You are from the South and I am not. I think that matters in your view. I have often noticed that David French observes racial divisions in churches that really do not exist where I live.
I live in Washington State where historically there are very few black Americans. I think right now they are the third fewest minorities in the state with Asians being the largest.
I belong to an unaffiliated church which is big on youth outreach and small enough to know many members and large enough to fill the coffers for outreach. This is a suburban church outside Seattle and has an above average parishioner income.
Suddenly we had a huge influx of Ethiopians. Quite large. A couple of hundred settled in this small town looking for a place to worship. They wanted their own worship which only diverged from ours culturally. On the big Christian agreements they were fully onboard. They were invited to participate in the Sunday service but they preferred the African services. Cool. We settled on them having the church sanctuary and main rooms on Saturday. They send their kids to the church pre-school. They send their teens to the youth groups (as covid allows). They will go to summer camps this summer but but but.....Saturday is theirs.
There are cultural difference even between American black and whites in the way they worship. My husband once spoke at a store front black church in Seattle that was 100% singing. Every testimony. The message. Everything was sung. Even the very little kids. It was amazing and it was inspiring and it was scary because no way was I going to sing in that group.
You are from the South and I am not. I think that matters in your view. I have often noticed that David French observes racial divisions in churches that really do not exist where I live.
I live in Washington State where historically there are very few black Americans. I think right now they are the third fewest minorities in the state with Asians being the largest.
I belong to an unaffiliated church which is big on youth outreach and small enough to know many members and large enough to fill the coffers for outreach. This is a suburban church outside Seattle and has an above average parishioner income.
Suddenly we had a huge influx of Ethiopians. Quite large. A couple of hundred settled in this small town looking for a place to worship. They wanted their own worship which only diverged from ours culturally. On the big Christian agreements they were fully onboard. They were invited to participate in the Sunday service but they preferred the African services. Cool. We settled on them having the church sanctuary and main rooms on Saturday. They send their kids to the church pre-school. They send their teens to the youth groups (as covid allows). They will go to summer camps this summer but but but.....Saturday is theirs.
There are cultural difference even between American black and whites in the way they worship. My husband once spoke at a store front black church in Seattle that was 100% singing. Every testimony. The message. Everything was sung. Even the very little kids. It was amazing and it was inspiring and it was scary because no way was I going to sing in that group.