There is a growing conversation happening about diversity or the lack of diversity in the emerging church conversation. Thankfully there are several people of color responding, and sharing their thoughts. So here are snippets from some of the conversations.
Over at the Ooze in a conversation about Seeking diversity in Emergent sacred narrative writes
"Maybe we study African Christianity and South American Christianity and Eastern Christianity and Mexican Christianity and tell those stories."
I’d add the many facets of African-American and Afro Caribbean Christianity as well.
Another ooze conversation responds to a blog by Maurice Broddus on Black People in the conversation he writes
"In a lot of ways, the emergent church struck me as, well, the Christian equivalent of the grunge movement. A little subversive, a little edgy, and whole lot of white, middle class evangelicals trying to make Christianity look cool. In other words, originally I saw a lot of style over substance. However, once I dug a little deeper, read some of the foundational works, a lot of the substance of postmodernism resonated. I was left wondering how this would translate to black churches, wondering what an emergent African American church would look like or what a multi-cultural emergent church would look like. "
This is exactly how I feel sometimes about t Emergent. What we are trying to do at my church Mosaic Life is figure out and life out biblical emerging church values in a real multiracial faith community.
Jose over at cracked pots has this perspective on the diversity from the urban side of things
"i think you’re right about an urban presence. reverend ray rivera, executive director of LPAC (south bronx) will say that people want to "parachute into the city" and try to save us. it becomes less about being missional (coming along side), and more about the old-school, missionary mentality. my other question is how do we preach relocation, and for those who are already there to remain?"
And Finally Anthony smith at postmodern negro is exploring/imagineering the postmodern black church
"I want to be a part of Christian community…a local ekklesia. But I want to feel at "home". Not in a consumeristic sense, but in a sense that it will challenge me, provoke me, encourage me, to be a part of the missio Dei or God’s mission of salvation in the Land. When I think about the kind of church community that would draw me…my imagination always goes to images like these. Am I crazy?"
This is how many of the spiritually searching people of color I know feel. I really do resonate with this. This is where I think Emergent has missed the boat.
I think is all boils down to creating new churches that speak this yearning. As my church planting coach (grandfather to biracial kids said on the need for diverse and new churches "my grandkids need churches that haven’t been started yet."
Tags: african christianity, american christianity, black churches, church values, cracked pots, diversity, eastern christianity, emergent, emergent church, emergent_church, emerging church, grunge movement, lpac, urban presence
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Emergent Mosaic
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great post.
if this conversation is to continue “emerging”, it would be great to hear voices from the margins both here and abroad, on the ground, and in academia.
jose h.
Hi Andre,
I was just thinking that perhaps, there are “emergent” churches out there that don’t even know that they are emergent. Case in point: I have a friend who has a friend in the Washington D.C. area who leads a church that is based on the Acts 2 model. I don’t think he knows anything about the emergent/postmodern church, but he seems to share most of the same values as many in the emergent movement have. He is African-American himself, so perhaps there are others out there whom we simply don’t know about. I have a hunch that the emergent revolution (if there is going to be one) will be lead by churches that are multi-ethnic and are not even part of the leadership of the so called emergent church, and are perhaps not even in the emergent conversation.
Marc,
I think your hunch is correct. I hope that more multi-ethnic churches lead by people of color can give us a fuller picture of the emerging church. That’s what I can contribute.
Here’s a quote from what Maurice had to say about this over at the ooze
We made this a clear part of our DNA when we started our church plant. I found that many Anglo churches (including one a I pastored) are interested in talking about diversity but not living it.
This is where I hope the emerging church can be different.
Thanks for stopping by. BTW what is the name of your friend’s church.
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