I have the pleasures of visiting many churches that have different worship styles, the preaching and, teaching alike are also different. When you look at the demographics, age, and health of the church you can see why no church offers the same worship experience. Based upon those things can help explain why no two Pastors would be considered the same. Each leader has a unique ministry context. I have had to formulate and work out my unique ministry context and continue to build and shape ministry. For many years the church that I currently Pastor has uniquely been a predominately African American church. There have been times that some random visitors would show up because they had veered off the route in which they traveled and landed in worship with us, but reality always presented us with the challenge of being located “over the tracks.” First Baptist church had a traditional way of service. The weekly meetings consisted of Prayer meeting/ Bible Study, Brotherhood, Mission, Ushers, and Choir. Each Department was in charge of a service that would include a 3 P.M. service. Guest Preachers and choirs, soloist would be invited, and dinner would always be served. There was not a witness program, nor did anyone wrestle with the idea of doing the ministry. I think and wonder if the former pastors had taken time to implement such events. The mindsets of many of the members would be different. Some believe that since we have existed over 50 years and the
After the Civil War, African Amerians organized their own churches and religious denominations. “The church was integral to the lives of most black people. It fulfilled spiritual needs through sermons and music” (pg. 319). These churches would also help the sick, the bereaved, and those in need when they didn’t even have the money to spare. “The church service itself was the most important aspect of religious life for most black congregations” (319).
I chose to do my religious ethnographic study at my home church, Tabernacle Baptist Church in Youngstown, Ohio on Sunday, May 8, 2016. Tabernacle is an 112-year-old historic Black Baptist church located on the lower Northside of Youngstown surrounded by a mixed income housing development, homeless shelter, Youngstown State University, and St. Elizabeth’s Hospital. I would say the average age of a Tabernacle member is 55 years old. About 70% of the members at this church are “middle-class” families. Until about five years ago, its membership was almost exclusively middle class. There has seen an influx of membership in working class individuals and students since the arrival of Tabernacle’s young, vibrant pastor, Rev. Christopher McKee, Jr., three years ago. The church is attentive to the needs of this demographic but remains true to its historic Black Baptist church roots. The church previously struggled with this conundrum until it came to the reality that an exclusivist mindset around worship is detrimental to the body of Christ when it did not have a pastor for over three years. The church was dying because no one was welcome to it and it did not have a leader. Though it was difficult, this reassessment was beneficial in making Tabernacle more relevant and welcoming to the community it is blessed to serve.
The people at Mt. Zion Baptist Church made me feel very welcomed, and less like an outsider. I had a lot of fun and got to experience something I would have never experienced before. If I am to go back in the future I will definitely want to learn more about the culture and religion to feel more engage with the service. I think it would be super fun to be able to sing along with everyone and be able to participate. I would also want to bring some caucasian friends with me so that they are able to experience another culture as well.The experience also taught me that being a minority can be scary and that if the people around you aren’t excepting of who you are then it can make the experience a lot worse. Therefore, it is crucial to be aware of other people cultures and be open to learning more about their
As the only white individual entering the church on Sunday I felt extremely out of place and very uncomfortable, at first. Upon entering the church, before I could even find a place to sit, the pastor came to welcome me and showed me a place to sit for the service. The pastor was very kind and so welcoming that my nervousness and worry started to vanish. Once I was seated and more people entered the church, I was treated as if I had always been there and was part of the group. Although I was the minority at the service I did feel very comfortable with my surroundings and with the people in attendance. The whole experience was very interesting and broadened my perspective on the African American culture.
Church a place many people go on Sunday mornings. A place to worship in the Lord and Savior or whichever God the individual believes in. Some individuals believe that church can only be held in the church building. When in reality it can be held anywhere for example the bedroom or a field. A thing that has been noticed is there are many types of people who go that fit in with a certain group. The types include everyone from the screaming child to the strict churchgoers and everything in between. Church may be a good place to go but it is believed that the churches today are corrupt.
