How diverse is your church?

[FriendofSpurgeon]

Looking across the sanctuary this past Sunday, I saw how diverse our congregation is -- people of all ages, races, ethnicity, languages, etc. My guess is that we are about 50% Anglo (white, non-Hispanic) and 50% Other. Is this unique or more common than I might think these days? I know growing up (in the 60's and 70's) our church was 100% white. No agenda. Just wondering.

 

[Cameron Alli]

Looking across the sanctuary this past Sunday, I saw how diverse our congregation is -- people of all ages, races, ethnicity, languages, etc. My guess is that we are about 50% Anglo (white, non-Hispanic) and 50% Other. Is this unique or more common than I might think these days? I know growing up (in the 60's and 70's) our church was 100% white. No agenda. Just wondering.

I'm a young black Baptist Christian, go to a nice church in Newark, and my church is virtually all-black.

Here is my church's website, as you can see.

 

[Deacon]

Our congregation matches our local; we’re predominantly white with about 10+ percent Black, Hispanic, Middle Eastern or Asian.

Good mix of ages. We’ve concentrated on developing the young married group for the past six or seven years and it’s revitalizing things... Popping out babies now every few weeks.

The odd demographic is the mix of income levels (quite separate from race).
It’s quite scattered, some high, some quite low.... both sitting beside each other praising the Lord together.

Rob

 

[rlvaughn]

Like Deacon's, our church matches our local demographic. We are in a rural community, Anglo, and often related to one another by blood or marriage.

 

[Squire Robertsson]

We pretty much match the demographics of our area.

 

[Reformed]

I'm a young black Baptist Christian, go to a nice church in Newark, and my church is virtually all-black.

Here is my church's website, as you can see.

Well, that makes sense. I grew up across the Passaic River from Newark in Kearny and the church I went to was nearly all white. That was not a good or bad thing, it was just demographics. A local church should reflect its local community.

 

[Earth Wind and Fire]

I'm a young black Baptist Christian, go to a nice church in Newark, and my church is virtually all-black.

Here is my church's website, as you can see.

how blended is your church?

 

[Yeshua1]

Looking across the sanctuary this past Sunday, I saw how diverse our congregation is -- people of all ages, races, ethnicity, languages, etc. My guess is that we are about 50% Anglo (white, non-Hispanic) and 50% Other. Is this unique or more common than I might think these days? I know growing up (in the 60's and 70's) our church was 100% white. No agenda. Just wondering.

Mainly white , as is the make up of my area, but are starting to have some mexican and Black families now attending!

 

[Reynolds]

Looking across the sanctuary this past Sunday, I saw how diverse our congregation is -- people of all ages, races, ethnicity, languages, etc. My guess is that we are about 50% Anglo (white, non-Hispanic) and 50% Other. Is this unique or more common than I might think these days? I know growing up (in the 60's and 70's) our church was 100% white. No agenda. Just wondering.

We have one mixed race kid that comes with his grandmother.

 

[TCassidy]

Ages? From new born to 100+ in regular attendance.

Races? We are all of the human race, the only race on this planet.

Ethnicity? Very broad spectrum. Probably 70% Hispanic (this is the far south of Texas, after all), 25% Anglo. The rest Asian, African American, Pacific Islander, etc.

Languages? Babel. With services in two languages. Spanish and English.

The Senior Pastor is 25% Hispanic. The senior Associate is 100% Hispanic, as is the Music/Childrens pastor. The Youth Minister and Director of Counseling Ministries is 100% Anglo.

In other words we reflect the diversity around us.

 

[elder_jeffery_endicott]

home county is 99.25% white. the congregation is all white. our pastor is 1/4 native american (grandmother was full blood Cherokee) once in a while 3 children who are 1/2 African American attend with their grandparents.

 

[Cameron Alli]

how blended is your church?

I’m not sure what you mean by blended? We have a nice mixture of age ranges, if that’s what you’re asking, lol. I already told you our racial demographics.

