Point - Fall 2016 by Converge

C O N V E R G E M A G A Z I N E // F A L L 2 016

TEAR DOWN THE WALLS 4 // What happens when pastors reconcile 12 // The black/white conversation 18 // Peppering the city with churches

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FROM THE PRESIDENT

Church Planting churchplanting@converge.org Church Strengthening strengthening@converge.org International Ministries missions@converge.org converge.org Converge Worldwide @convergeww converge_ww

VOLUME 8 // NUMBER 5 EDITOR Bob Putman DESIGNER/PRODUCTION MANAGER Pam Nelsen CONTRIBUTING EDITORS Fran Anderson, Allison Hurtado To add or remove your name from our mailing list, call 800.323.4215, M-F, 8 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. est point@converge.org Point (ISSN/1546-3257) is published quarterly (with a special edition in December) by the Baptist General Conference, 2002 S. Arlington Heights Rd., Arlington Heights, IL 60005. Printed in the U.S.A. Nonprofit Standard postage paid at Arlington Heights, Ill., and at additional mailing offices.

Tearing down the walls “For he himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility…” (Eph. 2:14, esv). God has blessed Converge in many ways over the years. From our beginnings in the 1850s, the Swedish Baptist General Conference advanced with great evangelistic fervor, reaching immigrants across the Midwest. In the mid1940s, with hopes of reaching more people with the gospel, our movement leaders dropped “Swedish” from their name. God blessed their faith with significant expansion in the United States and with the commissioning of missionaries around the world. In the past 40 years we have seen a great outpouring of the blessing of God, with numerous key leaders from diverse ethnic backgrounds choosing to join hands with Converge. Today, over 300 of our nearly 1300 congregations identify themselves as non-Anglo or multiethnic. We pray we are on our way to becoming a truly culturally diverse movement. Over the past year, Converge national and district leadership, in collaboration with our churches, have taken part in a movement-wide diversity assessment. At the point of this writing, over 50 percent of our churches have participated. In the coming months we will begin to implement what we’ve learned to position Converge for greater diversity, influence and impact. In service to the God of the nations, we are positioning ourselves to reach them here in the U.S. and around the world. Jesus came to tear down the walls — not only our walls with God, but also our racial, social and cultural walls with each other. To reach this generation, our churches must display the power of the gospel to remove obstacles, reconcile relationships and reach every person in our society with the life-changing message of Jesus Christ. In this issue of Point, we begin the conversation of how you and I can move forward to embrace this God-given opportunity to help those of every tongue, tribe, people and nation meet, know and follow Jesus. Better together,

© 2016 Baptist General Conference. POSTMASTER Send address changes to Point, 2002 S. Arlington Heights Rd., Arlington Heights, IL 60005-4193. SCRIPTURE REFERENCE Scripture taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version. Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984 by the International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House. REPRINT PERMISSION Permission is granted to photocopy articles in small quantities for personal, church or school use. Please protect our copyright by writing or typing before copying: “Reproduced from Point by permission.” This permission does not extend to articles reprinted from other publications, reports for another publication or large quantity reproductions. For such purposes, written permission must be obtained from Point or from the original source.

2 POINT // FALL 2016

Scott Ridout President, Converge

ERIC JOHNSON

Converge is a movement of almost 1300 churches working to help people meet, know and follow Jesus. We do this by starting and strengthening churches together worldwide.

What happens when pastors reconcile By Bob Putman

Why diversity matters By Jim Eaton

One in Christ Jesus By Twanna Henderson

Extras 12 // The black/white conversation 14 // Right color, wrong culture? 18 // Peppering the city with churches 22 // Happenings Connect 2016 speakers were dynamic Two districts select new leaders n Gary Hunter joins Converge missions staff n n

Cover Physical walls exist for a reason: to protect people and property from danger. Interpersonal and attitudinal walls stand against our unity and peace in Christ. Now and in eternity, we will celebrate and embrace the diversity God created and loves. As Christfollowers we join God in removing the walls that stand between what he has made equal and one in Christ. DESIGN: RYAN EMENECKER START. STRENGTHEN. SEND.

WHAT HAPPENS WHEN PASTORS RECONCILE BY BOB PUTMAN

In summer 2013, Lon Solomon, senior pastor of McLean (Virginia) Bible Church, one of the largest evangelical churches in the mid-Atlantic region, began to experience what he calls “a personal revival.” As MBC’s pastor for 33 years, Solomon felt settled, almost running on autopilot. He was doing all the things senior pastors are supposed to do, but some of his passion Lon Solomon and fire for leadership had waned. Especially in his prayer life. Then the Lord spoke. “You’re either going to lead this church with passion, or you’re going to step down,” Solomon heard. “But I’m not going to let you lead my church halfheartedly.” Solomon loves McLean Bible Church and his role as senior pastor. He understood his responsibility as leader of this flock and confessed, “I’m sorry I’ve been lackadaisical and lazy in my spiritual life.” Over the next several months Solomon worked towards improving relationships with Christian leaders across the area. He recognized he was operating as a lone ranger. He had been leading MBC as if the church could reach the Washington, D.C., area alone. They didn’t need other churches, relationships or partners. “That flowed

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out of my arrogance and self-sufficiency in the flesh,” Solomon said. Again God’s response was direct: “Lon, this is not only wrong. It’s highly offensive to me. You’ve tried going alone for 35 years; it’s not going to work. I’m not going to let this succeed.” A CRISIS OF HUMILITY Solomon realized he had sinned against fellow pastors and churches across the greater D.C. area. It was not merely a pragmatic issue for him, but a deeper spiritual one. He had ignored and minimized these local brothers and sisters in Christ. And he had to do something about it. First he met with his church leadership team and confessed. Next he decided he would call meetings with groups of eight or 10 white, black, Hispanic and Asian pastors in the area. He would confess his arrogance and attitude of self-sufficiency and the isolation of McLean Bible Church. Then he would ask for their forgiveness and request that they let him try again to get it right. So in early 2014 he held these meetings, taking with him associate senior pastor Dale Sutherland. He confessed before the pastors and asked for forgiveness. The reception was surprisingly warm. The area pastors responded graciously, and Solomon wept. He felt it was a wonderful time of healing, and they prayed together, pledging to begin working together to build Christ’s church in the region. John Jenkins

When a megachurch pastor pursued forgiveness, three D.C.-area pastors forged a friendship and collaboration that crosses state and racial boundaries.

