Black Churches / New Pastors

Black Churches / New Pastors

The Influences and Issues of the Black Church, the Black Family, and Faith-Based Ministries in the 21st Century

What are the key issues surrounding the African-American Church in the year 2005? What should new pastors be learning as they train to become Christian leaders in their communities? How should an aspiring preacher approach the many social problems that confront the African-American community - and which issues are appropriate for associating with sermons or bible study and which are better left to small group discussion within the church's weekly calendar of events?

The families of the New Millennium are hungry for leadership - children are subjected to more influences outside the home than ever before, and many of those influences are not healthy or valid - and families come to church for inspiration and spiritual guidance, so, what will today's church provide for families that can help them find their way through the wilderness of today's often confusing society, and help them greet a more blessed tomorrow?

Indeed, what would Dr. Martin Luther King say are the important discussions to be held in terms of the training of clergy that is responsible for leadership within the spiritual side of the black community - and indeed, what would Jesus Christ be talking about, what would Jesus believe are the highlights of today's world that should be pivotal themes in preparing a pastor for his or her career?

These questions and others (raised through the assigned readings) will be addressed in this paper. Also, when issues from the literature raise additional questions or valid points, those will also be examined and presented as worthy for consideration.

The Literature, the Issues, the Relevant Substantive Ideas for Pastors

Andrew Billingsley - Jacob's Ladder

Inside the hard-bound cover of Andrew Billingsley's book, Climbing Jacob's Ladder: The Enduring legacy of African-American Families, is to be found pages upon pages of the great wisdom and big-picture vision of a man who is highly respected in the academic and scholarly communities, as well as in the black community. To borrow an old advertising slogan, when Billingsley speaks, people listen; and when he writes, people read, and people think deeply about what he expresses. Reading his books helps a young would-be pastor learn how to tell a story that has plenty of power, honesty and relevance, and yet carries with it some degree of entertaining value at the same time.

He is known for setting the stage for his important messages by first pointing out the lack of logic in stereotypes; for example, in his book's "Introduction" he notes that the situation for the average black family in America is often misunderstood when it comes to success vs. poverty, since there are "more than three times as many non-poor blacks as there are poor blacks" (Billingsley, 20), and yet, as is so clear in America today, many non-blacks continue to hang on to the stereotype that nearly all blacks are from the lower rung of the economic ladder.

And further into his Introduction, he writes (18) that "black families have arrived at a point of maximum danger, which is also a point of maximum opportunity." Does he mean in this passage that when backs are against the wall, the strong get going? It would seem that way, and that in itself is a good theme for any pastor to pursue in sermon. Billingsley has a way of inducing readers to plow on, in order to find out what his key message really is; and likewise, pastors need to plant mysteries in the minds of their congregations, to be sure they are alert and paying attention when the hammer comes down later in the sermon - and the point is embellished by the pastor's most poignant analogy, or metaphor, or parable, or whatever took he or she uses to inspire people.

Billingsley states very clearly that his approach in this book is to argue that the African-American family is "crippled" by both the impact of history - slavery - and the impact of current social forces - racism, poverty ("both of which are on the rise") - but he also believes black people must rely on their values, "survival techniques, records of achievement, and capacity to work with others."

In Chapter 17, "The Black Church: Spiritual Values and Community Reform," Billingsley offers examples of strong leaders who are working to get "beyond the walls" of church buildings, and into the communities in order to serve and help improved the conditions of life for black families. He quotes a passage from C. Eric Lincoln's in terms of highlighting the multiple functions of the black church:

Beyond its purely religious function...the black church in its historical role as lyceum, conservatory, forum, social service center, political academy and financial institution, has been as is for black America the mother of our culture, the champion of our freedom, the hallmark of our civilization." He goes on to list "Ten Exemplary Churches" - and the reasons why they are exemplary.

Billingsley's Chapter 10 ("The Functions of Marriage in African-American Families") surely relates to a pastor's training as much as almost any other aspect of modern life. But as well-written and scholarly as the author's points about marriage and families are in this chapter, the book is 13 years old, and surveys / data he uses relative to black families in America are twenty-five years old and older. For a fresher, more contemporary view of families, a research article by Mary Parke is more appropriate.

