Date: Jun 30, 2003 [ 8: 13: 33]
Subject: Summary - Church planting by ethnicity or culture?
© 2003 BCP Harry Shelton Cole
Subject: Summary - Church planting by ethnicity or culture?
SUMMARY OF THE BAPTIST CHURCH PLANTING LIST
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Moderated and edited by Pastor Harry Shelton Cole
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Introduction: When I first began to read some of Barnas books I found myself
trying to understand target groups and I quickly dismissed that as
unscriptural and told myself I am hear to reach everyone. I was not wrong.
In our church we have a variety of age groups and colors. Yet, after
reading this question of the week and some of the posts I have had to ask
myself is it that wrong to go to a specific people with the idea of reaching
them? In a global sense, this is exactly what a missionary does. This call
of God is so vitally important it should never be taken for granted. Thanks
to my foreign missionary friend David Long for the question of the week this
past week and thanks to all who responded.
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Baptist Church Planters List - Question of the Week
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David Long, BBFI missionary to Thailand's asked a question that I believe
would make a good question of the week. There has been a lot of talk about
target groups in "world" of church planting and some debate whether or not
Baptist church planters should consider such limitation (or focus). David
asks this question along those lines. I re-worded it to reflect what a
Baptist church planter might say. In your response, answer as if you were
counseling a man called to plant a church out of your church.
Should I seek to plant a Baptist church which is distinguished by their ethnic
identity or should my church be a melting pots of every culture?
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Eric Simpson is working in the Virginia area with Dr. Ben Sauders and is a
charter member of the Baptist church planters list. He offers this response
to the question of the week.
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At this point I am neither a church planter or missionary (although I am
ready to start an internship towards being a missionary). I have been
involved in deaf ministry at our church in Fairfax VA for 5 years now.
Although we are not an indigenous church, we do have our own services on
Sunday morning and our own Bible study on Sunday night, our own
activities, etc. So although officially it is not a church, we *sort
of* operate like a church.
Deafness is a culture within itself and for that reason, we have these
separate services and events because it has been difficult to meet the
spiritual needs of the deaf in the culture and ways of the hearing. For
example, many deaf do not like as much music as us hearing folk. Also the
way I preach to deaf and hearing is different.
I said all that to say from my point of view at this time in my life, I see
nothing wrong with targeting an ethnic group to plant a church. I think the
members of that group are more readily reached. I feel we have reached more
people with the way we are doing things than we could have otherwise. BTW,
I appreciate my pastor, Dr. Ben Sanders
to allow us to do this...it is somewhat unusual.
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Pastor Jim Ragsdale is in Whittier California. It is probably a diverse
community as far as ethninticity and culture goes. He has come to grips
with an idea of Baptist church planting that would side on the church
incorporating everyone. This is biblical and applies to reaching every
creature.
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>Should I seek to plant a Baptist churche which is distinguished by their ethnic
>identity or should my church be a melting pots of every culture?
We are here to change people from unsaved to saved, not race to race, or
culture to culture.
How can someone LIMIT who the Lord sends their way because of culture.
Unless I have misunderstood the meaning of the question. We seek the
UNSAVED, the LOST, not those from a specific culture, or race!
premise of the question is does God call a person geographically, ethnically
or culturally to plant churches among a specific group? The answer I
believe might be yes in some circumstances. I was called somewhat
geographically to the Northeast, John Waldrip talked about a man called to
reach Cambodians who started a Cambodian church in LA. I think that the
question was not intended to limit any group from the church plant but
intended to seek an answer to question of the call of God in a church
planters life.>>>>>>
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Marc Leverett ministers to a strange cultural group -- Alabamian's :)
Seriously he posts a logical and biblical answer to the question of the
week. Thanks Marc for your continued faithfulness.
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>Should I seek to plant a Baptist church which is distinguished by their
ethnic
>identity or should my church be a melting pots of every culture?
To me, this question makes us play the part of the Holy Spirit. Peter was
called to the circumcision and Paul to the uncircumcision (definite
ethnic/cultural groups). This was each ones' stated area of service, yet
we see Peter opening the gospel to the gentiles in Cornelius' house and
Paul was constantly starting each new work among the Jews! They did not
limit the Lord's work by ruling out individuals nor did they deny that
their primary focus was among their respective cultural emphasis.
If a man of God has a call to go to a certain cultural or ethnic group then
he should study up and reach that group with all his energies! No one,
however, should then place a limitation on who can be a part of that
ministry because they may not fit the "mold". The LORD adds to HIS church.
He has all flavors of assemblies but He will not lead us to monolithic or
exclusivist thinking. Christ is into building bridges, not walls.
In short, my answer to the question is YES to the first part and YES to the
second part, with the explanation that while we may be gifted and called to
reach a particular group, we are to be open to any whom the Lord may use us
to win, baptize, train and enlist in Christian service. Surprises await
when we refuse to limit God!
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Another great post from Brother Terrell Sears in California. He adds the
dimension of finances to the object of targeting a group. Can we separate
people economically in Missions? My head hurts :) This is good thinking
brother Sears, Thanks.
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I believe that the question posed is one that has a both positive and a
negative answer.
When we look at foreign missions (going to a foreign country as a missionary)
it ususally entails going to a specific ethnic people as most countries are
not so ethnically almalgamated as the U.S.A. Some of the great missionaries
of the past were indeed burdened in the hearts for a specific nationality.
Even a casual study of the history of missions will show that.
On the other hand I heard of a "church planter" who stated that he believed
his calling was to the "upper middle class and the upwardly mobile and the
more wealthy" (honestly, he said that) His reasoning was, "after all the
rich need Jesus too.
Well, I often wondered what he might do if they poor started attending his
services instead of the poor. I find such a discrimination totally
repugnant.
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