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Last, he visited John Jenkins, pastor of Converge’s First Baptist Church of Glenarden, in Landover, Maryland. Again Sutherland joined Solomon in the visit. THE PASTOR WHO SAID NO As with all the other meetings, Solomon confessed his arrogance, isolationism and indifference to First Baptist and other churches of various races. He asked Jenkins for forgiveness. “I forgive you,” Jenkins told him. “That’s great,” Solomon said. “John, what I’d like to know is, would you be kind enough to give me another chance to try to get this right? I really want us to start working together and, more than that, I want us to become friends, brothers. Jenkins hesitated, then said, “Do you remember in 1998 when I came over to your church and sat in your office and asked you to please throw in with us on a crusade we were doing? We really wanted to work cooperatively, First Baptist of Glenarden and McLean Bible Church. You told me no. Remember that?” “Honestly, I don’t remember,” Solomon admitted. “Well, you did.” “I’m so sorry. I don’t even remember that,” Solomon reiterated. To Jenkins, Solomon’s proposal was yet another example of a familiar pattern. He had participated in multiple D.C.-area events that sought to pull the churches together. The outcome had always been the same: the Anglo churches promised to participate but ultimately didn’t show up or fully engage with the ethnic churches. So Jenkins told Solomon he wasn’t willing to participate unless Solomon would get the Anglo churches connected and involved. “OK, John,” Solomon replied. “I understand what you say. But we cannot end here. Here’s the deal. Give me one more chance, and I promise you McLean Bible Church will show up. I can’t promise every other Anglo church will, but McLean Bible Church will be there. I’ll be there. You have my solemn promise.” “OK,” Jenkins said. “Let’s try it.”

narden churches exchanged pulpits, with Solomon speaking at Jenkins church and vice versa. FROM FRIENDSHIP TO REGIONAL COLLABORATION In August 2014 Solomon felt led to partner with area pastors to host a Washington Prayer Gathering at the Lincoln Memorial on Columbus Day. When Solomon took the idea to Jenkins and Bishop Owens, he was met with enthusiasm. They said, “If that’s what God’s telling you, we’ll stand behind you.” Solomon sighed. “Well, we’ll know quickly when we apply for the permit. I can’t imagine somebody not reserving the Lincoln Memorial for something on Columbus Day.” He submitted the request for a permit and was surprised to learn the date was available. Jenkins wasn’t in town the day of the prayer gathering, but he promoted it in his church, as did Owens and Solomon in their churches. So, in spite of pouring rain, more than 5000 people from several hundred churches gathered on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial to pray for their communities, our government and unity in our nation. The event was repeated last year with more than 7500 in attendance.

‘Here’s the deal. Give me one more chance, and I promise you McLean Bible Church will show up. I can’t promise every other Anglo church will, but McLean Bible Church will be there. I’ll be there. You have my solemn promise.’

FROM FORGIVENESS TO FRIENDSHIP From those meetings emerged a partnership between three of the largest D.C.-area churches: McLean Bible, First Baptist of Glenarden and Greater Mount Calvary Holy Church, led by Bishop Alfred Owens. The three pastors determined they would try to paint a different picture of racial harmony in their region. They began with pastor-and-wife dinners together a few times a year. No agenda, just getting to know each other, talking about their families, having fun. “We’re just crossing racial lines and state lines to know each other better,” Jenkins observed. The conversations deepened to include things that burden them in ministry and requests for prayer for one another. In April the McLean and Gle-

NO LONGER DIVIDED How do Solomon and Jenkins regard each other now and has their relationship changed since their agreement to work together? “I love him,” Solomon said. “John is one of the finest people I’ve ever met, solid as a rock when it comes to the gospel and biblical truth and one of the hardest working men for the Lord I’ve met. He’s humble, a man of real integrity and honor. He loves his wife and family deeply. I would be proud to stand with him anywhere — even before isis — any time.” Jenkins spoke equal words of praise for Solomon. “I love him as a brother. I don’t know very many Anglo pastors who would do what he did. He not only apologized to me in my office, he actually got down on his knees. And he did that in other churches too. I haven’t often seen that level of humility and passion for the kingdom of God. He took his time and energy to travel to these various ethnic churches and say, ‘I’m sorry I’ve been so isolated from everybody. Please forgive me. And let’s come together and work together.’ That speaks to me volumes about his character. “We pray for each other, encourage each other, attend each other’s services, anniversaries and celebrations whenever possible. We’re cultivating a relationship that demonstrates to the body of Christ that the church is coming together; it’s not divided by race.” The bottom line is this: racial diversity is a demographic given and a biblical reality Converge churches must embrace. Solomon, Jenkins and Owens are proving Christ’s mission will be accomplished when his people work together. n Bob Putman is Point editor and director of Converge Communications.

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WHY DIVERSITY MATTERS BY JIM EATON

Everyone is talking about diversity. From racial tensions to Cultural Intelli-

gence1, diversity is the new “it” factor. The question the church wants answered is this: Why does diversity matter? There are two answers: diversity matters because it’s smart and because it’s biblical.

