WHAT IS THE BLACK CHURCH? QUESTIONS GALORE, PT. I

Necessarily, much discussion is being fostered on the identity of the Black Church. This conversation is prevalent as well as it is problematic. Problematic, if only from the perspectives of its derivation, composition and reflection in the contemporary scene. My initial modus operandi in addressing this subject, which I will pursue in subsequent blogs, is to tackle it by posing a series of insistent questions. First and foremost is, naturally, what is the Black Church?

Is it the collection of churches under the umbrella of the major Black denominations, namely, National Baptists, Missionary Baptists, African Methodist Episcopal (AME), African Methodist Episcopal Zion (AMEZ)? Do these alone represent and circumscribe the Black Church? It might be profitable to note that large masses of Blacks were converted and mostly joined the Methodist and Baptist churches after the American Revolution, thereby completing(?) a courtship which began in the Great Awakening in New England. These denominations therefore have historical roots as far as major membership is concerned. Do they demarcate the contours of the Black Church?

Or, should we view the Black Church as the totality of individual institutions with predominant Black congregations? That is to say, does the Black Church include not only the members of major Black denominations but also those predominantly or only Black congregations within major White denominations? Here, individual local bodies within such denominations as the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC); the Presbyterian Church of America (PCA), the Presbyterian church USA (PC USA); the Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church (the ARP); the Assemblies of God; United Methodist Church; etc., are being addressed.

Further, is it comprised of the Black mega-churches -- typically those with at least two thousand members? Black mega-churches are growing at faster rates than those of their Anglo counterparts. George Barna and Harry R. Jackson, Jr. report in their High Impact African-American Churches that the percentage of large Black churches surpasses that among White or Hispanic congregations and that ".. there are at least a dozen black churches whose attendance exceeds either of those well-known congregations [Willow Creek and Saddleback] by at least a couple thousand people per week!" (p. 26) The high visibility and rapid fecundity of these huge institutions have caused both Blacks and Whites to afford them the status as due representatives of Black religion. Is this accolade well-founded? Is this status accurate ?

Or, is it the aggregation of all African-American church members, whether these are in African-American churches are not? That is to say, is the Black Church constituted of Black members wherever they worship and regardless of their denominational affiliation?

Lastly, is the Black Church a(ny) religious institution furthering the general advancement for African-Americans? "As long as they are people who cannot help themselves there is going to be a need for the Black church." Heard on the Al Sharpton (barbershop) television talk show, “Sharp Talk”(?) on Sunday, January 22, 2006. Many Black churches now have home-ownership programs; community assistance programs; economic development training; entrepreneurial classes; counseling of many kinds; crisis intervention training; and so on, as part of their "curriculum." Is the Black Church therefore a religious entity for furthering the civil, economic and social rights and responsibilities of its people?

These are a few questions that come to mind in the first of three Questions Galore.