Light & Life Magazine

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From Every Nation

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may not look like the best person to introduce an issue about the multiethnic church.

Yet, according to census data, 42 percent of my community’s residents are Hispanic. My neighbors are from India and the Middle East. Through the miracle of adoption, my son does not share my pasty complexion.

I attend a Free Methodist Church that decided the people in the pews should look more like the people outside the church doors. We have made great progress toward that goal. On a recent Sunday evening, I found myself wearing a headset to hear the English translation of a sermon given in Spanish. This change at the local level reflects something I witnessed firsthand during General Conference 2011 — the growing diversity at the denominational level.

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This symbol means there’s more info at llcomm.org.

Diversity is not new for Free Methodists. An 1878 congregational photograph of the St. Charles (Ill.) FMC includes African-American parishioners. Sadly, as a couple of writers note in this issue, individual Free Methodists have not always shared the multiethnic vision of the denomination’s founders. My prayer is that this will change and all Free Methodists will be able to say, as Peter did, “I now realize how true it is that God does not show favoritism but accepts from every nation the one who fears him and does what is right” (Acts 10:34-35). [LLM]

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“In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind.” — John 1:4

LLM LIGHT & LIFE MAGAZINE

Developing Earnest Christians Since 1868

Lead Writer Lead Designer Writer/Photographer Copy Editor Art Director Circulation Project Manager Web Director/Rich Media Publisher

Jeff Finley Erin Eckberg Michael Metts Dawn McIlvain Stahl Andrea Anibal Kelly Sheads Julie Innes Peter Shackelford Jason Archer

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by richard c. harris

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hile I was speaking on a university campus, an audience member told me: “A black family just bought a home in my neighborhood.

Property values will go down, and crime will go up, and I want to know what I can do about it!� uuu

3 [feature] I suggested she bake either cookies or a cake, whichever she made best, and go meet her new neighbors who sounded like they wanted a good neighborhood in which to rear their children.

A church member informed me that he wouldn’t be hosting the annual church picnic at his home anymore because blacks and Hispanics (he used other terms) were coming. After all, what would his neighbors think

we are

told him to pick his new office.

I also saw that many in his congregation wanted to improve their English, so I suggested they attend my services as well as the Haitian services. Soon the Haitian pastor and I were co-pastoring all of the people, holding services together and becoming Christ’s church.

Then I caught a white member of the church using his cane to strike the Haitian pastor’s 8-yearold son, trying to push him out of the way. When I confronted the man, he said, “I’m tired of these Haitians (he used another term) sitting in my pews in my church. We white folk don’t want them here.”

After a book was published about my pre-Christian days as a leader in the infamous Ku Klux Klan, a leading church layman informed me that he agreed with just about 100 percent of what my book says. Then,

uniquely

poised to change the look and feel of the American church’s landscape. of him if they saw “those people” on his property? I said, “Maybe they’d mistake you for a Christian.”

My bishop assigned me to a church that was in a landlord relationship with a Haitian congregation.

When I found out the Haitian pastor had no office in the church that had plenty of extra rooms, I immediately

he qualified his statement with, “Yeah, I agree with just about everything the Klan stands for.”

I wish I could tell you that these events took place 60 or 80 years ago, but I can’t. I wish I could tell you that these incidents occurred only in the Deep South, where we might expect racism to still have a hold on the culture, but I can’t. These are just small examples of the racism that still pervades the American and church culture like a curse. Yes, gone are the Jim Crow laws and the days of “separate but equal.” However, someone looking at the American church culture today would have a hard time making a case that we have come very far in integrating our houses of worship as we have integrated our schools, shops and restaurants.

Hope for the Future Sunday morning still remains the most segregated time of the week in this country. There are some multiethnic, multiracial churches, but most churches are far from integrated.

However, we are uniquely poised to

[feature] 4 change the look and feel of the American church’s landscape. I started life in a segregated public school; joined and became the leader of a major white supremacist, terrorist organization; was converted to Christ; and have since fought many battles over the years to form multiethnic congregations. I truly believe this Bible verse: “From one man he created all the nations throughout the whole earth” (Acts 17:26a NLT).

We are all related, and Christ died for the human race, not a particular color of people.

Although embarrassed by some elements of the church’s past and annoyed by some of what I still see in the present, I’m excited for the church’s future. With new church paradigms being established, now is the time to banish the idea of black churches and white churches. Now is the time to have the church start looking and acting like the kingdom of God. As Colossians 3:11 (NLT) states, “In this new life, it doesn’t matter if you are a Jew or a Gentile, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbaric,

uncivilized, slave, or free. Christ is all that matters, and he lives in all of us.”