Diversity is smart

Google “American demographics” and you’ll get all the information you need. Since the Immigration and Naturalization Act of 1965 leveled the playing field for non-European peoples, America has been shifting brown. The Pew Research Center reports that in 2014 public school students nationwide went majority-minority2 and that by 2043 our nation will be minority-white. Over 10 years ago Census Bureau director Kenneth Prewitt predicted: “Our country will be the first country in world history that is literally made up from every population stream from the rest of the world; the first country in world history that is pan-world.” Failure to embrace diversity in our churches will inevitably render our ministries nice but irrelevant to the emerging generation. David Gibbons, a second-generation Korean-American pastor, said: “Today’s generation thinks that if you’re not being multiethnic in your endeavors, you’re not real. They see diversity everywhere else in society, but if they don’t see it in the church, they think the church is superficial.” And Derwin Gray, an African-American pastor, added: “You will be a Blackberry in an iPhone world.” Smart global organizations study, pursue and embrace diversity: Apple, Siemens, Starbucks. Smart global cities do the same: Hong Kong, Dubai, Washington, D.C. But let’s be candid. The diversification of America will not translate into diversity in our churches unless we embrace this as a biblical matter, a righteous imperative. South Africa serves as an example. For years South Africa has simultaneously functioned as a minority-white nation and a nation of unicultural churches. Demographic variety is no guarantee of diversity in the Church; in fact, it may catalyze a retrenchment into racial enclaves, something we are presently witnessing in our political process. So we must answer the question: Is diversity biblical? I believe the answer is a resounding yes.

Diversity is biblical

Diversity roots in the imago dei, the image of God in humankind. “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness” (Gen. 1:26, esv). Diversity is simply another term for the craftsmanship of the Artisan of heaven. Racism’s principal evil lies in its arrogant presumption to unilaterally stratify God’s magnificent creation. “I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made” (Ps. 139:14, esv). When humankind fails to appreciate diversity and in its place substitutes oppression, microaggression and insult, we injure God’s heart. Our worship fails. “Is not this the fast that I choose: to loose the bonds of wickedness… to share your bread with the hungry… and not to hide yourself from your own flesh?” (Isa. 58:6-7, esv). Church hip won’t cut it anymore. Skinny jeans will not save our souls. Hooping won’t reach the new generation. Our culture cries out for a redeemed people who will see humankind as God does.

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‘ You are more than the color of your skin. Your race is the house, your culture the furnishings in the house. You can’t do much about your house, but you can do a lot of remodeling inside your house.’

When Jesus sent his disciples on the Great Commission in Acts 1:8, he wasn’t sending them to geographical places as such but to cultural groups. Jerusalem wasn’t the disciples’ hometown. They were good old boys, driving pickup trucks with bumper stickers that read, “God, guns & guts built Galilee!” Jesus knew that to these disciples Samaria didn’t mean the next state on the map; it was the other side of the tracks, the place their mothers warned them about. Jesus sent his disciples on an intercultural mission. In Acts 2, on the Day of Pentecost, the Spirit came in the metaphor of a tongue, and the believers spoke in tongues — not to create a Pentecostal denomination, but to illustrate God’s new world, the church. Ancient Babel initiated the silos of ethnic isolation, unraveling unity with disunity and trust with suspicion. The church reverses Babel. The gift of tongues created understanding, communication, empathy, harmony. Unity amid diversity. Without diversity you cannot have unity, only uniformity. The theological impetus of Galatians and Ephesians features the exclusive majesty and purity of the gospel. Within the gospel lies the purpose of God to create the church as “one new man out of the two, thus making peace, and in one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross” (Eph. 2:15-16). Peter’s lapse into xenophobia when the leaders came from Jerusalem didn’t just indicate poor manners — it threatened the purity of the gospel. Paul was left with no option but to publicly rebuke Peter: “When I saw that their conduct was not in step with the truth of the gospel…” (Gal. 2:14, esv). The church is designed by Jesus to be one people from many, one loving body formed of former enemies, one spiritual entity transcending all earthly entities. “For in Christ Jesus… There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus” (Gal. 3: 28, 26, esv). Heaven will be a place of superlatives. It will transcend denomination. No Presbyterian Promenade, Catholic Cul-de-sac, Baptist Boulevard. It will also transcend race and culture. “And they sang a new song, saying ‘Worthy are you to take the scroll and to open its seals, for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation’” (Rev. 5:9, esv). When we arrive in heaven, we will be shocked to discover there is no black church. No white church. No Hispanic church. No Korean church. Just the church. For eternity. We’re in for some serious culture shock unless we start getting ready now. Is diversity really possible in the church? Yes. But first two caveats: language and demographics. Churches usually need to worship in a common language. First-generation immigrants live in survival mode; they worship in language-specific churches because their language is their oxygen. Last Sunday I preached in a Vietnamese church in Fairfax, Virginia, my message interpreted into Vietnamese. The question (and it’s a separate discussion) is this: what will the children do? The second caveat is demographics. We live and serve Christ within the demographics of our community. If your community is 95 percent black, you shouldn’t stress out because your church isn’t 50 percent white. If your community is 95 percent white, don’t worry about becoming 50 percent Hispanic. The question (and it’s a separate discussion) is this: how are your demographics changing, and how will you reach the change? Language and demographics aside, how do we go about facilitating diversity in the church? Let me give you two basic principles to launch you on this sacred journey.

First, incarnation

To incarnate means to put yourself into the other person’s experience. It’s the next step along the road from apathy to empathy. Social media accelerates unhelpful vitriol, in which each group stands up for its own and denigrates the other. Ethnocentrism will get us nowhere except more strife and pain. We must sacrificially step into the other person’s shoes, the other culture’s shoes, their lane, their experience, their wound. We must listen to one another. Really listen.

