What's up with Southern Baptists?

[LetsTalk237]

Why do Black and White Southern Baptists never go to the same church?

I have asked and couple of my SB friends but they don’t know the answer to the question. I’m guessing it is all about tradition, but why do they keep it like this? They should just set aside their differences and start going to the same church.

 

[GaryTaylor]

Not sure how you conclude this? If you watch SBN on any given day, you will see all racial/ethnic cultures together.

 

[Calgar]

Why do Black and White Southern Baptists never go to the same church?

I have asked and couple of my SB friends but they don’t know the answer to the question. I’m guessing it is all about tradition, but why do they keep it like this? They should just set aside their differences and start going to the same church.

Don’t know what you’re talking about. Quite a mix at my church.

 

[ltwin]

Um, Southern Baptists do have racially diverse congregations. I’m sure all of them aren’t, but many are. There are several reasons that a congregation may have very few or no other racial or ethnic groups.

1. Demographics. Obviously, if the area that the church serves is predominantly one ethnic group, then that explains a lot.
2. There is also history. As many probably will know, after the Civil War black people chose to start their own churches rather than accept subordinate positions within the white churches. You have many historically black Baptist conventions starting up then. Because of the institution of slavery, segregation, and other unique aspects of the African-American experience, black churches developed their own culture and traditions and ways of doing things which can be different than white churches. So, its not so simple as saying why don’t white baptists and black baptists just merge churches. You have to bring two different cultures together, not just institutions.

 

[GaryTaylor]

In fact I would state for sure, 2012 has been the most promising year I have seen in a very long time of a united Christianity in the USA. A common issue has caused the severe difference in thinking to somewhat unite the intentional divisions. Rightfully so you couldn’t get any more severe than Civil Rights, Constitution, and the Freedom of Speech, basic Freedoms.

Amazing what it takes for Christians to put their petty differences aside.

 

[GaryTaylor]

Um, Southern Baptists do have racially diverse congregations. I’m sure all of them aren’t, but many are. There are several reasons that a congregation may have very few or no other racial or ethnic groups.

1. Demographics. Obviously, if the area that the church serves is predominantly one ethnic group, then that explains a lot.
2. There is also history. As many probably will know, after the Civil War black people chose to start their own churches rather than accept subordinate positions within the white churches. You have many historically black Baptist conventions starting up then. Because of the institution of slavery, segregation, and other unique aspects of the African-American experience, black churches developed their own culture and traditions and ways of doing things which can be different than white churches. So, its not so simple as saying why don’t white baptists and black baptists just merge churches. You have to bring two different cultures together, not just institutions.

Does this mean you attend a one race church in SC? And, I would assume Martians prefer to be around Green people…if they are Green?

However, as astounding as this may sound, us barbaric homo-sapiens actually can get along when we learn to laugh and love with one another.

 

[ltwin]

Does this mean you attend a one race church in SC? And, I would assume Martians prefer to be around Green people…if they are Green?

However, as astounding as this may sound, us barbaric homo-sapiens actually can get along when we learn to laugh and love with one another.

Um, no I attend a church that is half white, half black. From time to time we get some Asian families as well. However, that is not the norm in my area. Most churches will either be white or black.

We have two very large and old Baptist churches in my down town area. One is mainly white (there is one black man that goes there) and the other one is black.

 

[GaryTaylor]

Comfortability more than racism today, no? Thats the same comfortability which we somehow arrived at 2012 in.

I would say, though not an infallible statement, that comfortablity will kill us.

Civil Rights was moving along well, then everyone fell into a stupor and forgot what we set out to do here.

