Is Sunday Still Segregated?

The answer to that question is "yes" and the "yes" is much more resounding "yes" when the church is Lutheran or more specifically the ELCA. The church needs to be less "gringo" -- okay, a lot less gringo in the case of the ELCA. The issue of integration is not only an issue in the ELCA for it is an issue that plagues the Christian church in America. Perhaps, the issue is more acute in the ELCA for we are the most segregated mainline denomination in this country -- the ELCA is 96% white. This is particularly more troubling when we are to consider the simple fact that the ELCA is the fourth or fifth largest denomination in this country. Our numbers show that we aren't integrated enough and we aren't very diverse either. Rev. Whitlock is right to challenge our churches in their lack of integration. The article from CNN, which interviews Rev. Whitlock, raises the right issue and question: "If Heaven is integrated, why not churches?" Yes, why not churches? And more especially, why not the ELCA? But, as the other report from CNN indicates most churchgoers prefer their church to be segregated. And that is an issue, an issue that churches aren't addressing enough. This is something the ELCA must address much more seriously because integration does hit at the heart of the matter on both evangelism and human sexuality -- particularly, on the issue of human sexuality, as we move forward in our acceptance and openness of our homosexual brothers and lesbian sisters. We can no longer accept our own status quo of 96% white. We, the members of the ELCA, and the leadership must challenge and push for more integration and diversity - more churches need more minorities in their leadership position. Too few people of colors are in leadership positions, particularly pastors, in the ELCA. We must get over our race issue at our churches. As Bishop Hanson said we can no longer have the heart of timidness in ministry and mission. I hope that also means that we can no longer be so segregated in our churches.