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If there’s anything my wife Natalie has taught me through our 30+ years of marriage, it’s the value of listening. Our marriage succeeds not because either of us is perfect (well, she’s practically perfect), nor because we’ve never offended each other, but because we’ve learned to incarnate into each other’s experience. If you’re Anglo, enter into African-American experience; if African-American, learn Hispanic stories; if Hispanic, learn Asian stories; if Asian, learn Anglo stories. Follow Jesus’ example. Last week the Band of Brothers men’s ministry at Mosaic Church, where I serve, held their Real Talk, a bimonthly meeting for men to talk about their life, struggles and walk with God. It was Tuesday night, right in the middle of all the racial tensions across the country. On this night the black brothers opened up about their anxieties and fears about the police. They began to share extremely painful stories. They cried. At first the white brothers sat quietly, awkwardly. Then one, then a second, then a third opened up with their stories, their struggles. The two-hour Real Talk stretched into four hours as the Spirit of Jesus came into the room and created a breakthrough.

Second, cultural intelligence

Once we’ve begun to empathize with one another’s experiences, now comes the lifelong adventure of Cultural Intelligence, or CQ. This is the fun part. As Emotional Intelligence informs emotions, so CQ informs culture. You are more than the color of your skin. Your race is the house, your culture the furnishings in the house. You can’t do much about your house, but you can do a lot of remodeling inside your house. You are an infinitely complex human being, created by God and shaped by millions of unique experiences. And so is the other person, the other culture. Black people aren’t white people with black skin. They’re black people. White people aren’t black people with white skin. They’re white people. Culture matters. Our leadership team studies a topic every year. Last year we spent the year working through Cultural Intelligence. We went to see “Selma.” We talked about white privilege, about Jim Crow, about Michael W. Smith (half the team hadn’t heard of him) and Anthony Evans (the other half hadn’t heard of him). Enroll yourself in the school of culture. Learn what makes a culture think, emote, behave the way it does. Read books. See movies. Study culturally intelligent sites. Follow insightful people on Twitter and Facebook and LinkedIn. Don’t just hang out with your own people — that’s boring. Expand your relationships. Enrich your life. Because diversity matters. n Jim Eaton is lead pastor of Mosaic Church, Frederick, Maryland, and a former Converge overseer. Cultural intelligence can be understood as the capability to relate and work effectively across cultures. Minorities outnumber the white students in public schools.

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Diversity is beautiful I want to share this simple picture with you and my thoughts about it. Although it’s just a low-quality shot I took with my phone camera, it shows a part of a big, beautiful picture. Seven children are playing together at the Mosaic Church picnic, and out of all of them, my son CJ (second from l.) is the only “white” child. Growing up, all my friends were white. In my graduating class of 165 kids, there was one AfricanAmerican child, one Chinese girl, one Mexican boy and one Indian girl. The other 161 of us were white. There were no non-white families in our neighborhood and certainly none in our church. At age 5, my son has already made friends with a more diverse crowd than I knew in 12 years of grade and high school. We have been so truly blessed to be able to bring him up in a world so diverse and rich in culture. The bigger part of the picture is that CJ is not the only one who has gained friends from different backgrounds. Although I wasn’t necessarily avoiding anyone whose skin was a different color than mine, I certainly wasn’t taking any strides to get to know them either. Other than a few co-workers, most people in my adult life looked an awful lot like the people from my childhood. Now all that has been turned upside down, and I never want it to go back to the way it was. I love that I am a part of a church proud of the diversity of its people. I love that here my background doesn’t matter. My imperfections, mistakes and shortcomings don’t matter. The only thing that matters is that I am here, and I want to follow Christ and deepen my relationship with the Lord. I find I’m surrounded by wonderful people from all over the world interested in the very same thing I am — to love and serve the Lord. I just wanted to take a moment to personally thank you [pastor Eaton] for “Fitting People Together.” By Joe Hopkins, who along with his wife Patti and their son CJ, attends Mosaic Church, Frederick, Maryland.

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THE

BLACK On June 27, Converge Church Strengthening director Bruce Hopler shared the pulpit with Converge Diversity director Robin Holland in Holland’s Aurora, Colorado, church. Their topic? What each, as a pastor, has learned from the other’s culture. BY THE EDITORS

ISSUE 1 // The art of celebration HOPLER: The white church can learn the art of celebration, remembering what God has done. The white church has lost a lot of that. I’ve watched the black church’s attitude when preparing for an anniversary celebration. It’s more than a party — it’s a community that gathers to celebrate something God has done, as we see throughout the Psalms. This has caused a yearning in me to slow down, gather our community together and say, “God, you did that.”

ISSUE 2 // Missions HOLLAND: A missions board in the black church typically is a group who meet together and with other church missions boards. The board members are called missionaries. They hold an annual missions board day. That’s pretty much it. It’s about events. In the white church a missions board is more functional. It determines where funds go to impact foreign and domestic missions. I learned this by looking into another culture [white], as the apostle Paul describes in 1 Corinthians 9:19-23: “… I have become all things to all men so that by all possible means I might save some.”

ISSUE 3 // Pastoral care HOPLER: In all my years as a pastor, I never had a pastor. I had advisors, accountability partners, prayer warriors, other pastors I could collaborate with. It’s common in the black church for the pastor to have a pastor. So if pastor Holland is wrestling with something, he goes to his pastor. He’s under that “covering,” which gives the congregation a sense of security. The black church also has “armor bearers.” Their role says, “We respect what God is doing

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through our pastor, and we help protect him because the evil one is constantly at war.” In my tough days I didn’t have someone to say, “You don’t talk that way about our pastor.” Also, in the black church, the pastor’s wife is called the First Lady. I first thought, “Is this some kind of power thing?” But in ministry I discovered some people won’t attack the pastor because he’s “God’s man,” so they go after his wife. I have always respected my wife, but I never put her in a position of respect. In this church you say, “Don’t mess with her. She’s the First Lady.”

