Are We Starting To Work Together?
Elder Edmond and the president of Kentucky-Tennessee Elder Steve Haley, both spoke of their friendship and their plans to work together on initiatives including evangelizing Memphis Tennessee.
I thought that was interesting. Especially in light of Georgia Cumberland conference and South Atlantic both working together to evangelize Atlanta during the last GC Session.
Shine A Light
All of these initiatives make me wonder a few things. First, maybe we should put more effort into working together instead of complaining about the separation. The separation doesn't stop us from doing things together. (Contrary to the view of some, this is not as hardcore a separation as the "segregation" of the Jim Crow Era)
Outreach is the place where we need to see this. We are doing it now. Educational institutions, evangelism, and community service programs. Here we are working together. Perhaps we need to do better at emphasizing and publicizing our work together. Maybe we aughta shine the light instead of cursing the darkness.
Applauding Steps Forward
I am sure there are other initiatives of which I am unaware. I am not saying that we are doing things perfectly. We certainly should do better. We must find a way to get past this separation that continues for various reasons. But the answer is to get in the foxholes and work together.
I applaud folks like Edmond, Haley, and those others who recognize the facts, providence has placed us all together, we need each other just like the arm needs the leg. Maybe the way to unite the conferences is to work together instead of trying to come up with a directive from the top.
Here we are in the 21st century, on the brink of a possible economic collapse, natural disasters running rampant, secular forces inflicting a full court press against Christianity with the most aggressive pro-Gay rights movement and continuing marginailzation of marriage in general to date....and we're still clinging to conference allegiances that perpetuate us to feel more comfortable around our own. We're taught that in the last days the SDA church will be persecuted like never before, so it seems to be extremely poor strategy to operate on disconnected fronts. I hope everyone agrees that there will be no China town, ghetto/hood, or Beverly Hills after the 2nd Advent so we should be extremely holy spirit motivated to pool our resources, strengthen our sense of brotherhood(and sisterhood) and network together like never before. Elders Edmond and Haley and other faitfhful servants correctly understand that Mrs.White's Testimony 9 publication on race relations was written to prepare and inspire us to come together as soon as possible and not continue to operate in a seperate capacity dictated by the climate of that particular time. I started in the Allegheny East conference and over a period of 10 years every pastor or clergy member I broached the subject with always had the same line....."well they don't really want to deal with us." I'm currently in the Potomac conference and my pastor is very vocal about wanting and needing diversity in the church(which we have in abundance) but not so aggressive in reaching out to the other conference counterparts to build relations. It seems that task falls upon the laity of the church. I wish I had an intelligent plan on how to accelerate the needed coming together. I'm open to any initiatives working for other SDA churches that are bridging the conference divide.
ReplyDeleteBrother Nelson,
ReplyDeletePerhaps the answer, as I tried to argue, is in working together in spite of the different conferences. Perhaps the answer is when you are about to do a program in your church to invite the other church to participate on the local level. Then perhaps the answer is to put such initiatives in the union paper and such...Perhaps this is one of those things where cursing the darkness ain't gonna work...maybe it is time to shine a light...
I agree with your point of working together in spite of conference barriers. If we are going to continue to have initiatives with other denominations we certainly ought to be joyfully working with one another. At the same time we have to ask, "how long will leadership look the other way?" We seem to have too many issues/doubts about our structure. It's embarrassing to have to admit to people who ask detailed questions about our church structure that racial seperation is something we haven't conquered. Growing up in the South I'm accustomed to the continued necessity of historical black colleges and other realities that point that the divide still exists but I'm(we're) supposed to be free of these prejudices in the church.....and yes, I know other denominations are vexed by this issue as well.
ReplyDeleteBrother Nelson,
ReplyDeleteI understand your concern. I suspect that we work together more than you and I both know...I also suspect that soemtimes we have problems workign together with churches in the same conference...but that is a whole nother story...
At any rate, the black conferences were created becuase of the lay people being fed up with racial discrimination and forced the denomination to choose between separate conferences and full inclusion....The denomination chose black conferences. They probably will not go away until the lay people force the denomination again to at least tell us when this structural barrier will be removed or what is the criteria it will happen. If I remember correctly that was your point....
We shoudln't have created the conferences without having laid out When would be the right time to get rid of them and how we would unify them again. I suspect that they will be done away when the conference level is eliminated. Personally, I think that we should eliminate either the union or conference level because of the expense we no longer need...but that is a whole nother story...
Well said. I recall a prior post you established concenring the elimination of either the union or conference level, and if I remember correctly you also voiced concern that the end result could be a power grab that would work against the black contingent in the church. I've studied the church history and get it why the black conferences exist & also don't want to see the scenario of the white conferences reaping the spoils of what has been established(and it is considerable) & we find ourselves placed in a position of inferiority. I understand church leadership realizes addressing this issue will be time consuming, costly, heated and confrontational. As you said the laity of the church may have to force the issue & it seems to me that somehow a step1, step2 etc ...plan has to be formulated. Can you provide guidance on what may be the best way to get the issue on the table for realisitic consideration?
ReplyDeletetwo things...We need to work together as much as possible in spite of the separation....work together until the separation is a hinderance...waht do I mean? When you are deciding the speaker for women's ministry, why not select someone from the other conference. What about youth day? Other days where you bring in guest speakers, why not do that? Why not consider brnging in the choir from the other conference? I know it will be different, but that is the point....
ReplyDeleteThis is happening...it needs to happen more. Work together...the shame of the thing is that often we don't have the unity we should have INSIDE the same conference...so this will be difficult...but that is your first step.
Next we need education about why these confrences came into existence. I appreciate your looking into this. Knowing that helps you have sensitivity to all sides and what was happening...It can get us out of the "us versus them" mindset when we seek to understand pressures on all sides and the fact that the formation of Black Conferences was a compromise position....There is a lot of misinformation on that subject that is a barrier to unity. I strongly disagree that this knoweldge is simply "good to know" but "not really important." Understanding can come from this.
more to come....
We r not even working in our own churches together , there is a whole lot of "lack "of LOVE going on , we have no love for GOD, no love in the HOME, therefore that lack of LOVE spills out into the churches .What we need to do as people of GOD is to send some of our black pastors to white churches and ,the white pastors to the black churches ,we work with them every day ,but we can't worship with them ,or that is just a front ,for work purposes .Which God r we serving ,when we r so divided ,there will b no devision in HEAVEN ,then again r we going there?
ReplyDeleteCarmeta,
ReplyDeleteI hear you on the church being divided. To be fair as churches continue to grow it becomes harder to have a consensus on agenda items. You mentioned "love" a few times. My experience has been "love" is one of those concepts that is "fluid" with a different meaning from person to person. You made an interesting suggestion with the 1960-70's style of forced integration. Growing up in the south in the late 60's/early 70's I recall the busing initiative Richmond, Va enforced. I have to admit that I established several white friends and one Italian friend that certainly would not have happened w/o the initiative. I'm trying to visualize the pros and cons of doing this in the church. It would certainly force discussion on race relations(hopefully with the already suggested education of why/how our conferences came into existence) & protocol on what the worship format should/shouldn't be.