The following is Blog number forty-four and is part of our ongoing Racial Reconciliation in America Series. It is entitled: The Root Cause of our Divisions – The Church of America – Part One.

RACIAL RECONCILIATION

THE ROOT CAUSE OF OUR DIVISIONS

THE CHURCH OF AMERICA

PART ONE

[The following material is taken directly from the book Become Perfect 2007©.]

“A root cause, of our divisions in America, has to do with the contentious wrangling: within our institutions that grapple with change; those institutions that should represent stability! This is particularly true in the Church of America; in all levels of governance! What are the principal divisions within the Church of America? They include, but certainly are not limited to the following:

■Courage and fidelity to the truth of the Gospel, has left many of the pulpits in our Churches! There are numerous mainline denominations of the Christian Faith; within these denominations there are variances as it relates to the interpretation of Holy Scripture. As a result inconsistent interpretations cause divisions within the Body of Christ, and produce many of the challenges to faith. Our young folk don't know what to believe and what Bible to purchase there is so much variance!

■The historical role of the Protestant Church of America was more than complicit, in the original sin of Slavery in America. The segregation of the Church was an action of White Protestants in their exclusion of Blacks in their worship experience. This established a long lasting reality of separation and division within the Body of Christ, along racial and doctrinal lines. This division has carried forth to this current hour.

 Lies in Bible interpretation by White leaders of many Protestant Churches, gave a level of legitimacy to terrorist organizations like: the Ku Klux Klan based on a Theology, of White Supremacy. This resulted in maintaining the Jim Crow Laws of segregation and disenfranchisement of the Black race post Slavery Reconstruction of the South.

Even today, the KKK operates in America; along with organizations like it possessing the same agenda of White supremacist bigotry. They are never denounced by the mainline Church. If and when the leaders of every mainline denomination hold a national press conference for the sole purpose of denouncing White Supremacy and the KKK; beginning with and led by the Southern Baptists Convention – well to this we say what a great day that would be!

The White Protestant Church was complicit in maintaining a Jim Crow philosophy of separation; its administration and in the suppression of the Black Civil Rights Movement. Many preachers were also complicit in the justification of American Slavery. Yet, it should not be forgotten that many White preachers also helped to end Slavery and participated in Civil Rights progress!

The point is that Church history contributes to the segregation of the Church of America today, and our history is a gross sin and a blemish on the Church! There are many leaders today in the Church, who are White, and who agree with this concern; they are today ready and willing to do something about it. Many are indeed doing something about this! Praise God for their beloved souls. Unfortunately many are not mainline denominational but rather nondenominational churches in our judgment. We pray this to change and a fully integrated worship reality becomes the norm not the exception.

There are others within the Church of America, who in their ignorance and self-righteousness, look upon the condition of Black America with limited compassion, and reflecting on history, foolishly say that Blacks should: “Just get over it.” This is not something that they have or would ever say to any survivor, or the progeny of the Jewish Holocaust; for they let no one forget their history of suffering! Nor should they! We contend that forgiveness of Slavery in the heart of Black folk sets Black folk free and is in order; yet, we must contend further that there is a process associated with this getting over it thing. We are persuaded that Slavery and Jim Crow is something that Blacks should never forget or allow White folk to ever forget! With a quick and ready response Black folk must be vigilant in the face of all manner of race baiting and racism.

There must be a process in which both White and Black America engage in unified participation: to indeed “get over it!” Black America did not arrive at its current condition alone! No, this condition has happened through the continued assistance of White Americans, within and outside of the Church of America. There is no greater force of White privilege, than that which exists within the Church of America.

We contend that a continuation of the sin of racism that exists within the Body of Christ the Church makes it impossible to “just get over it.” Can one just get over that in which one continues to suffer? No, everyday suffering in conditions of poverty, inequality of wealth and asset creation; a continual battle to achieve equal standing as a citizen; having to prove your right to vote, these among other insults makes it impossible to “just get over it!”

The White branch of the Church of America holds no national press conference in protest! What should they hold a press conference to protest? How about one that demands a change in public policy that seeks to change the reality that a whole race of people has a level of unemployment that is forever double that of White folk! That would be such a good start.

Yes some questions should be asked by the leadership of every mainline denomination at this national press conference: "How do you just get over what continues to cause this unemployment and asset development deficit between Blacks and Whites? What are we going to do to change the education gap, teacher pools and inferior facilities between Black and Whites? Why do we do things that make it difficult for people to vote when there is little proof of voter fraud? Why do Black folk continue to worry about their rights to vote? What are we going to do as a united people; to end inequality that exists in every form between our races?"

■On a broad basis, the Church of America from its beginning until this current day has exhibited a segregated reality within the pulpits and the pews! This must be seen as what it is: the single most important and principal source of our divisions in America. A segregated Church is a divided nation! The Church hour is famously known as the most segregated hour of the week throughout America. But there are wonderful signs that this can all be changed in this current hour of a corrected Church of America.

In all racial groups the failure of our leadership within the Church of America: to produce unity within the Body; more than anything else maintains our divisions in America. We contend therefore that it must be within the Church of America that unity must come forth. This must begin with our leadership in the pulpits and the pews. Change that is witnessed throughout the nation as we come together as a Church of America; sharing our worship of Jesus Christ, is the single most powerful way to lead the nation forward unto Racial Reconciliation.”