Am I too white?

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Steinhauer

Steinhauer

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Sugar Land church leader: 'Am I too white to be your pastor?' | khou.com | Khou.com - News, Houston news, Texas News, Headlines

SUGAR LAND, Texas -- A Sugar Land man wants to know if he’s “too white to be your pastor.”

That’s the question Pastor Patrick Kelley of River Pointe Community Church in Fort Bend County is asking in a bold new ad campaign.

“This is out there,” said Kelley. "I was nervous.”

Kelley said he wants to diversify what he calls the most segregated hour of the week: Sunday morning church services. He said, right now, 65 percent of the members of his church, located in the 5000 block of Ransom Road, are white.

“Our goal is that we reflect our community, which is the most diverse county in the state, and one of the most diverse in the country,” he said.

Earlier this week, he began walking the circle at the Sugar Land Town Square, carrying a sign that reads: “Am I too white to be your pastor?” And he wants people to answer.

“Being a white pastor, we just said we’ve got to get out there and hold up a sign that says all are welcome here. The sign was a bit unusual,” said Kelley.

So far he said the feedback has been good, but no one has answered ‘yes’ to his question.

“My real hope was people would tell me you are too white to be my pastor and here’s why,” said the pastor.

Kelley said he would take that information and incorporate it into his church to attract people of different racial backgrounds. He’s going back out on Friday with his sign in hand.

Meanwhile, River Pointe High School Pastor Terrace Clayton, who is African-American, says he will be carrying a sign of his own, but he’ll be posing a different question.

“Am I the wrong color to be your pastor?” said Clayton. “I think it’s a sign that makes you think, and it’s a question that makes you go, ‘Well, would I go to a white church or would I go to an all black church.’”

Kelly said ten years ago they sent out mailers with the word ‘diversity’ written across the top. He said their message is still the same:
River Pointe Community Church isn’t about a specific race, but rather a community.
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I've been to both white and black churches....and black churches are the most friendly, most sermon-worthy...I enjoy seeing the choir singing, and it seems to me that black churches are less "stuffy" than white churches.....Black churches are not immune to showing their feelings, inasmuch, it seems to me that white churches are so "staunch" and cold.
 
This article raises an excellent point about how racially segregated congregations are. It's rare to have an integrated congregation. Seems to happen even in areas that are otherwise pretty racially integrated. I wonder why that is. I've been to black and white churches and one Latino church, and none of them seemed to welcome me any less than any other one.

:hmm:
 
CJB said:
This article raises an excellent point about how racially segregated congregations are. It's rare to have an integrated congregation. Seems to happen even in areas that are otherwise pretty racially integrated. I wonder why that is. I've been to black and white churches and one Latino church, and none of them seemed to welcome me any less than any other one.

:hmm:
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Cultural variations on belief systems and norms for spirituality. Each culture has its own system of belief based on historical treatment of that particular culture. Spirituality develops to address the needs of the culture. No culture has exactly the same need.
 
rockin'robin said:
I've been to both white and black churches....and black churches are the most friendly, most sermon-worthy...I enjoy seeing the choir singing, and it seems to me that black churches are less "stuffy" than white churches.....Black churches are not immune to showing their feelings, inasmuch, it seems to me that white churches are so "staunch" and cold.
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Yeah. I have been to a black church and it is very different from a white church. I agree with you on that.
 
jillio said:
Cultural variations on belief systems and norms for spirituality. Each culture has its own system of belief based on historical treatment of that particular culture. Spirituality develops to address the needs of the culture. No culture has exactly the same need.
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That makes a lot of sense. It does leave me to wonder about spiritual differences within the same culture, though. But it does explain a lot why black churches and white churches and other types of churches have a different "feel" that goes beyond the denomination.
 
It makes me wonder why there are differences and if they are perceived differences or real differences.

I think the question the pastor was asking is if people of color feel too much like an outsider to attend predominately white churches.

If so ... why?
 
Steinhauer said:
It makes me wonder why there are differences and if they are perceived differences or real differences.

I think the question the pastor was asking is if people of color feel too much like an outsider to attend predominately white churches.

If so ... why?
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That question has already been answered. Problems with reading comprehension?
 
Steinhauer said:
It makes me wonder why there are differences and if they are perceived differences or real differences.

I think the question the pastor was asking is if people of color feel too much like an outsider to attend predominately white churches.

If so ... why?
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Both. Perceived differences are real differences because they inform how people treat others. If a person of race A perceives people of race B a certain way, it affects the way person A treats members of race B.
 
jillio said:
That question has already been answered. Problems with reading comprehension?
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Nope, no reading comprehension problems on my part ... were you able to understand what I was asking or do I need to interpret it for you?
 
I went to several different churches and saw absolutely no cultural differences. What I did notice were different sects of Christianity.
 
Steinhauer said:
Nope, no reading comprehension problems on my part ... were you able to understand what I was asking or do I need to interpret it for you?
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Yep. I understood what you were asking. It has already been answered and discussed. Looks like a comprehension problem to me.
 
Steinhauer said:
I went to several different churches and saw absolutely no cultural differences. What I did notice were different sects of Christianity.
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:laugh2: Would you even be able to identify a cultural difference if it jumped up and bit you? Where exactly do you think those different sects came from...cultural sameness?:laugh2:
 
jillio said:
:laugh2: Would you even be able to identify a cultural difference if it jumped up and bit you? Where exactly do you think those different sects came from...cultural sameness?:laugh2:
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The only cultural differences I see are the ones that racists want me to see. I choose to ignore those and just get along with other people regardless of their race or ethnic identity. Unless of course, you are suggesting I don't get along?
 
If someone asks me about what is my favorite about cartoonist? I will going say Steinhauer. :lol: :lol:
 
Steinhauer said:
I went to several different churches and saw absolutely no cultural differences. What I did notice were different sects of Christianity.
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Are u serious?
 
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