Why So Few African-Americans at Reformed Churches…and will it change?

Lisa SpencerLeave a comment

CalvinYesterday, John Frame’s page on Facebook posted this question;

Why are there so few African-Americans and Latinos in the PCA? Or in any Reformed church, for that matter? This is, I think, an important question. The Church of Jesus Christ is to embrace all nations, as God fulfills in Jesus his promise to Abraham (Gen. 12:3, Matt. 28:19). This does not mean that each congregation must have a quota of members from every people-group, but it does mean that the church as a whole should reach out to everybody.

I can’t speak for Latinos, but for African-Americans I suspect this might have something to do with it


This video suggests that cultural preferences play a significant role in church affiliation for African-americans, even at the expense of questionable theology and church practice. And yes, it is true that as long as we affiliate with churches that we find culturally compatible, the sad reality is that is that Reformed churches don’t really stand a chance. My own journey to the PCA involved sacrificing cultural preferences amid a primarily white congregation although there is a small multi-cultural presence. While it has been a rich exchange for Christ-centered worship, I know that the cultural gap is huge for many African-Americans.  Though it varies somewhat, Reformed worship is not only foreign but a difficult pill to swallow in most cases. Continue reading →

Women, Ministry and the Greater Good

Lisa Spencer2 Comments

woman teachingIn spite of my intentions to not write on issues involving women in ministry, I am compelled once again to do so.  Sadly, the reason I am reluctant to talk about these issues is for the same reason that we must talk about them – the dismissiveness of women who speak of women in ministry as self-serving and rebellious. No, actually the dismissiveness of women. Period.

I do not want to take a position with this post in terms of women’s roles in ministry. It really isn’t my intention at all to make an argument one way or the other. But I do want to ask some questions related to the greater good of the church and how we understand roles with respect to the body of Christ growing itself up together in love.  Yes, let’s think about the greater good.

I came across this article that recounted a touching story of a young women who took on a group of young people as disciples in her church. What makes the story even more compelling is that these were kids that apparently no one wanted to be bothered with –  tattooed, socially abhorant misfits who did not seem to fit in. Yet, they wanted to learn. And they had questions about God and the bible and what constitutes a good Christian lifestyle.

Sadly, the warm touch of the story turned into a striking blow as this young lady describes the command laid out to her that she must not teach because apparently the boys in the class were too old. Not only did they probably lose the only person in the church that cared enough to take them under their wing, but they eventually fell through the cracks and left the church. What was the greater good here? Continue reading →

Can We Really All Just Get Along? A Look at Conflict in the Church

Lisa SpencerLeave a comment

shouting guys_anger managementWe cannot avoid conflict. As much as we’d like to think otherwise, when sinful humans interact, something is bound to erupt. If you’re a conflict avoider like me, this topic is one to wrestle with.

I recently made a church change and have been attending a 12 week inquirer’s class, which is also a requirement for membership. Today we discussed church discipline. And what ensued from that was a rather convicting discussion on Matthew 18:15-20;

If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother. But if he does not listen, take one or two others along with you, that every charge may be established by the evidence of two or three witnesses. If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church. And if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and tax collector. Truly, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be bound in heaven. Again I say to you, if two of you agree on earth about anything you ask, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven. For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them.

Now when the topic of church discipline typically comes up, it is usually targeted at making sure that people don’t get away with their sins. Broadly it is for the purpose of keeping the church on track and handling situations that may obstruct that. Conflict among members is a pretty widespread scenario. Continue reading →

5 Signs We Might Take Ourselves Too Seriously

Lisa Spencer5 Comments

arrogance1-2Christians love Jesus, his truth, the bible and hopefully his body (though much evidence exists to the contrary), right? So it makes sense that we want a part to play for the kingdom.

But there’s a little thing called ‘perspective’, putting us and our contributions in the grand scheme of things. So here’s a list I think might apply. And yeah, I’m guilty too so I’m kind of speaking from conviction here.

1) Making much of our gifts: You should not have to tell people how you are gifted. Whatever gifts and abilities that God has given you should be evident and especially from those whose lives it impacts. Telling people how well you preach, write, lead or serve means nothing if it is not evident to recipients. Just do it and let others affirm especially since the gifts are for others anyways.

2) Making much of our ministry:  We live in a day of celebrity evangelical fanfare. “Look what God is doing here” “You don’t want to miss this” “Come an be blessed”. Really? Isn’t it more important for people to hear Christ proclaimed, receive sound instruction, and experience genuine growth and fellowship? Surely we are not the only ones who can bless people and something is amiss when we think we have the corner on it. Ministry, like anything else, can become an idol. Here’s a test: if your ministry fell out of your hands what would happen?

3) Making much of our opinions: We all have them. I know I do and love to express them (thank you social media!). But it’s not long before it seeps into the realm of self-importance and leaves the appropriate arena of edification. No of course we don’t admit that but we want people to know what we think because we think so much about what we think, right? Especially when we’re trying to prove someone else wrong. Yes and ouch! Continue reading →

Filling in the Life Gaps with Wisdom

Lisa SpencerLeave a comment

rock gapsDr. Carl Ellis has posted this insightful article over on the Reformed African-American Network about how to apply the biblical paradigm to our life today.  I think he makes a good case for looking at the overall picture of how God moved on behalf of his people and specifically in various situations with the goal of applying theology with wisdom.

One thing I love about the biblical characters is that they are not so far removed from us. Even for the faithful folks, all kinds of crazy behavior breaks out when people get into hot spots of uncertainty and waiting:  poor decisions, selfishness, accusations, lying, cheating, unfaithfulness, etc. Uncertainty and waiting are hard. It makes us squirm and ask questions. We want details and the knowledge of what to do about our current situations or what is ahead. But something Dr. Ellis writes about details I found kind of striking;

Often, the biblical narratives omit many of the details on purpose because they are designed for us to supply details from our own life situations.  However, bear in mind that your story may not end the same as the corresponding biblical narrative.

The Bible can provide a basic framework for understanding our current situation.  The main purpose of the theological process is to teach us to see things from God’s point of view.  This empowers us to wisely fill in the details.

The Bible is meant to be applied and theology is meant to be done.  Scripture should never be disconnected from application.  God wants us to get into his word to govern our actions according to His principles.  This is how we will gain wisdom.  If we wisely do theology this way, it will make a difference in us and in our community. Continue reading →