ISSUE 4 // Worship HOPLER: The black church knows a thing or two about worship. I love that it’s responsive and there’s more storytelling. It’s more dynamic. HOLLAND: When I preach in a white church, I have to give them permission to say amen. I honestly didn’t know that I could actually take off my tie. HOPLER: I understand why you dress up. It’s an issue of respect. In our cultures, order has different meanings. In my culture, order has to do with saying we’re going to respect everybody’s time. It’s almost offensive if the worship leader adds another song to the service. HOLLAND: The Holy Spirit isn’t just a noun — he’s active and moving within us. So we’re free to give expression to that movement. I’ve been in a lot of white churches that now have more expressiveness [than in prior generations]. I see people raise their hands and say amen and try to rock. In our black culture, our expression is not just one-generational. It comes from many generations singing in the fields, from great tribulation and oppression. Singing

WHITE conversation and giving God praise was the only freedom we had. So we sang with all our hearts. And we sang with rhythm to each other to help the day go by. That translated to the church.

ISSUE 5 // Respect for the pastor HOPLER: In the black church, the pastor not only shepherds his congregation but is a cultural leader, a pastor in the community. There’s respect for the pastor. In the white church there has been such an emphasis on familiarity that respect for the role has been lost.

ISSUE 8 // Reconciliation HOPLER: Earlier I read to you 2 Corinthians 5:16-21. Throughout history, God sent prophets to reconcile people back to himself. Then he sent Jesus Christ, and on the cross he reconciled us. He then reconciled relationships with others. He said, “Love one another.” Because we’re to be reconciled, I have to take the time to get to know you, and you have to get to know me.

ISSUE 7 // Community

HOLLAND: The Savior brings us together in one Spirit, one body and one mind to worship him. We have to learn and understand each other’s culture so that we can be one in Christ. Years ago, this joint message never would have happened. God is opening doors that many of our parents could never have imagined in their lifetimes. He gave us the ministry of reconciliation and told us we are to be all things to all people. His Spirit reconciles and his love allows us to come together, overlooking a multitude of differences and faults. n

HOPLER: The black church does community well. I asked Pastor Holland, “What’s it like to go to church here?” He said, “It’s like a family reunion, every Sunday.” The trend in white churches has been to emphasize safety (anonymity). You can enter the church building, not be recognized and decide if this is what you want. Here in your church, community starts on day one. Your worship program includes a list of birthdays and prayer requests for people facing tragedy. You stop and pray over them.

The Hoplers (Bruce, center; Terri, far l.) and the Hollands (Robin, far r.; Nita, 2nd from l.) found their churches are more alike than different.

ISSUE 6 // Strategic planning HOLLAND: I’ve learned to do things systematically, with strategic planning and staff leadership teams. I’ve learned from the white church to implement systems to reach success. People appreciate things well planned and well executed.

READ THE FULL-LENGTH INTERVIEW Go to cvrg.us/fall2016 for much more of this interview. Learn more at converge.org/church-strengthening/diversity START. STRENGTHEN. SEND.

Right color, wron “Diversity? It sounds great, but is it really biblical?” I hear this question all the time. Is diversity something God wants, something he really cares about? The answer is: biblical diversity, yes. And social diversity? That’s not the definition we’re using. Social diversity means we look for equal rights for men and women, for lgbtq and for inclusion in all those areas. When Converge talks about diversity, we’re speaking from the biblical mandate: what is in line with the Word of God. Converge hopes to see our eyes opened to biblical truth and to the understanding that each of us practices inherent bias. Then we can make prayerful, informed choices.

A biblical view of diversity In Acts 6 we read that the Hellenistic widows were neglected in the daily distribution of food. Why? Because they were Hellenistic; Greek-influenced. Their culture was different from that of the Hebrew women, who received preferential treatment. Both groups were Jews, but one set practiced Hebrew culture and the other observed Greek culture. Did you know the men the apostles chose to distribute food to the Hellenistic widows have Greek names? They spoke Greek and understood the culture; therefore, they could minister to the neglected culture. In Philippians 3:5 Paul talks about his ethnicity: of the people of Israel, the Jews. Next he tells us his culture: “I am a Hebrew of Hebrews.” Because we have different cultures and ethnicities, it is critical for us to listen to and learn from each other.

Me, biased? “Implicit bias operates largely under the scope of human consciousness, influencing the way we see and treat others, even when we are determined to be fair and objective.”1 “Because [implicit bias] is an automatic and unconscious process, people who engage in this unthinking discrimination are not aware of the fact that they do it.”2 It’s important that we raise awareness of our implicit bias. Here’s an example. When someone says, “When I look at you, I don’t see color,” the speaker is denying the differences that exist. If you don’t see a person’s ethnicity, then you’re saying, “I don’t want to know your culture — it’s not important to me. I don’t want to get to know what you’ve been through in life, your struggle.” And take note, we people of color also carry implicit biases about our Caucasian brothers and sisters.

Three ways your church can grow in ethnic diversity If you want your church to be multicultural, you have to be purposeful in what you do. First, you have to hire leadership who look like the culture you’re trying to attract, someone whose culture is different from yours. It’s a must. People look at leadership and determine what a church is all about. If the leadership doesn’t look different, then you probably won’t become multiethnic. Second, you have to invite other expressions of praise. You must be open

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In this excerpt from his biennial meeting workshop, “Diversity in Your Reach,” Converge’s Diversity director discusses important perspectives and recommends a church’s first steps toward enlarging its ethnic footprint. BY ROBIN HOLLAND

to and welcome living in a community with people who praise and worship in ways different from those to which you are accustomed. God’s Word does not prescribe a certain way to worship. Multiple types of expression can enrich your worship experience. Celebrate them. Third, you have to anticipate growth. When it comes, you need to continue to foster the things that brought about that growth.

Let’s get specific From a diversity standpoint, what about hiring someone who looks like the people you’re trying to attract? Be careful, Brian Lorritts warns in his book Right Color, Wrong Culture, from which I’m paraphrasing. Lorritts says make sure you don’t hire a C-1. This, by definition, is someone totally assimilated into another culture, although he looks a certain way on the outside. This would be Carlton Banks on the TV show The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. He has taken on the attitudes, ways and many other facets of white culture. So when you talk to Carlton, you wonder, “Brother, are you black?” Why not hire a C-1? Because he’s not truly diverse. You’re going to attract people who look different but think exactly the way you do. You can’t do that and reach other cultures.

ong culture?