What Must the Church Do? Often when speaking around the country, I ask my audiences to raise their hands if they have friends of different races. Almost every hand immediately goes up. Then I define what I mean by “friend.”

A friend isn’t just a co-worker or someone at your school. A friend isn’t the cashier at which you smile when you go to the grocery store every week. No, a friend is someone you call up and say, “Hey, we’re having a cookout at my house this weekend. Why don’t you bring the family and come over?” Friends are people you go out

to eat with, go to the movies with, and just hang out with — not because you have to, but because you want to.

After my explanation, I tell the audience, “Now, put your hands up if you have friends of other races.” The difference is shocking; it’s even more shocking when my audience is in a church or at a Christian university.

It’s time to change that scenario. But how?

Multiethnic congregations are built by people who have multiethnic friendships -— a simple, yet profound truth.

I have found that people like to go to church with their friends — regardless of the color of their friends’ skin.

Both people and churches need to intentionally form friendships across ethnic lines. These friendships usually

5 [feature] don’t just happen, because they take us out of our comfort zone.

Churches become multiethnic when the pastor both models such relationships and teaches the congregation about building healthy race relations.

One evening I was in a meeting with black, white and Hispanic pastors from various denominations. We were working together to confront public officials on the need to staff health clinics in farm areas with bilin-

www.fmfoundation.org

gual doctors and nurses — or to at least provide translators — because the clinics were there to serve migrant workers, many of whom did not speak English. We ended the meeting by holding hands and singing “We Shall Overcome.” An older black pastor started crying uncontrollably.

He explained that he never thought he would live to see the day when a whole room full of white, black and Hispanic pastors would sing that song with him and vow to stand with

each other and see justice done. He summed it up beautifully when he said, “This is Christ’s kingdom.” [LLM]

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Richard C. Harris is the senior pastor of Living Hope Community Church in Lakeland, Fla. His website is richardharrisonline.com.

[bishops] 6

Making Diversity Less Divisive

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he church has always been a diverse family. The Bible emphasizes the church’s composition, including people from every language, tribe, race and nation.

We know that the universal church contains that diversity, but how does the local church reflect that diversity? After all, people from every nation, race and language don’t typically live in the same neighborhood.

A certain attraction is shared by every person in every neighborhood regardless of their ethnicity or background. They have the same, deep human need as everyone else around them. Only God satisfies this need. Their greatest relational connection will always be with those who deeply share the same Spirit of God that they experience.

People from very different backgrounds become increasingly connected at their point of least diversity — a need for God, purpose, salvation and hope. When two people are joined by the Spirit of God, forgiven through Jesus Christ, they become family of a different kind.

The result is a community that decreases the most divisive elements of diversity.

The church that wants to minister to a diverse population must focus on the points of common need — the bottom-line need for love, security and meaning as found in Jesus Christ. When we spend our time talking about how different we are, we tend to fixate on the differences. We may celebrate the differences, but we should never fixate on them.

Our focus must be on Jesus Christ.

We must deepen in Scripture together. We must pray together.

We must worship together. We must labor together. We must serve one another as family. Only then can diversity be celebrated.

Diversity becomes a joy when it is not center stage. When that which unites us becomes more prominent than that which divides us, then those things that typically divide us become no more than a joyful Matt i Bishop variety to our experience. Diversity becomes less divisive when Jesus Thomas is center stage. [LLM]

Diversity becomes a joy when it is not center stage.

7 [foundation]

SCRIPTURE:

The Mosaic Church b y jea n n e z or n es

1. Genesis 3:23 2. Genesis 11:1-9 3. Genesis 12:2-3 4. Ephesians 2:11-22 5. John 3:16 6. Mark 16:15 7. Acts 2:1-11 8. Acts 10:15, 11:9 9. Acts 10:34-36 10. Romans 16:25-27 11. Galatians 2:11-16 12. Acts 15:5-20 13. Revelation 5:9, 7:9

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iewed up close, mosaics don’t make sense. Where’s the beauty in countless broken pieces?

