I empathize with your sorrow that we have not done better. But I also know that many African Americans and other minorities have expressed your same exhaustion, yet they keep on. I pray that you will join me in keeping on even in the face of discouragement.
My understanding of Sherman Street and Step of Faith, is that Step of faith does have a separate council and that they have just accepted having two elders from Sherman Street on their council as a way of ensuring unity and cross-fertilization between the two churches.
I am not sure what you mean by "the use of "race"". Do you mean that to speak of racial difference e is "an admission that "white" is a regressive characteristic, or do you mean something else?
I find that in much discourse that recognizes differences in appearance (whether this is race or whether race is real or not does not matter to me in this discussion) many people who appear white are unconscious of their whiteness (what most people would think of as "race." Rather, because we are privilged, we do not have to regularly be conscious of our race, such that it is virtually transparent."
I do not think of "white as a regressive characteristic." I do think, however, that the beliefs, heritages and experiences of other cultures are becoming more important to living an educated and Christian life in today's USA. These are things that white people have usually been able to ignore, but increasingly need to understand. In this regard, I think that our distinctively Dutch Reformed heritage/culture/subculture makes many of us more self-conscious of our particular subculture within "white culture".
Posted in: Diversity in Leadership Planning Group II report. What is the meaning of 'diversity'?
Fronse,
I empathize with your sorrow that we have not done better. But I also know that many African Americans and other minorities have expressed your same exhaustion, yet they keep on. I pray that you will join me in keeping on even in the face of discouragement.
Peace,
Randy Gabrielse
Posted in: What Do You Think of Planting a New Community in a Declining Church?
My understanding of Sherman Street and Step of Faith, is that Step of faith does have a separate council and that they have just accepted having two elders from Sherman Street on their council as a way of ensuring unity and cross-fertilization between the two churches.
Peace,
Randy Gabrielse
Posted in: Biblical Racial Reconciliation: Let's Begin the Dialogue!
Bill,
I am not sure what you mean by "the use of "race"". Do you mean that to speak of racial difference e is "an admission that "white" is a regressive characteristic, or do you mean something else?
I find that in much discourse that recognizes differences in appearance (whether this is race or whether race is real or not does not matter to me in this discussion) many people who appear white are unconscious of their whiteness (what most people would think of as "race." Rather, because we are privilged, we do not have to regularly be conscious of our race, such that it is virtually transparent."
I do not think of "white as a regressive characteristic." I do think, however, that the beliefs, heritages and experiences of other cultures are becoming more important to living an educated and Christian life in today's USA. These are things that white people have usually been able to ignore, but increasingly need to understand. In this regard, I think that our distinctively Dutch Reformed heritage/culture/subculture makes many of us more self-conscious of our particular subculture within "white culture".
Peace,
Randy Gabrielse