By the same token, you can’t hire a C-3, someone almost militant about his culture being the preferred one. On The Fresh Prince, Will Smith plays the Philly brother fighting for his Philly rights. He is in the black culture and benefits from it, but when it comes down to it, he’s all about his Philly culture. Why not hire a C-3? If you do this in a church seeking to become multicultural, it will become one-dimensional very fast. Your congregation will only put up with so much attitude before their feet do the talking for them. So you’ll want to hire a C-2. Actor Denzel Washington is an example. In the movies Glory and Malcolm X, the character he plays can’t see past promoting his culture and cause, a C-3. But in The Bone Collector and The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3, he clearly plays a C-1. Washington is comfortable playing both roles, operating in both cultures. For a multicultural setting you need to hire somebody with the ability to relate to C-1s and C-3s. You need a C-2 — someone who can relate across the spectrum and is open to learning about other cultures without superimposing his or her own. n Dr. Robin Holland is senior pastor of Living Hope Baptist Church, Aurora, Colorado, and Converge’s Diversity director. Davis, M. & Whalen, P.J. (2001). “The Amygdala: Vigilance and Emotion,” Molecular Psychiatry, 6 (1), pp. 13–34. 1

Wilkerson, I. (2013, September). “No, You’re Not Imagining It,” Essence, 44, pp. 132-137. START. STRENGTHEN. SEND.

in Christ Jesus Women — usually more than half of American churchgoers — are far from second-class servants of Christ. BY TWANNA HENDERSON

As a young girl growing up, I was fortunate to be affirmed by my parents. I felt love, worth and value in many ways. It is so important that young girls are esteemed for who they are and particularly for who God has called them to be. This early imprinting was instrumental in helping to shape me into the woman I have become. As a young woman, I began to better understand just how valuable and special I was because I was made in God’s image (Gen. 1:26). Genesis 2:22 (nasb) states that God fashioned woman. To fashion means “to give a particular shape or form to; to make.” Often women struggle in understanding their true worth. Their lack of understanding is not based on their race or their intellectual level or even on their gifts and talents. It appears to come from not fully embracing who God has made us to be. Galatians 3:28-29 (nasb) states, “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” In other words, our kingdom value is equal to anyone else’s. That is good news! At the same time, it is important to be clear that “age, gender and ethnicity are relevant, but not decisive as to how one is valued or what God wants to do through them.”1

Our all-powerful advocate Throughout Scripture, we see the Lord using numerous women because of their value and significance to him: women such as Miriam, Deborah, Jael, Huldah, Anna, Phoebe, Priscilla and Lydia, to name a few. We also see Jesus being an advocate for his daughters. In Luke 10, as Mary is seated at the Lord’s feet, her sister Martha becomes very annoyed with her. She confronts Jesus about Mary’s apparent lack of servanthood. But Jesus advocates for Mary by stating, “Mary has chosen the good part, which shall not be taken away from her” (v. 42, nasb). Jesus is our advocate, and it is reassuring to see yet another example of how our Lord advocates and stands up for us. In fact, in many instances all we need to do is activate our trust in the Lord and watch him move on our behalf. However, there are also times when women have to contend and stand up for themselves. Such is the case in Numbers 27 with Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah and Tirzah, the five daughters of Zelophehad. The Bible states that “they stood before Moses and before Eleazar the priest and before the leaders and all the congregation, at the doorway of the tent of meeting,” saying, in verse 4 (nasb), “‘Give us a possession among our father’s brothers.’”

Standing up for what’s right These five daughters were bold and daring and committed to what they knew was right. The Lord was on their side. Verse 6 states, “Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, ‘The daughters of Zelophehad are right in their statements. You shall surely give them a hereditary possession among their father’s brothers, and you shall transfer the inheritance of their father to them.’” The five daughters recognized their value and thus demanded what rightfully belonged to them. There are times when we must walk in our

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God-given boldness and stand up for what is right. An abc News report (March 2013) showed that current injustices among women around the world include the following: In Saudi Arabia, women drivers are prohibited; in China and India, there is infanticide of baby girls; in the African nation of Lesotho, women are unable to own land; in Afghanistan, one in five girls do not attend school; and in the United States, women earn 82 percent of what their male counterparts make. In addition, there is the plight of homelessness, poverty and female sex trafficking. These are some things that must be contended for or against.

To make a kingdom impact I see modern day Priscillas and Deborahs all across the country making a difference by serving as teachers, life group leaders, executive pastors, counselors, worship leaders, artistic leaders, mothers, caregivers and in numerous other roles. They are making a kingdom impact by walking in their God-given calling. They are as resourceful, hardworking and respected as was King Lemuel’s mother (A Worthy Woman: Prov. 31:10-31). Our responsibility is to value the various differences among us. At the same time, we must not miss the fact that we are all one in Christ Jesus. n Twanna Henderson is director of Bridge Network, Converge Women’s Ministries. Dr. James D. Smith II, professor, Bethel Seminary– San Diego. 1

Learn more

at converge.org/bridgenetwork

I have always been blessed to be able to form friendships and associations with women of different ethnic, cultural, social and economic backgrounds. We may not realize it, but when we say “I don’t see color,” we are actually denying the handiwork and artistry of our God. Rather, the more appropriate response would be, “Color is not a barrier to getting to know you on an authentic level.” God has made all of us different in terms of the hue of our skin, the accent in our voice or the geographical area where we grew up. Nevertheless, we are still “one in Christ Jesus.” As a result, women have continued to have a significant presence throughout history.