 

[JustaServant]

In fairness to Southern Baptists, it is generally the INDEPENDENT fundamentalist Baptists (Bob Jones, Jack Hyles variety) that exipit racism in my experience.
There IS an interesting parallel in history involving the birth of fundamentalism and the KKK. The RISE (post-Civil War and the 1920s) of both movements were similtaneous and loosely connected.
Fundamentalist forebearers, are considered ‘heroes’ to these groups, and they were pretty chummy with the Klan. Bob Jones Sr. is the most nortorious. One of the buildings on his campus is named after a state govenor and Klan grand dragon. The racism of his school continues to this very day.
Another ‘hero’ of fundamentalism was William Bell Reilly who not only was a supporter of the Klan (if they were members, they curiously kept it quiet), he also supported the infamous Protocols of Zion.
Nobody is laying this at your particular doorstep. Certainly their were Protestants who opposed the Klan. But the relationship between historic fundamentalism and the KKK cannot be easily dodged

 

[Publisher]

It’s not just So. Baptists…there is a large Friend’s church I have attened in the “black part” of town that is almost exclusively African American…their style of worship is anything but…“silent”.

I think the “black experience” style of worship may have something to do with it…moreso these days than racially motivated…however I lived in the South for a while and race still separated many Protestant congregations…the Friends Meeting I attended was small…with few African Americans.

 

[GaryTaylor]

It’s not just So. Baptists…there is a large Friend’s church I have attened in the “black part” of town that is almost exclusively African American…their style of worship is anything but…“silent”.

I think the “black experience” style of worship may have something to do with it…moreso these days than racially motivated…however I lived in the South for a while and race still separated many Protestant congregations…the Friends Meeting I attended was small…with few African Americans.

Right, more so than the North I would have to say. I believe also to a large degree its just a culture thing. Black friend of mine was over my home last Sat. and we got to joking around about church etc, he wanted to know if we still sing the “Oh Happy Days” music in the CC.

So it kinda extends that way. However, when it comes to real issues of Abortion and so forth, I hear the “Hey, lets get out act together here” dialogue now.

 

[JustaServant]

It’s not just So. Baptists…there is a large Friend’s church I have attened in the “black part” of town that is almost exclusively African American…their style of worship is anything but…“silent”.

I think the “black experience” style of worship may have something to do with it…moreso these days than racially motivated…however I lived in the South for a while and race still separated many Protestant congregations…the Friends Meeting I attended was small…with few African Americans.

Black Baptist churches are certainly more enthusiastic. They just don’t sit and stare at the preacher. When I Iived in Pittsburgh years ago there was a local National Baptist preacher on the local Christian TV station. My wife and I used to love watching him.
I knew one white Southern Baptist evangelist years ago who preached in a few National Baptist churches. He told me in one church “I guess I wasn’t doing too well because there was total silence for the first five minutes of the sermon, then in the back of the church an elderly woman yelled 'Help ‘im Lord…’”, After that he loosened up and the ‘amens’ started flowing.
You will NOT fall asleep in those churches.

 

[Publisher]

What is a mass like in predominatly African American Catholic communities? Except for the liturgical responses of the laity in the liturgy…there’s not a whole lot of noise in those Catholic services I have attended…in predominanly African American Catholic parishes…are they more lively?

 

[GaryTaylor]

What is a mass like in predominatly African American Catholic communities? Except for the liturgical responses of the laity in the liturgy…there’s not a whole lot of noise in those Catholic services I have attended…in predominanly African American Catholic parishes…are they more lively?

Same, the churchs here in the North have a mix of white, black, spanish and I see a lot of asians now. To me its very natural and normal. I prefer that in fact.

I have some close Bapist and Non denominational Protestant friends also though, so I grasp their services. I find no fault in them. They have the Gospel, R+B, Blues thing going on. Curtis Mayfield with People Get Ready and so forth. Predominately Black, yet their are White etc…and its certainly no biggie to attend, but perhaps in ones mind.

 

[Publisher]

Same, the churchs here in the North have a mix of white, black, spanish and I see a lot of asians now. To me its very natural and normal. I prefer that in fact.

I have some close Bapist and Non denominational Protestant friends also though, so I grasp their services. I find no fault in them. They have the Gospel, R+B, Blues thing going on. Curtis Mayfield with People Get Ready and so forth. Predominately Black, yet their are White etc…and its certainly no biggie to attend, but perhaps in ones mind.

I was wondering about African American Catholic parishes in the South…are they as “lively” as their Protestant counterparts?