Mary Parke - Fragile Families

Nearly one-third of all births now occur outside of marriage" (Parke, 2004), according to an article in the Center for Law and Social Policy (Policy Brief No. 4). This should give pause to a pastor who plans to stand at a pulpit in front of a congregation and preach about marriage and social values. But the data gets worse: among Latino populations, some 40% of births take place outside the bonds of marriage, and within the African-American community, a shocking 70% of births are "out-of-wedlock."

When reliable data reveals that seventy percent of babies born to black mothers in America are brought into this world in an environment which is not bound by the holy institution of marriage, should that fact give a pastor pause prior to preaching about the values of marriage and family? It should, indeed; but does the pastor then quote scripture to make the point that this situation is sinful, un-Christian and disgraceful, or does the pastor give his congregation moral and spiritual tips to overcome the hardships, and offer strengthening passages from great thinkers to ease the pain for single mothers?

These are not easy questions to answer, for in fairness, some of the parents of today's black children born out of wedlock, up to 40% according to Parke's information, are living together, are loving each other, and are nurturing their young ones. So it's not like a mother abandoned with a young baby - stuck fending for herself. Others parents of children born out of wedlock, Parke reports, have a close relationship - albeit the father lives in a separate household; and in still others' situations the father is nowhere to be seen, and a child will be raised solely by mom.

As to a pastor's use of these data, it is clear that a sermon can be strengthened with factual information about families and marriage followed up by some solid material based on how faith provides the back-up when existing value systems struggle.

Parke's well-presented data came from the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study (FFCWB), the "first national study of unmarried parents, their relationships to each other, and the well-being of their children," she explains.

The study involved about 5,000 children and their parents, "randomly selected from 75 hospitals in 20 cities" in America, according to Parke. Some 3,712 births were from parents who are not married and 1,186 births of parents who were married. The typical unmarried couple was in their twenties, over one-third of unmarried mothers are Hispanic, 44% are African-American, and 21% of the parents were Caucasian. Forty-three percent of women - and 8% of men - were receiving food stamps, or public assistance of some kind.

The good news for pastors to pass along in sermons is that, notwithstanding the fact that one-third of all children are now born into an unmarried family, a full 82% of those unmarried parents in the survey were found to be "romantically involved," and either living as loving couples together (51%), or dating (31%).

Hence, we are not talking about 70% of African-American children being born to a single mom, with no father in sight. The good news is that there is a lot of love out there, though the institution of marriage, to a lot of younger couples, is outdated, and doesn't work. Having these couples participate in church activities, of course gives a pastor a very positive way to connect with unmarried couples, to not only bring them into the church, but to help them find jobs, help the mother find quality child care, and unite them with other young couples who are also raising children.

There are some generalizations from the survey that are useful in the sense that they offer solid social reasons why pastors should be in touch with today's unmarried parents, in order to provide services for them outside their attendance for Sunday sermons: one, unmarried parents are "twice as likely to live below the poverty line as married parents"; two, unmarried parents are "twice as likely to have dropped out of school as married parents"; three, unmarried parents are "twice as likely" to have reported being in some degree of trouble with alcohol or with illegal drugs; four, unmarried parents "are younger than married parents" by an average of 7 years; and five, forty-three percent of unmarried mothers "have children with at least two men," while just 15% of married mothers "have children with different fathers."

In conclusion, Parke writes that the data from the research helps to dispel the myth that the "children of unmarried parents" are "the products of casual sexual liaisons." On the contrary, she asserts - and this is germane to pastors training for the roles as spiritual leaders - "at the time of birth, many unmarried parents think highly of marriage..." And further, the birth of a child provides a "magic moment" for intervention with unmarried parents, and that "policies and programs should build upon the commitment that unmarried fathers articulate at that time." Those policies and programs could very well be spearheaded by pastors, as a tool to encourage the unmarried couples to become part of the community of church activities.

Martin P. Copenhaver - Growing Up Liberal (Good News in Exile)

In his essay, Martin P. Copenhaver - a minister's son born into a liberal community in 1954, the year "under God" was added to the Pledge of Allegiance - remembers sermons he heard growing up that were "sprinkled with quotes from virtually every human endeavor" (Copenhaver 8-9). His dad, and other preachers he heard, quoted poets, sociologists, scientists, journalists, to "support the sermon's point." And yes, there was Scripture, but "often these references were made as if they were a summary...the gospel was treated as the capstone of human experience," and he remembers thinking, "how could we not listen to Jesus when other authorities from a variety of disciplines seemed to be saying the same thing in their own ways?"

