| Author | Message | ||
| Black_sheep Registered user Username: Black_sheep Post Number: 10 Registered: 11-2006 |
Why are there racially segregated conferences in North America, and why do Caucasian Adventists leave their churches when African Americans start attending. | ||
| Skeeter Registered user Username: Skeeter Post Number: 477 Registered: 12-2007 |
Dunno..... I personally havent ever had that experience. I know that Central California does have a few "black churches" in some of the larger cities, but from what I have seen there is a large diversity of races in the other churches and have never seen anyone shunned because of racial differences in the congregations. One church in our area "Templeton Hills SDA church" has an "African American" pastor and as far as I know his is the only family of color in that church except for an occasional visitor. California is a very racially diverse state though so maybe there is just not the "prejudice" out here as in some other states toward African Americans... now people who speak other LANGUAGES is another thing.... Personally I dont know why anyone of African descent especially, would want to be an SDA once they hear EGW's ridiculus "amalgamation" statements. What a shit for brains she was ! (should I have said crap?) same thing I think. :-/ BUT I do know of one little church in a small town in the Central Cal. conference where some members (caucasian) are very frustrated because the Hispanics have pretty much taken over the church and there are only about 6 caucasians left and they are upset that all the programs now are mostly in Spanish,, the Spanish pastor and his wife who are American citizens have several young children of school age and younger who do not speak ANY English. MY MIL is a member of that little church and instead of just she and the few others who still speak english there just leaving and attending another church and accepting that it has become a Spanish speaking "church" .. they (I think out of sheer stubborness) refuse to go to another nearby SDA "church" but also refuse to stop complaining about it. So there they sit entering supposedly to worship God,, and sitting in their pew resenting that "their church" is being taken over by people who "refuse to speak in English" for the lesson studies, etc. Of course the "pastor" is not going to tell them they should move on to another location,,, so the lessons are divided up into Spanish and English speaking groups (if you can call 3-4 people a "group)but they sit in their pews in the PRETEXT of being there for the purpose of worshiping God and all the while are sitting there complaining to each other both during church and after. I have told my MIL in the past that if she feels uncomfortable there to go someplace else,, but she is so stubborn because she has attended that same church for som many years that she feels it is "HER church" and she seems to have the attitude that "they arent going to force me out.... " so she (and a few others) continue to sit there and feel resentful and miserable because they are "losing THEIR church" to the Hispanics... but they arent prejudiced..nope. of course not cause they are "Christians" :-( | ||
| Colleentinker Registered user Username: Colleentinker Post Number: 10784 Registered: 12-2003  |
The "Regional Conferences" in the USA began long ago, before the civil rights movement. They are "biggest" and most developed in the South. On the West Coast, for instance, the regular conferences have directors of regional affairs, but there are no separate conferences--although many African/Americans would like to have them! I have never figured out this phenomenon, but it seems that at the heart of it is a desire for power. If there can be separate conferences, people that might not otherwise rise to such positions can achieve status and power within the regional conferences, and vice versa. These multiple conferences require multiple presidents, vice presidents, etc etc. I also sense that there is an edge of competition and even a bit of a feeling that the particular ethos and needs of minority groups are not adequately addressed or understood by the "regular" conferences; therefore, they need to protect and provide for themselves. The whole phenomenon is totally antithetical to the gospel. In Christ there is no Greek or Jew, slave or free, male or female. The barrier between people groups is destroyed in Christ, and the gift of tongues at Pentecost confirmed that God has united all people who trust Jesus in Himself. We are one body. To me, the regional conferences testify to the false gospel and unbiblical foundation of Adventism. People made alive by the Holy Spirit and living in submission to Him protect and minister to and support one another. Ethnicity is not a point of division. Colleen | ||
| Psalm107v2 Registered user Username: Psalm107v2 Post Number: 521 Registered: 10-2008  |
Colleen, I never thought of it in quite the way you put it but given that "power" is so important in the SDA church it does make sense that those who have power in separate conferences would want to hold onto it. In Jamaica it would be pretty hard to have a "separate" conference  . Growing up in Canada it was very diverse and Canadians would be up in arms if such a thing were in existence. Well let me take that back Canada is very anti-gun/self defense-they would be throwing Stripples (do they still make that stuff) and poutine (my fellow Canadians will understand that reference) at the GC office . I had no idea there were separte conferences in the US until I went down on a choir tour and my friend who had moved to Tennessee told me "you won't find any colored people here, the black church is down the road" Some of my cousins choose to go to Black SDA conferences even though they have a Caribbean background and never had the history that Black Americans have. Caribbean history and American history are quite different in many ways and in some ways the Caribbean culture is closer to it's British colonizers. I have some Black American friends who are sick of he separate conference issues but there are far to many people stuck on the Black identity issue rather than identifying with Christ. I think the only way it will stop is if enough people cross the color line and peope start speaking with their tithe money Enoch | ||
| Jeremy Registered user Username: Jeremy Post Number: 3110 Registered: 10-2004  |
Black_sheep, The bottom line is that it is due to the racist foundation set by Ellen G. White. (You can find many of her racist quotes, which I have compiled, here). She even stated that "colored people" should not be allowed to minister to "white people," but that "white people" should minister to "colored people." Jeremy | ||
| Colleentinker Registered user Username: Colleentinker Post Number: 10786 Registered: 12-2003 |
True story, Jeremy! Colleen | ||
| Skeeter Registered user Username: Skeeter Post Number: 479 Registered: 12-2007 |
I find it interesting that as adamant as EGW was about the importance of "keeping the sabbath" ... apparently she felt it didnt matter so much which day "colored people" kept as she said , " There is plenty of room for intelligent colored men to labor for their own people. Let those colored men who are fitted for the position of superintendent in a Sabbath School remember that they may do a much-needed work by establishing Sunday Schools and Sabbath Schools among the colored people." "Sunday schools AND Sabbath schools" ??? This is the first time I have EVER heard of EGW condoning, and even encouraging establishing of SUNDAY schools. Francie | ||
| Colleentinker Registered user Username: Colleentinker Post Number: 10804 Registered: 12-2003 |
Actually, she also said that when the Sunday Laws come, the Sabbath-keepers are to go along with the law and not work on Sunday, thus not attracting attention to themselves. They should continue to worship on Sabbath, but Sunday would be a great day to do "evangelism" and hold meetings and thus avoid looking like they were breaking the law. I don't have a quote at my fingertips, but she definitely talked out of both sides of her mouth. Colleen | ||
| Flyinglady Registered user Username: Flyinglady Post Number: 7812 Registered: 3-2004  |
I remember reading that one. Colleen. As my Indian ancestors said, she spoke with a forked tongue. Diana L |