Brokenness wasn’t God’s perfect plan. Sin split off the first shards at 1 Paradise. Big chunks fell when tangled tongues halted Babel’s pride-driven tower.2 One piece, Abraham, was pulled from the heap for the promised Messiah’s ancestral lineage.3 Abraham’s descendants boasted having God’s covenantal favor. But when their long-awaited Messiah came, He reached outside Jewish exclusiveness to alienated, broken Samaritans and Gentiles. Those “who once were far away” were “brought near by the blood of Christ.”4 At Calvary, God declared His worldwide love, that whoever believed in Jesus would have eternal life.5 Jesus left earth commanding, “Go into all the world.”6 Pentecost undid the curse of the tower of Babel, the Holy Spirit enabling the disciples to miraculously preach in the native tongues of the cosmopolitan crowd.7 The mosaic grew as persecution drove believers away from Jerusalem.

One was Peter, who received God’s plan for a multicultural church through a strange vision of a sheet from heaven, laden with creatures that proper Jews never ate. God commanded, “Do not call anything impure that God has made clean.”8 It wasn’t about recipes, but redemption for all, starting with Gentile seekers waiting for Peter at a soldier’s house.9 Paul plunged into meeting global human brokenness, building the mosaic as he preached that the gospel has no racial barriers.10 He scolded those (even highly regarded Peter) who regressed to religious elitism.11 In a giant step toward cultural inclusion, the highest church council released new Gentile converts from having to keep Jewish ceremonial law.12 To encourage living out faith by grace in a multicultural way, today’s church has John’s Revelation for a model. The aged apostle saw heaven’s completed mosaic of uncountable tribes, languages, peoples and nations — all redeemed and worshipping the Lamb.13 [LLM]

[history] 8

Red and Yellow, Black and White b y kate mcginn

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n the wake of the Azusa Street revival, Pentecostal evangelist Frank Bartleman declared, “The color line was washed away in the blood of Jesus.”

In the early days of Free Methodism, one could almost believe it. AfricanAmericans dined in the home of B.T. and Ellen Roberts. The couple befriended Pandita Rambai from India and sponsored her and some of her family members to study at Chesbrough Seminary. The Rambais and Emma Roberts formed lasting friendships.

Roberts, Joseph McCreery and other FM founders fiercely supported abolition, urban ministries and social programs that reached all people. John Wesley Redfield established a St. Louis church that supported an African-American congregation.

Missionaries left for foreign fields anxious to spread the Word of God as they educated and empowered indigenous people.

What some did, however, is not what all did. In a 1910 letter to the editor of The Free Methodist, a writer informed readers from the North that if they traveled to the South, they would better understand segregation. When the U.S. government interned Japanese-American citizens in camps, some Caucasian Free Methodists protested, but others did not. The denomination followed the path of American Christianity.

Scholars of religion regularly refer to Sunday morning as the most segregated hour in America (a comment attributed to Martin Luther King Jr.). Moreover, Bartleman’s monochromatic color line has revealed itself to be a layered and nuanced boundary.

Around the globe as well as in the United States, Free Methodists have discovered that although the gospel should unite, humans also employ it as a wedge to divide.

Rather than despair, we learn from the early Free Methodists that though the battle will be won, it still must be fought. We find consolation in the daily victories and small steps forward. Whenever I see the bumper sticker “Think Globally, Act Locally,” I think of the Roberts and Bartlemans of the world — those working toward the kingdom as they pray for it. [LLM]

Shreveport (La.)

FMC

Rather than despair, we learn from early Free Methodists that though the battle will be won, it still must be fought.

new leader

shares vision biblical by jeff finley

for

institute

Photo by Michael Metts

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any aspiring pastors face obstacles to receiving seminary education that is relevant, affordable, geographically convenient and theologically sound.

The challenges may seem especially daunting for Free Methodists with a call to lead Hispanic ministries. The International Biblical Institute (Instituto Biblico Internacional; IBI), however, trains uuu

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n Photo by Michael Metts

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pastors and church planters for Hispanic ministry through affordable courses that meet the requirements for Free Methodist ordination.

“A lot of our students are bivocational,” said Samuel Lopez, the institute’s new director and the pastor of First Free Methodist Church in Minneapolis. “There are many challenges to have a ministry and to support your family.”

The North Central Conference– affiliated institute recently faced its own challenges when its founder left pastoral ministry.

“Many of us thought IBI might be shut down,” said Jeff Suits, the chairman of the institute’s board and the senior pastor of the Platteville (Wis.) FMC. “We needed a person who had a passion for training and equipping God’s people for ministry, someone who could share the vision of IBI, had administrative skills, and who was bilingual.”

Lopez’s call to pastoral ministry led him last year to Minnesota from Texas, where he had served as an administrative assistant to the conference superintendent and acted as a liaison between Hispanic and Anglo congregations.

