I watched your Christian unity call with great interest. I plan to respond at the end of the series. But I will give a response to repentance.
During my 51 years of ordain ministry, and even before reconciliation has been a high priority for me.
In 1975 or 76 as the associate pastor, I was named Director of the northern Illinois youth of the CHURCH OF GOD. The first rally had about 60 youth. Only four of them were African-Americans. The CHURCH OF GOD in Northern Illinois was and is majority African-American churches. I asked where the African-American were. The answer I received and I quote was "they aren't interested. They do their own thing."
I was not content with an answer and the last rally held while I was Director had nearly 150 young people and they represented the diversity of the CHURCH OF GOD and northern Illinois .
This was not something I accomplished on my own, and I would be remiss if I did not name Verda Beech and Barbara Wakefield among others were in this transformation
I am the first person to hire an African-American person to edit a major publication at Warner Press. I also hired other African-Americans in editorial positions.
At the 75th anniversary of the National Association of the CHURCH OF GOD Wilford, Jordan and I co-edited a joint issue of The Shining Light and Vital Christianity. We published an additional 100,000 copies to be distributed across the church.
My confession . As the people I knew well moved off the scene: James Massey, Samuel Hines, EJ Morris, Claude and Addie Wyatt, Marcus Morgan among others, I felt that my efforts were no longer adequately appreciated.
I realized several years ago that there was no need to be appreciated. Why should I get kudos for doing what was right? I contacted several of my friends in the national Association and asked forgiveness for my attitude as I do now.
I realize that pride is the enemy of unity . Christ calls us to a fundamental humility. CHRIST calls us to find way to work together in a selflessness that remote others and not ourselves.
Excellent list, Lloyd, though it strikes me (as a fellow white male) that many of these bullet points are written from a white male point of view. I wonder if the wording would be different if these were written by someone with a different perspective.
Another item to add: our handling of Native American issues in the Church of God. Yes, we passed a GA resolution repudiating the Doctrine of Discovery in 2017(?) but I think Native issues are generally not understood or recognized by folks outside of that community.
David, thanks for the reminder of the insensitive ways that we sometimes have related to Native American individuals and congregations.
Good point about perspective. I've thought about that, and felt it important to start with the issues I need to deal with (and can speak to), being part of the group that has largely dominated the conversation and direction of the movement. Certainly, all need to uncover and repent of their own complicities.
I watched your Christian unity call with great interest. I plan to respond at the end of the series. But I will give a response to repentance.
During my 51 years of ordain ministry, and even before reconciliation has been a high priority for me.
In 1975 or 76 as the associate pastor, I was named Director of the northern Illinois youth of the CHURCH OF GOD. The first rally had about 60 youth. Only four of them were African-Americans. The CHURCH OF GOD in Northern Illinois was and is majority African-American churches. I asked where the African-American were. The answer I received and I quote was "they aren't interested. They do their own thing."
I was not content with an answer and the last rally held while I was Director had nearly 150 young people and they represented the diversity of the CHURCH OF GOD and northern Illinois .
This was not something I accomplished on my own, and I would be remiss if I did not name Verda Beech and Barbara Wakefield among others were in this transformation
I am the first person to hire an African-American person to edit a major publication at Warner Press. I also hired other African-Americans in editorial positions.
At the 75th anniversary of the National Association of the CHURCH OF GOD Wilford, Jordan and I co-edited a joint issue of The Shining Light and Vital Christianity. We published an additional 100,000 copies to be distributed across the church.
My confession . As the people I knew well moved off the scene: James Massey, Samuel Hines, EJ Morris, Claude and Addie Wyatt, Marcus Morgan among others, I felt that my efforts were no longer adequately appreciated.
I realized several years ago that there was no need to be appreciated. Why should I get kudos for doing what was right? I contacted several of my friends in the national Association and asked forgiveness for my attitude as I do now.
I realize that pride is the enemy of unity . Christ calls us to a fundamental humility. CHRIST calls us to find way to work together in a selflessness that remote others and not ourselves.
Excellent list, Lloyd, though it strikes me (as a fellow white male) that many of these bullet points are written from a white male point of view. I wonder if the wording would be different if these were written by someone with a different perspective.
Another item to add: our handling of Native American issues in the Church of God. Yes, we passed a GA resolution repudiating the Doctrine of Discovery in 2017(?) but I think Native issues are generally not understood or recognized by folks outside of that community.
David, thanks for the reminder of the insensitive ways that we sometimes have related to Native American individuals and congregations.
Good point about perspective. I've thought about that, and felt it important to start with the issues I need to deal with (and can speak to), being part of the group that has largely dominated the conversation and direction of the movement. Certainly, all need to uncover and repent of their own complicities.