The Separation of Church and Race

“Eleven o’clock Sunday morning is the most segregated hour in America,” civil-rights leader Martin Luther King, Jr. declared many times, quoting evangelist Billy Graham.

It has always bewildered me how churches have always been so divided among racial lines. The above quote still holds true today. There are some predominately white churches that will and have absolutely frowned on me when I enter, even though this is supposed to be “God’s house”. I have experienced a lot of racial tension in mostly white churches before many times.

One particular time when I was a teenager, I was asked at a mall by a white gentleman to play for his daughter’s wedding. The church was predominately white but I did anyway. When I got there everyone was giving me horrible glares. It was as if I had walked into their home and they didn’t want me there. After I played the piano for some women who sang “Evergreen”, I was escorted immediately out before the wedding continued, I was given a handshake from the father who gave me a “hidden 5 dollar bill” he had in his hand and sent on my way. Two men stood in front of the door to make sure I didn’t get back in! And this was in the house of God!

One would think that if we are going to be one in Christ then we can’t be one in Christ as long as we are separated into our racial groups which others can’t be a part of. And the same thing is true of many predominately black churches as well. I have seen how some whites are treated in all black churches. They are sometimes excluded, ostracized and just plain treated different. I realize that there tend to be separate worship styles and this may be one of the things that can separate us. But why can’t we all worship God together? We have become a nation of Christian separatists. And instead of embracing everyone in Jesus’ name, we are practicing separation within the body of Christ from others who don’t look like us. Please read and meditate on these scriptures:


“Come and hear, all you who fear God; let me tell you what he has done for me.” (Psalms 66:16)

“Let all creation rejoice before the LORD, for he comes, he comes to judge the earth. He will judge the world in righteousness and the peoples in his faithfulness.” (Psalms 96:13)

As I was reading these 2 scriptures the Lord was showing me that everyone is welcome in His house, and the body of Christ includes everyone. Is this how we think heaven will be: separate streets of gold for Caucasians, African-Americans, Asians, Mexicans, etc…? Of course not. Let’s do as Jesus said when He was teaching His disciples how to pray. In Matthew 6:10 he says, “your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven”. Bringing the different worship and preaching styles together as one won’t necessarily be the easiest thing. It’s going to take a lot of work, and most importantly, a lot of compromise. But as the body of Christ, we must begin to bring heaven to earth and truly unite as one body, all for the glory of God!! After all, there are some churches who have successfully united different races and cultures all for the glory of God! If they did it, then everyone can do it. For nothing is impossible with God.

God bless you!!
Robert T. Sells
http://www.robertsellsonline.com/