 

[GaryTaylor]

The Mass would be the same as they all have a US Guideline now, for the music also since November 2011. There woundn’t be a north/south difference in that area.

.

 

[Anna_Scott]

Why do Black and White Southern Baptists never go to the same church?

I have asked and couple of my SB friends but they don’t know the answer to the question. I’m guessing it is all about tradition, but why do they keep it like this? They should just set aside their differences and start going to the same church.

LetsTalk237,
The SBC is integrated now, for the most part. Keep in mind the Southern Baptist Church (which is one and the same as the Southern Baptist Convention) was born out of a pro-slavery stance and had close ties to the KKK.

I grew up in Southern Baptist Churches. I’m getting close to 60, now. Needless to say, I’ve lived through some very turbulent times in the South–racial riots, violence, curfews, etc. I still remember boys, when I was in middle school, bragging about their membership in the KKK. Same in high school. Those same boys and their families filled SBC pews on Sundays. The prejudice was passed from parents to children.

The SBC did issue resolutions against their own racist history and the KKK; but these resolutions were a long time coming.

Resolution On Ku Klux Klan
June 1982
Link: sbc.net/resolutions/amResolution.asp?ID=894

**Resolution On Racial Reconciliation On The 150th Anniversary Of The Southern Baptist Convention, June 1995 **

. . . .WHEREAS, Our relationship to African-Americans has been hindered from the beginning by the role that slavery played in the formation of the Southern Baptist Convention; and

WHEREAS, Many of our Southern Baptist forbears defended the right to own slaves, and either participated in, supported, or acquiesced in the particularly inhumane nature of American slavery; and. . . .
Link: sbc.net/resolutions/amResolution.asp?ID=899

Peace,
Anna

 

[4Squarebaby]

Um, Southern Baptists do have racially diverse congregations. I’m sure all of them aren’t, but many are. There are several reasons that a congregation may have very few or no other racial or ethnic groups.

1. Demographics. Obviously, if the area that the church serves is predominantly one ethnic group, then that explains a lot.
2. There is also history. As many probably will know, after the Civil War black people chose to start their own churches rather than accept subordinate positions within the white churches. You have many historically black Baptist conventions starting up then. Because of the institution of slavery, segregation, and other unique aspects of the African-American experience, black churches developed their own culture and traditions and ways of doing things which can be different than white churches. So, its not so simple as saying why don’t white baptists and black baptists just merge churches. You have to bring two different cultures together, not just institutions.

40 some years later after Azusa Street many Whites would not attend a Church with Black leadership. When we get to the point where a majority White church is headed by a Black senior pastor we will have arrived. The closest that I have seen was an ethnic Korean church headed by a Black man and his Japanese wife.

What is a mass like in predominatly African American Catholic communities? Except for the liturgical responses of the laity in the liturgy…there’s not a whole lot of noise in those Catholic services I have attended…in predominanly African American Catholic parishes…are they more lively?

I was wondering about African American Catholic parishes in the South…are they as “lively” as their Protestant counterparts?

Not in the South of California

I happen to live in the last mostly Black community(50%+1) in Los Angeles so I guess the local Bishop sees it as a Black parish even if by far most of the Catholics are Latino. So the church stands mostly empty as the Latinos squeeze into the churches miles away. After the “white flight” of the 60s and early 70s White people are returning to the area in small numbers but when I do visit I do not see them in attendance

 

[lizaanne]

Why do Black and White Southern Baptists never go to the same church?

I have asked and couple of my SB friends but they don’t know the answer to the question. I’m guessing it is all about tradition, but why do they keep it like this? They should just set aside their differences and start going to the same church.

Catholics do this too. Where my mother lives in the South, there is a parish that is predominantly white, and one that is predominantly black. Sadly - this country is still not integrated.

It just is what it is. Why would I want to force anyone to integrate if they don’t want to? These parishes are in the same small town - these people choose to be at the parish they attend - which has the SAME white priest.

~Liza

 

[Calgar]

When we get to the point where a majority White church is headed by a Black senior pastor we will have arrived.

Arrived at what exactly?