in the 1970’s

What % of the Watchtower senior leadership are non white?