“The number of blacks who received religious instruction in antebellum white churches is significant because the church was the only institution other than the plantation which played a major role in acculturating the slave “(Blassingame, The Slave Community, p. 98). African Americans found their strength in the church, because they secretly met outside of the church in invisible churches to discuss freedom, liberty, and how god is judging against the slave-owners. The church offered a sanctuary against the harsh realities of the plantation and allowed them to connect with one another and gain
Historically in the African American community the church has been a one stop shop: a welcoming spot for newcomers, a refuge for the needy, and a source of guidance for
Howell in his article “The Role of the Black Minister in his Parish Ministry” suggests that the African American Pastor is the head of his church. He is the chief staff person and, in some churches, the only professionally employed person. It is expected of him/her to be able to carry the church forward. The pastor must be the guiding personality in the congregation. The pastor’s administrative role unlocks many complications for his/her ministry to the people. As he/she directs the members in planning and implementing the program, many occasions are presented for comforting and aiding the religious needs of groups and
On December 5, 2017 at approximately 0223 hours, I was dispatched to 288 Church Lane for a report of First aid Call for a 43 years old unresponsive male possibly overdose. The dispatch advised that CPR was in progress.
This study keys in on the plight of African American churches with startling statements of their experiences in contrast to other cultures. The study expounds on all of the issues that have meaning such as
Women play a complex role in Robert Orsi’s The Madonna on 115th Street, at some points exercising power and at other points exercising less power than men. In Italian Harlem when describing a “domus,” the woman at the center is the one actually being described. A domus, according to Emmanuel LeRoy Ladurie, “constitute[s] a formidable reservoir of power and counter-power which could hold out with some degree of success against the external powers surrounding it.” Italian women in Harlem had no direct power in the outside world, but they were able to use their sphere of influence to leave their mark. The power that women in Italian Harlem have is given to them by the matriarchal society modeled by the church.
In my second field experience, I’d decided to go to a Baptist church. However, I did not come from a religious background. Although I am not completely in the dark when it comes to religion I have learn about different religion through friends and books. Therefore, I thought this would be a great opportunity to finally experience a service and put my ignorance aside. Meaning the assumption and expectation I had of church service. Furthermore, it provided me the opportunity to challenge myself and my own biases I have towards going to church. Once I went to church I was surprise to see so many black people, for the first time since I moved too Greensburg, I was actual able to see a room overflowing with individual who looked just like me, my first emotion was excitement and enjoy. Some of my expectation, was something I have learned from my mother. My mother always told me that “black people churches last longer”, with this in mind I was prepare to be there for a long time. However, to my surprise it did not last as long as I’d expected it to. My overall experience, was warming, peaceful and positive.
Throughout the bible, and reading it once more by Marcus Borg, a common idea as it relates to a religious experience, is that the Bible is a human product. Throughout chapter two, Borg continuously describes the Bible as being a product of humans. He explains on page 22 that he sees scripture through the lens of the Bible being a human product, meaning that it is the “product of two ancient communities” (22). He believed that what the Bible explains things to be are words from the communities of ancient Israel and the early Christian movement. “We cannot talk about God (or anything else) except with the words, symbols, stories, concepts, and categories known to us, for they are the only language we have”, made me think about the idea that
In our society today, it can be hard to fully understand and relate to biblical texts written in a seemingly different world. With stories of great joys and sorrows, I found that although the world we live in today is different, the messages are still highly relevant. As long as humans are still imperfect and desired filled beings, we will need the wisdom of these biblical texts to guide us. As the stories of overcoming hardships and suffering made an impression on me, the stories of love and acceptance filled me with great emotion. There are many differences that seem to separate Christians today, whether in arguments such as interpretations or certain beliefs. This has only divided an undivided religion. I found comfort and strength from texts about love and a calling for Christians to come together despite differences. In this, I found a deeper connection to myself and others.
Since the day I was born my parents took my sister and me to church ever Sunday. I grew up in a loving Christian home and was encouraged at an age where I could fully understand, to purse a relationship with Jesus. I accepted Christ into my heart when I was in the second grade and was baptized in the fourth grade at age 10. Growing up I have always been super involved in Church. I have a heart for people and love serving. Since 3rd grade until now, my senior year of high school I have been on the leadership team with my youth group. I can not imagine my life without Jesus as the center. I have been pushed to step out of my comfort zone and because of that I have grown in several different ways. For example, I am an extrovert and enjoy getting new people, but never liked public speaking as I felt nervous and intimidated. By the many adult leaders, and pastors coming along side of me and encouraging me to step of on my comfort zone I now highly enjoy speaking and spreading the truth about The Lord in big groups of people. I am so thankful for the many God loving people that have come in my life and helped stretch me. Jesus is my entire life and I am nothing without him.