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Peppering the city with churches How can one church reach all of Brooklyn’s Haitian population? BY THE EDITOR

In February 2013, as Beraca Baptist Church senior pastor Mullery JeanPierre was meeting with local pastors, he sensed the Lord impressing upon him a challenge: “Pepper the city with churches.” He didn’t know what to make of it. How could a single Haitian church, admittedly a large one, pepper Brooklyn with new congregations? Beraca Baptist didn’t have the manpower or resources to pull off such a huge undertaking. About 20 minutes later, as he drove back to his church, Jean-Pierre received a call from his brother-in-law living in Qatar. “I had a dream last night,” the voice began, “that you were peppering the city with churches.” Jean-Pierre pulled off the highway and nearly hyperventilated. “What is this?” he asked God. When he arrived at Beraca, the other pastors agreed that God’s urging followed immediately by the phone call sounded strange. Four months later Jean-Pierre met over lunch with newly appointed Converge missionary David Nelms. In preparation, Jean-Pierre had checked Nelm’s website and read that in 2013 Nelms had overseen planting 23,000 churches in 39 countries. That was crazy. It made no sense in a Western context. But as they talked, Jean-Pierre began to see that he could pepper Brooklyn with churches — just not the kind that usually comes to mind. He would use small groups to start house fellowships that met the functions outlined in the Book of Acts: the people worship These are a few of the 65 small groups meeting in Brooklyn, Long Island and Queens. One already has grown to become a Beraca church plant, and another will soon follow.

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together, study and communicate the Scriptures in the power of the Holy Spirit, pray and fellowship together, observe baptism and communion and are sent out to make disciples. It wasn’t about buildings, paid staff, an awesome worship team or guest services. It was about making disciples who actually make disciples.

‘Faithful men that will teach others’

Early in 2015 Jean-Pierre invited Nelms to Beraca to preach and to introduce an 18-week study of The Timothy Initiative’s book Disciples Making Disciples. Of the 95 people who signed up for the course, 55 were qualified to begin immediately. Over time, the group shrunk to 35. In their first lessons they learned how to share their faith — and their homework required they do so with at least five people before attending lesson two. The students led family members to Christ as well as people in their housing complexes and others they met in supermarkets. “It’s behavioral-based training,” Jean-Pierre said. “It comes from 2 Timothy 2:2: ‘What you have heard me teach, pass on to faithful men that will teach others’ (paraphrased).” That group of students, with the people they have reached, has grown into 35 of the 65 small groups, most meeting in homes in Brooklyn, Long Island and Queens. About 20 of them meet in apartments, primarily in Brooklyn. In addition, Beraca now holds two services every Sunday in The Atrium nursing home. Residents invite family members, and the group continues to grow. In July, three senior adults placed their faith in Christ. Organizationally, Jean-Pierre provides oversight, helping select meeting sites. Small group coordinator Wilfrid François then oversees the groups, some having grown from five participants to 13 or 14. Next, several groups are combined and meet in a rented location: storefront, ywca or ymca conference room or room in a hotel. The combined group pays its own rent. Eventually these combined groups become church plants under the leadership of church planting and missions pastor Lesly Milord. Currently there is one church plant, with a second coming this fall.

He told pastor Jean-Pierre that he now knew beyond a doubt God was confirming he would receive a kidney. On Monday morning Jonathan received a call saying a kidney match was available. The small group continued to pray and contributed toward the expense of the costly procedure. Within the week the transplant was performed. Jonathan later learned the donor, critically injured in an auto accident, had stated he wanted his kidney given “to a young African-American male.” Jonathan credits small group participation for his growing faith: “If you have people staying with you, praying with you, encouraging you, it builds your faith.”

Preaching and living out the gospel

Jean-Pierre recently preached at the Converge church in Owings Mills, Maryland. He told the congregation, “We are the church. We need to go to people, like Jesus went to the woman at the well. We need to be the church that goes to people where they are and present and live out the gospel of Jesus.” In March, Jean-Pierre, François and Milord met with small group leaders for a ministry update. For about 90 minutes they listened to story after story of how small group members are making an impact upon the lives of people in their groups and beyond. Milord challenges groups to care for their own needs, as described in Acts 2 and 4. They are doing so generously. When Jonathan Plaisir, age 15, was on the waiting list for a kidney transplant, his group earnestly prayed for him every week. Plaisir, with his family, participates in one of the Brooklyn groups and attends bbc. One Sunday morning as Jean-Pierre gave the announcements at church, he felt led to ask people in need of prayer to approach the stage. Jonathan stood and walked to the front.

By any means

Jean-Pierre understands that this rapid-multiplication strategy, working in Brooklyn, may not function the same in other settings. But he stands committed to peppering his city with new churches, some through the small group strategy and others through more traditional means. For the past year, Converge pastor Phil Phillips has been commuting from Fort Myers, Florida, to train more than 30 potential Brooklyn church planters. He is using Converge’s School of Church Leadership curriculum. “Look for unconventional ways to plant churches,” Jean-Pierre advises. “Plant traditional churches, plant small groups with the potential to become churches.” Go ahead. Pepper your Brooklyn with the redeeming gospel of Christ. n Bob Putman is Point editor and Converge Communications director.

For more information on outreach to immigrant groups in the U.S., contact johnb@converge.org, director of Converge Diaspora Initiatives. START. STRENGTHEN. SEND.