That approach to the gospel - more philosophical than theological - "was always rather thin," Copenhaver writes, "lulling us into the notion that the world would somehow do our work for us."

But now he says there has been a "seismic shift" in how the church functions; and today's "secular culture makes not the slightest apology for defying or simply ignoring the challenges of the gospel." So, "we need to take up the job that was always ours, the job of becoming a community in which Christian lives can be formed."

What Copenhaver is offering to readers is simple: his experience as a youth taught him the philosophical stance that he carried into adulthood and his own ministry; but today, churches must gather their strongest leaders together, roll up sleeves, and do the work in the community that ties Christianity together with real-world needs by real-world citizens. In other words, we should use what we once believed (our idealism) to build on what we must now believe in - a more worldly, less ethereal, approach to Christianity.

Anthony B. Robinson - Making of a Post-Liberal (Good News in Exile)

Robinson (16) explains in his essay that he once advocated a "civic faith" policy for churches: "civic faith" fellowship meant to Robinson that the church is "the center of civic life," and that the mission of the church is "to ameliorate the human suffering of the city," and moreover, the church should become "the moral conscience of the community." However, Robinson began to see that "the world for which [civic faith] was an appropriate model no longer exists." Christianity, he continues, has been "disestablished" and now exists in a social environment "that is somewhere between indifferent and hostile to it."

The church can no longer think of itself as "the conscience of the community" Robinson asserts, nor can it think it is "the carrier and embodiment of religious meaning for civil society" (16-17). As to why the church is no longer the community's conscience, he explains, several reasons are behind it: a) church is no longer necessary for "members of the social elite to be church members"; b) recent social policies have resulted in the least fortunate (homeless, AIDS victims, mentally unstable) being concentrated in the inner cities, and urban churches often provide food and assistance for these unfortunates, hence, the needy are no longer "out there" to be sought out and "saved," but in fact they are often on the doorsteps and in the hallways of the church, not as worshippers, but as receivers of charity; c) many people seeking a church to belong to are "spread thin and exhausted by the demands of work and family," and so, for them the "civil society" is not relevant, because they give all week at home and work, and come Sunday, they wish to receive something to replenish their weary minds and spirits.

Because "so much Protestantism has been focused on accommodation," Robinson writes on page 24, and "on adjusting the faith to us, to so-called modern sensibilities," that some of the bottom line goals of Christianity have been lost, and "we have made the faith and the church awfully boring." Moreover, "too much worship in mainline churches today is just trivial" (25), he continues, and "too often we clergy seem to construe our role as that or protecting our congregations from this God, from God's holiness and grace." His approach now, he says, in light of the need for the "civic faith agenda" to get an "overhaul," is to talk less of "peace and justice," to participate less in "do-gooderism," and instead get into the full-time ministry of converting people to Christianity.

And when people in his congregation say they have "trouble" understanding Easter, he doesn't try to "fix it for them by explaining it..." Instead, he says thing like, "Gee, that's great. Easter is tough. it's troubling, all right. It may require change...but don't worry, with God all things are possible." These changes in approach to his ministry can be, and should be, instructive and/or inspirational to new pastors seeking knowledge about the careers they are launching.

William H. Willimon - Up from Liberalism (Good News in Exile)

The essay by Willimon describes his upbringing in the South and his view now that churches were dishonest, because churches in the South looked the other way at the segregated society they worshipped in, which was "a vast social evil." Not only did the church tolerate racial inequality and repression, Willimon wrote, but the church also "defended" segregation; "daily you see otherwise good people do some dreadful things and call it right."

As a lesson for pastors who are learning about strategies for powerful sermons to offer congregations in 2005, it is worthwhile to note that Willimon said that "most" of the sermons he heard in the Sixties "took a superior, arrogant attitude toward the tradition of the church." Many of the "notions of church" which he was steeped in during the Sixties were "imperialistic and anachronistic." The church then, he writes (30), "was a gathering of like-minded people who are seeking to live vaguely better lives," of people committed to certain "amorphous values" such as "justice" and "affirmation." Churches - "stable, secure-looking fortresses" - often seemed more like "banks" than a "House of God."