 

[Earth Wind and Fire]

Well, that makes sense. I grew up across the Passaic River from Newark in Kearny and the church I went to was nearly all white. That was not a good or bad thing, it was just demographics. A local church should reflect its local community.

Up until they discriminate

 

[RighteousnessTemperance&]

Looking across the sanctuary this past Sunday, I saw how diverse our congregation is -- people of all ages, races, ethnicity, languages, etc. My guess is that we are about 50% Anglo (white, non-Hispanic) and 50% Other. Is this unique or more common than I might think these days? I know growing up (in the 60's and 70's) our church was 100% white. No agenda. Just wondering.

Regardless of “diversity,” churches practice intentional segregation. Think about it.

 

[Salty]

Regardless of “diversity,” churches practice intentional segregation. Think about it.

I would not say it is intentional -
As some have mentioned - its really where your church is - and often mirrors the races of living in the community.

 

[RighteousnessTemperance&]

I would not say it is intentional -
As some have mentioned - its really where your church is - and often mirrors the races of living in the community.

Ah, but consider it in terms of gender, age, marital status, spoken language, worship style. Churches intentionally segregate along such lines, and when they do, they do so because they think it better that way.

 

[Salty]

Ah, but consider it in terms of gender, age, marital status, spoken language, worship style. Churches intentionally segregate along such lines, and when they do, they do so because they think it better that way.

But do they segregate along such lines for race

Actually, gender, age, marital, and spoken language - have good reasons to segregate

 

[RighteousnessTemperance&]

But do they segregate along such lines for race

That would be impossible using TCassidy's observation of one race (see post #10).

Actually, gender, age, marital, and spoken language - have good reasons to segregate

Perhaps this is where someone should say, 'Thou art not far from the kingdom of God'? You offered no biblical basis for your claim, which is just as well. You probably know that if you did there would be scriptural counters to it, and that the differing sides may be right in some way.

But the broad point is simply that it is unwise for the church to buy into worldly perceptions of segregation and diversity. We all know this yet tend to forget.

Further, much of the diversity that should be recognized and understood in the church is ignored, or not easily discerned by simply looking around at people. You have to get to know them to perceive it. This is where it gets interesting, and more difficult.

 

[FriendofSpurgeon]

Ah, but consider it in terms of gender, age, marital status, spoken language, worship style. Churches intentionally segregate along such lines, and when they do, they do so because they think it better that way.

Understand, especially regarding worship style.

If a church is in a diverse area, then this needs to be intentional. It doesn't just happen. I've seen it not work and I've seen it work. People can tell when they are truly welcome.

I remember the story from a friend who attended a church once where no one looked like him. While no one was overtly rude, not a single person greeted him either. Not surprisingly, he never went back. Thankfully, this was over 30 years ago so I would like to hope this wouldn't happen today.

 

[FriendofSpurgeon]

Ages? From new born to 100+ in regular attendance.

Races? We are all of the human race, the only race on this planet.

Ethnicity? Very broad spectrum. Probably 70% Hispanic (this is the far south of Texas, after all), 25% Anglo. The rest Asian, African American, Pacific Islander, etc.

Languages? Babel. With services in two languages. Spanish and English.

The Senior Pastor is 25% Hispanic. The senior Associate is 100% Hispanic, as is the Music/Childrens pastor. The Youth Minister and Director of Counseling Ministries is 100% Anglo.

In other words we reflect the diversity around us.

Our church is similar. Three services: two in English (one more traditional, the other more contemporary) and one in Spanish. We often have a "One Service" Sunday when the entire church can worship together and the service style is blended. The worship songs/hymns will be in both languages, going from English to Spanish and then back to English again - usually verse by verse. Staff is similar to yours and is broken out as follows:

Children’s Director – Anglo
Communications Director – Puerto Rican
Administrator – Anglo
Music Director – Anglo
Worship Leader – Dominican
Youth Pastor – Anglo
Spanish Pastor – Argentinian
Assistant Pastor – Anglo
Senior Pastor – African American