“God graciously provided Samuel Lopez,” Suits said. “Right now Samuel

is working with the IBI board to recast the vision and structure of IBI. I am very hopeful for the future of IBI.” By shifting some instruction to the Internet, Lopez wants to expand the institute’s reach. IBI cannot become an entirely online institution, however.

He said FM ordination requirements include in-person instruction.

“The person-to-person hours can be very challenging to meet because of our geographic distances. However, what we want to do with IBI is to provide an online platform where students can interact with the teachers on a weekly basis,” Lopez said. “In addition to that, we’re going to have person-to-person interaction with the students.”

Lopez is recruiting qualified instructors who will travel to different locations to meet with students in their communities. The institute currently has 10 students on its roster, but Lopez estimates that 20 more students will start IBI curriculum in the next few months.

“There is a huge need in our denomination to provide competent, wholesome, biblical, theological training,” Lopez said. “We need to address the educational needs of future Hispanic ministers.”

Lopez wants the institute to equip

Hispanic pastors for multiethnic environments. He has personal experience in that area because his English-speaking congregation is

“We need to address the educational needs of future Hispanic ministers.” primarily Caucasian families plus several attendees of Asian, African and Hispanic descent. His church will add a Spanish-language service this fall.

Lopez said the IBI website should launch soon, but the address was not available at press time.

Prospective IBI students may contact him at (612) 4835295 and samuellopez07@ sbcglobal.net or through First Free Methodist Watch the video “Samuel Church, 2901 39th Ave. S., Lopez: TransMinneapolis, MN 55406; forming the firstfreemethodist.org. [LLM] cities for Christ.”

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Business as Unusual b y bishop da v id k e n da l l

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eneral Conference 2011 is now history. History, however, is “His story,” which continues steadily toward “kingdom come.” As an event, GC11 has concluded, but as a gathering and mobilization of part of Jesus’ movement in the world, GC11 has only just begun.

As the event began, we called ourselves to celebrate. First, Bishop David Roller reminded us that in the 21st century although much remains the same, much has changed. Our obedience to the call of God requires us to engage the world as it is; thus, our business must not be “business as usual.” Then, Bishop Matt Thomas invited us into the creative process of inventing, improvising and designing with confidence that “we can do this!”

Finally, I reminded us that our business as unusual makes us co-designers with God and will depend on God doing among us what, in fact, God has done repeatedly. God speaks to the people in powerfully creative ways.

God spoke, and it became business as unusual as participants from

across the nation and around the world thought, prayed, listened, learned and imagined a God-given future for the Free Methodist Church – USA. Then, they summarized and formulated reports to the entire GC11 assembly.

Among other things, the outcomes of this business as unusual led four ministry groups to propose: l Embracing a new norm, flowing from Holy Spirit shaking, to which all leadership groups will be accountable for creative, frontline ministries of all sorts and lay-led ministries in all places, but particularly targeting the great urban centers of the country l Devising a comprehensive urban

church-planting strategy that would promote vision, resources and accountability to the entire Free Methodist Church – USA l Taking seriously the United States as a mission field and, therefore, doing whatever ministries we do as missionaries l Equipping all of our people to do cross-cultural ministry l Providing a way to raise up, resource, authorize and deploy the next generations for FM ministry and leadership. [LLM]

[news] 12 ROBERTS WESLEYAN COLLEGE North Chili, N.Y.

Leaders of the Free Methodist Church – USA and Roberts Wesleyan College celebrated their common founders — B.T. and Ellen Roberts — at General Conference 2011 with the July 13 dedication of the Founders Garden on the Roberts Wesleyan campus.

AFRICAN HERITAGE NETWORK North Chili, N.Y.

The African Heritage Network has a new leadership team: Jeff Harrold, director; Michael Traylor, assistant director; Ron Ward, secretary-treasurer; Tasha Pryor, public relations/publicity; E. Kenneth Martin, Arnold Smith and Tony Headley, members at large.

FREE METHODIST CHAPLAINS ASSOCIATION North Chili, N.Y.

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The Rest of the Story

Nearly 80 chaplains and spouses gathered at Roberts Wesleyan College prior to and during GC11. Along with military and hospital positions, the association includes chaplains serving at horse and NASCAR races, college campuses and outdoor communities.

Want to find out more about the stories of these remarkable Free Methodists?

Visit gc11.org.

WOMEN’S MINISTRIES INTERNATIONAL

We want to hear from you!