EDITORIAL

What’s the first step? As I edited the preceding articles on diversity, I reflected on my journey into friendship with people of other cultures and colors. It has been a joy, eye-opening and, on rare occasions, embarrassing. Here are a few things my family and I have learned and put into practice. They may suggest some first steps you can take as well. Let it soak in. Slow down and let your mind and heart absorb what you read in this issue. Take your questions to the Lord and wait patiently for his answer. Dive into Scripture and seek perspective. Ask God to cleanse your heart of any unseemly bias and seek forgiveness for harmful comments or actions he brings to mind (see Psalm 51:1-2, 7). Pray for opportunities. In Ephesians 6 the apostle Paul said, “Pray for me… that I may declare [the gospel] fearlessly.” God can easily arrange an encounter between you and someone of a different skin hue, through a conversation with them at church or at the play park or some other setting. Our family has befriended Korean, Latino, Vietnamese, Chinese and Iranian families we met through our kids’ school pals, at church events, in our apartment building and at the playground. Learn more about diversity. Check out the diversity resource suggestions on our website: converge.org/church-strengthening/ diversity. You’ll find books, Scripture texts, some benefits of diversity, examples of implicit bias and three steps for churches to consider. Pick up Tony Evan’s book Oneness Embraced. Walk across the hall or across the street. Start a conversation. Greet an ethnic neighbor or be friendly with a person of a different culture at a place you regularly frequent. Once you get acquainted, invite him or her to your house to watch a game or share dessert.

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Share a meal. Over food, we have experienced wonderful times getting to know our neighbors and other acquaintances of different cultures. This has happened at church picnics, birthday parties and Labor Day gatherings, or in our home or theirs. There’s nothing like tasty eats to help people relax and enjoy their time together. Ask open-ended questions. Once you’ve begun to chat, you’ll notice people may hold different values on relationships, time, money, respect and much more. Be inquisitive. Ask, “Tell me about…” or “That’s interesting. How does (time, money, marriage, family structure) work in your culture?” My family has learned so much that’s fascinating through interactions with people of other cultures and skin color. We have grown in appreciation of ethnic foods, laughter, kindness, generosity, faith, family values, hope, endurance and alternate ways of looking at things we took for granted. I’m proud that Converge is focused on helping fulfill Christ’s great commission (Matt. 28:16-20) through and among people of every language, color, tribe and nation. In a future issue we’ll report on the findings and recommendations from our nationwide Converge diversity study. Don’t miss out on the full, rich cultural experiences and joys God has set before you in his beautiful, multicultural world. Take one small step of faith. Bob Putman is Point editor and director of Converge Communications.

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HAPPENINGS

EVENT

PEOPLE Great Lakes district taps Nabi to succeed Dr. Perry The Converge Great Lakes board of overseers voted unanimously to call pastor Ken Nabi as the next Converge Great Lakes executive minister. Nabi began as district president/executive minister designee August 10, overseeing ministries in Wisconsin and in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. Dr. Dwight Perry transitions from this role after the Great Lakes district’s annual meeting, October 21-22, pending final approval of Nabi.

Remarkable gathering at Connect 2016 in Denver The 422 people registered for Converge 2016 were impressed by four dynamic messages, great worship led by the host church worship team, helpful workshops and a remarkable closing commitment to engage 10 unreached, unengaged people groups each in India, Nepal and the “Spice Islands.” Learn more: converge.org/operation-uupg/. Listen to messages at http://cvrg.us/Converge2016. n Francis Chan, Living the Gospel in a Broken World n Scott Ridout, 10-Year Vision n John Jenkins, Preparing Your Church to Reach the World n Ivan Veldhuizen, Go Global Mission Hills Church, Littleton, Colorado, hosted the conference, which included brief Converge and Bethel University biennial meetings.

Hunter joins missions staff Gary Hunter, former international ministries director of ReachGlobal (efca), is now Converge’s director of Global Ministries. He provides hands-on leadership to our regional directors, making sure the right structures are in place to accomplish the mission God has called us to. He is based in California. Ivan Veldhuizen, Converge International Ministries executive director, will direct more of his focus to creating a missions culture among our U.S. churches and to giving leadership to IM as a whole.

Converge Southeast selects Cabrera to succeed Smith The Converge Southeast board has elected Ernie Cabrera, senior pastor of Ignite Community Church, Elk Grove, California, to serve as its new executive minister. He has planted three churches since 1989. Cabrera will oversee Converge Southeast ministries in Florida, Georgia, Louisiana and the Caribbean. Cabrera replaces Steve Smith, former Southeast executive minister 2001-2015. Smith transitioned from the role last November to launch the Church Equippers ministry.

MORE ONLINE New books from Converge authors Check out these new books from Converge writers. Read summaries: cvrg.us/fall2016.

Doing Bible Interpretation!, by Larry Caldwell

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Holy Shift: ComedyDriven Leadership for Churches That Want to Grow, by Jonathan Herron

Make Yourself at Home: Discovering the Heart of the Church, by Kay Swatkowski

My Father’s Guiding Hand: True Story of God’s Grace and Faithfulness, by Gloria Meiusi

Old Paths, New Power: Awakening Your Church Through Prayer and the Ministry of the Word, by Daniel Henderson

The Isaiah Encounter: Living an Everyday Life of Worship, by Chris Atkins

Third Calling: What are you doing with the rest of your life?, by Richard and Leona Bergstrom

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ONE can make a difference Haiti is the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere today. Its poverty, hunger, illiteracy and poor health care make the future of Haiti uncertain. One by One Haiti– in partnership with churches like yours–helps to provide food, Christian education and basic health care to improve the quality of life for Haitian children, families and communities. Your church can join us by sponsoring children, committing to prayer, sending people on short-term missions trips or supporting One by One Haiti financially.

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“This is my command: Love ONE another the way I loved you” (John 15:12). START. STRENGTHEN. SEND.

Baptist General Conference 2002 S. Arlington Heights Rd. Arlington Heights, IL 60005

A networking conference

where your agenda is our agenda At Converge, we don’t want any leader to walk alone. Attend Transform to learn, share and discuss what’s important to you now. Take on real-world challenges and leave ready to take them on—together. + Talk with other church planters and pastors who have been in your shoes + Have real conversations with real people—plus great workshops + Build relationships that help move your ministry forward

January 24-27, 2017 // California Register today at convergetransform.org 24 POINT // FALL 2016

a networking conference for church leaders