Jonathan and Summer Daniel, who are white and joined the congregation before the merger, welcomed the change. “Psalm 133 says that unity is where the Lord commands blessing,” said Jonathan, who only heard positive feedback from his friends about the merger.
That wasn’t the case for April Savage. “Not everybody understands it,” she said.
“Some people they may not say it out of their mouth, but they feel like, oh, like you abandoned your people. Because you’re going to this, predominantly white ministry, or whatever, however you want to classify it. But we choose to not look at it that way. We choose to look at it as this is the kingdom of God, and it’s the kingdom that brings us together. We all believe the same.”
Of Black adults who attend religious services in the U.S., 25% say they go to houses of worship with multiracial congregations and clergy, according to a 2021 Pew Research Center report. Far more – 60% – say they attend religious services where most or all of the congregation and clergy are Black.
The Rev. Abdue Knox, pastor of Greater Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church of Charlotte, cautioned pastors of interracial congregations not to disregard the experiences of their Black members.
“We really have to do what’s best for our family, and if it’s best for our family to worship in a interracial setup, that’s great. But as a pastor to another interracial pastor, don’t forget, and don’t leave out and don’t neglect the struggle, the Black struggle. We have to include that as a part of our faith formation,” he said.
Compared to those who attend multiracial or white churches, or houses of worship with other racial makeups, Black adults who go to Black Protestant churches are more likely to say they hear about issues like race relations and criminal justice reform from the pulpit, the Pew report states.
Historically Black churches have long been a core part of the spiritual lives of Black Americans as well as a center of social and cultural support, and the push for racial equality.
“Faith in the African American community has always been all we had. And so we lean to what I knew to do … seeking the Spirit of God for unity,” Stewart said. “We can’t do it in our own ability. There’s never been a policy created, any speech that’s able to unite — it’s only the power and the presence of God that unites us.”
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AP reporters Tom Foreman Jr. in Winston-Salem, N.C. and Holly Meyer in Nashville, Tenn., contributed.
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Associated Press religion coverage receives support from the Lilly Endowment through The Conversation U.S. The AP is solely responsible for this content.
This article originally appeared here.