North Chili, N.Y.

Women’s Ministries International met July 12, one day before General Conference 2011. The 2011-15 officer slate includes President LaWanda Bullock, Programming Vice President Sharlotte J. Fortress, Global Missions Vice President Gay Lorenz, Ministries Vice President Lucia Grullon, Secretary Connie Buterbaugh, Treasurer Christine Palmer and International Promoter Julie Bolin.

Tell us what your church is doing to impact live in the United States and around the world.

Submit your story at fmcusa.org/ yourstory.

13 [world]

World’s Bishops Unite at GC11 b y jeff finle y

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ixteen current and former Free Methodist bishops from around the world gathered for breakfast July 13 at Roberts Wesleyan College prior to the opening service of General Conference 2011. (The Free Methodist Church – USA has three bishops; international FM branches with their own general conferences also have bishops.)

“I’m very pleased because I’m here with my brother bishops,” said Bishop Cecilio Inocencio Osoria, who oversees more than 24,000 FM members in the Dominican Republic.

The group included Haitian Bishop Clovis Momplaisir, commisBishop Nixon Dingili of Kenya addresses fellow Free Methodist bishops. sioned in March when the Haitian experiences He has given us.”

Free Methodist Church became a provisional general The conversation included much joking, but became conference. serious when it turned to faith-based persecution. One “It is good to meet so many bishops who’ve worked bishop revealed that terrorists have targeted him. with us in Haiti,” Momplaisir said. “The church in Haiti is Because of the different languages represented, multiwalking with strength.” lingual bishops took turns translating as fellow bishops and Bishop Nixon Dingili of Kenya expressed gratitude for the opportunity to attend GC11 and meet his international their spouses shared about their ministries and families.

“Isn’t it fun to see these young people?” Bishop Emericolleagues. tus Robert Andrews said of the other bishops before offer“We are grateful to the Lord to be with our brothers ing encouragement to them. “Take the way of Jesus and and sisters here in the United States,” Dingili said. “We follow.” [LLM] are expecting to learn from the Lord as we share the

[discipleship] 14

God’s Kingdom Is Multicultural

by MICHAEL TRAYLOR

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ohn’s beautiful vision shows people from all ethnicities, languages and tribes unified in worship of the Lamb who was slain for all of us (Revelation 7:9).

Is this picture simply a preferred vision of the kingdom or is it the revealed nature of the authentic kingdom of God? A preferred vision is nice but not essential. A revealed vision is a prophetic calling or summons to what God requires.

Jesus charged His disciples with establishing a global, multicultural kingdom in both the Great Commission (all nations or ethnos) as well as what I consider the Great Confirmation: “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Through God’s intervenJerusalem, and in all Judea tion, Peter understood and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth” (Acts 1:8). the inclusivity of the In the book of Acts, the kingdom of God. early followers of Jesus do not always appreciate their roles as mediators of peace between humanity and God, as well as between people groups. These roles are the columns on which the multicultural mandate of the kingdom finds support.

Peter received a vision through which God dramatically changed his paradigm of the nature and composition of the people of God (Acts 10). To do that, God first confronted Peter’s prejudices (cultural superiority) and challenged his perceptions (how he saw people). Through God’s intervention, Peter understood the inclusivity of the kingdom of God. His paradigm shifted from an emphasis on exclusion (Judaism) toward a global vision of the kingdom of God. The Acts 10 struggle continues today. God is dramatically confronting, challenging and changing our communities to align to the Great Commission and Confirmation. [LLM]

GROUP DISCUSSION: [1] Is God confronting you and your faith community about prejudices against people who look, sound or behave differently than you do?

[2] What are real obstacles in developing a multicultural vision and mission in your faith community?

Did you know there are three more discipleship articles on our website?

They’re perfect for use in your small group or as a weekly supplement to individual study.

LLM

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“ONE NATION UNDER CURSE” Richard C. Harris, the author of this issue’s feature story, shares his journey from KKK leader to pastor of a multiethnic church. Buy the book at richardharrisonline.com.

[resources]

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Learn more about the growth and the challenges of the multiethnic church in the United States.

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PERKINS CENTER PODCAST The “Urban Involvement & Latreia” podcast from Seattle Pacific University’s John Perkins Center is available for free download on iTunes.

NHCLC The National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference — nhclc.org — connects and serves Hispanic evangelical Christians.

“THE COLOR OF CHURCH” Pastor Rodney Woo reveals his church’s experience with multiracial transformation.

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