And though as a young minister, he thought he would be "an agent of change," he believes now he did not offer his people "resources that were adequate for them to change." The depth of people's needs made a huge impression on him (31), he continued, and as time went by he realized people didn't need "more rules" or moralizing, to become better Christian citizens. "They needed God," he explains. They didn't need any "improvement," but rather they needed "salvation."

In conclusion, one can relate to Willimon's view (looking back) that "the mainline church seemed rather pitiful...[and was] still acting as if it enjoyed a monopoly in American religious life, still adapting itself to a world it thought it controlled." It did not - nor does it today - control that world; it was deceiving itself, Willimon believes.

But because new thinking was - and is - required, that progressive style of thinking offers a new time for the church to seek relevancy as a way of "making sense of loss and disestablishment while at the same time daring to dream of a new world where God is," he writes.

And as to just precisely how today's pastors-in-training will assimilate Willimon's description of his transformation from yesterday's errors to today's religious realities depends upon the individual pastor; but it seems that all knowledge and experience passed down from veteran ministers is worth approaching with interest and with an open-minded spirit of learning from those who went before.

Conversion: New Creation" - Good News in Exile

The combined editorial effort of the three pastors whose essays appear in Good News in Exile (107-108) offers the view that this book is intended as a tool to urge new ministers to not "take comfort in the past, in the old securities," but rather, to realize that "our hope" lies in the fact that "God is determined to have a family and will use almost any means to do it" Therein, they write, "is our hope."

And what did these three ministers see as they look out into the congregation on Sundays in 1999 (year of publication)? a) They saw people who "lived through a time of loss," whose protestant churches have undergone "the most dramatic decline in history"; they see people who are asking, "Is our future one of continued decline?" B) They saw people "whose perspective has been essentially the theology of accommodation...with a corresponding loss of the distinctiveness and the peculiarity of the claims of Christ." C) They saw people who "jettisoned the authority of the Scripture," and the church traditions and disciplines "in favor of a radically subjectivized notion that truth is self-devised and self-validated."

But D), they also saw "people who yearn for more," which gives them hope that "dismantling" the old accommodation attitudes about Christianity can be "a prelude to rebirth" in ways that facilitate moving from "a maintenance mode of church life" to a church that "prays for, enjoys, and fosters conversion."

Cheryl Townsend Gilkes - the Storm and the Light

Gilkes asserts that black families "are experiencing a storm," one of the "most significant challenges facing the black church" (178). The storm is partly the result of the "changing nature of society" and the "changing relationship of black people to the society," plus, "new and unanticipated pressures facing families." Add to that, for blacks, the "culture of racism," the problems of "the truly disadvantaged" (AIDS, crack cocaine, unemployment), the "rise in female-headed and impoverished households," the "increasing economic marginalization of black men," plus "slashed social programs," and Gilkes believes implications for the black church "are profound."

All these profound problems and issues notwithstanding, Gilkes (186-87) notes that "African-Americans are the only ethnic group whose family life" is consistently described in terms of "events a century distant," and also, African-Americans' history of responding to being economically exploited has been shaped "in the overlapping settings of church and family." Meanwhile, it is historically correct, Gilkes continues, that the family and church "enabled blacks to endure American racism, slavery, segregation, violence, and oppression," and so there is a legacy of an "enduring" nature about blacks and their churches, and this legacy will continue despite new social pressures and problems.

Keeping in mind that this essay was published in 1995, and that economic conditions have not improved to any great degree in the urban core areas of America in 2005, Gilkes' points are perhaps even more valid and urgent than fifteen years ago. "...Poor black families are facing the most protracted crisis ever," she writes (193). For sociologists and others to use the term "underclass" in our society, those concentrated in the poorest parts of inner city neighborhoods, overlooks "the large numbers of women and children affected by the economic crises giving rise to the underclass." There is a "deteriorating social order," she continues, and with higher unemployment rates for African-American men, women are affected "as dramatically as men." Meanwhile, it is "women who fill the pews of African-American churches," and women who are "most vulnerable to the ravages of the crack epidemic"; so, for pastors who are focusing in on the needs of their congregation, they certainly can begin their ministry reaching out to women.