Have You Ever Worshipped With Christians of Different Races?

[metamorfhosis]

Hello-

Have you ever worshipped with Christians of different races? I have a cousin who went to a church down south and the congregation kept on turning around looking at her. She got so uncomfortable that she left. She visits at Lakewood Church in Houston (Joel Osteen's church). She sent me a picture of a singles group she belongs to at the church. I looked at the picture and it reminded me of what heaven is going to look like. Different races were represented.

When it comes to worshipping with different races, I have mainly worshipped with whites. They were nice to me and I did enjoy the experience.

Christians want to go to heaven which will be diverse but yet our worship hours are still segregated. Hmmmmm.........

 

[1god1]

I think sometimes it depends on the location of the church...ie, a church in a black neighborhood will most likely have black members. I am the only black person in my church...I live in N. Dakota. Our church is small...around 30-50 people (including children). I miss being in a gospel service...the music, testimony service, etc.

 

[SEMO]

My church is very racially mixed and it's refreshing .

 

[springbreeze]

yes it was nice.

 

[PaperClip]

(Some) White Christians need to be held accountable for their hypocrisy with regard to their racist attitudes and behaviors WITHIN and BEYOND the church doors/walls.

That's what Black liberation theologist founder Dr. James Cone talks about.

With that said, worship is at its purest form when the humans cannot detect our differences amongst one another. It's ALL about JESUS.

The better substitute for the word "worship" in this instance is probably FELLOWSHIP.

 

[PassionFruit]

my son was on a baseball team with a lil boy whose mom invited us ( then new to neighborhood) to church... It was obvious she was saved... she was very traditional & all of her children were....

The other told us about how her parents owned this particular piece of land and the church bought it from her when they expanded and that she went on to become a member there...

I expected a traditional souther black baptist church... Boy was I hoping my face didnt show the shock when I walked into a white holiness church and that the other family and mine were the only blacks in the church..

They treated us well and were very nice.. but were a lot different than Im used to.. the theatrics ( not saying their praise & worship was for show) were distracting and I had a hard time focusing on the word...

I kinda felt like I was at a Benny Hinn convention... The wife was kinda comical in only that she looked like Jessica Tandy and kept singing revival songs to stir up the spirit and then her husband would speak in monotone only to dampen her hard work... then she'd go at it again.....

 

[GloriousPraise]

Yes. I attended a predominately white church when I lived in the South. The service was wonderful and I enjoyed the fellowship. I also attended a mixed race church in Texas. There was great diversity in the music ministry, classes for learning to read the Bible in Spanish, street ministry to predominately white niteclubs (standing outside talking to people waiting to get into the club), and street ministry in predmoninately black and Hispanic neighborhoods.

Since moving back North, I attend a predominately black church. However, as a gospel singer, I minister at a number of churches and events that include predominately rural, white audiences. The audiences, while generally, a bit more subdued, praise God from their hearts, and have treated me well. To be honest, at some of these events, I think that I was a bit more nervous than I usually am because I wasn't sure how I would be received. Once I got over my nervousness, the audience seemed more responsive. Maybe they were picking up my vibe.

 

[Poobity]

Yes. When I lived in Hawaii, I attended a multicultural church. Blacks, whites, hispanics, polynesians, asians.......everybody was represented at that church. It was VERY refreshing and one the best spiritual experiences I've had in my life.

 

[Keep1Belle]

Yep my church growing up was mixed. we had white and black pasotrs. interaccial families, etc.

As far as your cousins experience I had something similar happen when I was a freshman in college. I was told that Elon First Baptist was a great church to attend. Well it was within a short drive (3 minutes) from my dorm, I passed it every day. One Sunday I went and all the white people just sat staring. Hmmm I though to myself.

I told the person that suggested I go. And they said oh there is ANOTHER Elon Frist Baptist it is down the road, over the tracks, etc. So there were 2 Elon First Baptist churches one for blacks and one for whites, classic.

My current church is predominately black but, we have some white members.

 

[divya]

All the time! There truly is one race - humanity - and there is one church. Heaven will have all of us.

 

[cheetarah1980]

My church has a very mixed congregation. It's pretty evenly split between blacks and whites w/ a few Hispanics and Native Americans in attendance too. There are also many interracial families. Out of all the churches I've attended in my life (predominantly white, predominantly black, mixed), it's my favorite.

 

[kayte]

I love my church....it is diverse and loving with all backgrounds, ages, races and all else! Integrated Gospel choir ....intergrated Choral
black woman senior pastor in a company of five......
....women's minstry...enrepreneur group..artist group.ALL integrated EVERYTHING....Praise God

 

[mango387]

Yes and it was amazing...
For anyone in the Bay Area looking for a church of this sort that is truly Word-based, check out Abundant Life Christian Fellowship in Mountain View.

 

[Hair Iam]

I live in Canada ..my church probably has every race represented ..Koreans , African, Caribbean blacks , Chinese, Spanish, White, Asian, North American, Jewish, Indian , East Indian, Japanese, and on and on ...Hey this is a shadow of things to come

 

[metamorfhosis]

I live in Canada ..my church probably has every race represented ..Koreans , African, Caribbean blacks , Chinese, Spanish, White, Asian, North American, Jewish, Indian , East Indian, Japanese, and on and on ...Hey this is a shadow of things to come

Hair Iam-

That sounds wonderful!!!!

 

[motherx2esq]

Yes, I have and it was wonderful. No one ever looked at me or my daughter any different. They welcomed us with opened arms! My church now is mixed and it is just as great. I like my home church so much better because it's smaller and the congregation knows me and my daughter. It more of a family. The singing is good ole soul singing which I missed at the other church. But I have no problem worshiping with people of different races as long as it's all about the Lord and Savior and I feel at home. Souls have no color.

 

[mscocoface]

I go to a church that not only is diverse but on the same campus we have different worship services.

There is the gospel worship
Hawaiian Worhship
Latino Worship
Contemporary Worship
Christian Rock Worship, etc.

We even have satallite churches now and looking to set up about 6 more in the next 3 years or so.

All of us listen to the same sermon either watching the speaker of the day live on the stage or live via jumbotron video feed.

It is completely diverse and it is a wonderful thing.

 

[AfroKink]

I grew up in mult-cultural churches. Now I attend an AME church which is mostly black, and a multi-cultural church for youth. My favorite church is all black, but that's because it's in Barbados. I feel comfortable worshipping with people of any race and any denomination. (of the 4 churchs I frequent, depending on the country I'm in, they represent African Methodist, Baptist, and non-denominational)

I saw this video clip, I thought I'd share. If they can do this in South Africa, we can do it to
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j0quPixdQtM

Lys

 

[metamorfhosis]

I just caught a little Praise the Lord on TBN. There was a pastor (I think it was the one who took over after G.E. Patterson's death--not sure) who was talking about how the black churches need to be integrated. And he mentioned Bishop Eddie Long's ministry which includes Mexicans.

I think this is wonderful!!! There is going to be diversity in Heaven so we need to get accustomed to it in the churches before we go home.