Race and the Church

Jones next asserts that the church must also be colorblind. The church should not restrict access to anyone from communion who can “partake worthily.” This is fine to an extent. I don’t have a problem with church congregations with multiple races receiving communion. I do believe that many of the same principles mentioned above would equally apply to the church. God gave hereditary requirements for the priesthood in the OT, and it is natural for parishioners to prefer leadership of their own race, ethnicity, and culture. This is why so many people attend churches in which one race is the dominant race.

In the antebellum south, southern whites took their Negro slaves to church with them. This was a fine arrangement since blacks did not serve as voting members of the congregation or serve in church government except in black churches. After the War Between the States, many white southerners became nervous that integration of the churches would harm unity among parishioners. Often the solution involved helping blacks establish their own churches. Ultimately southern whites and blacks achieved far friendlier relations when there was no delusion of equality in the south. Integration hurt that relationship more than anything else.

Another problem with Jones’ premise is that most conservative churches tend to be dominated by one race or another. Often churches that are multiracial tend also to be pluralistic in doctrine and practice. The megachurches are the ones who achieve the most racial diversity. It is these churches that set aside all doctrinal and theological differences in order to achieve a false sense of unity or togetherness. Incidentally, the church is still one of the most segregated institutions that we have in America. This only confirms the fact that this is the most natural arrangement.

I agree that churches should not restrict communion solely on the basis of race. However I think that it is natural and biblical for different races to worship separately. To forcibly integrate churches causes disunity and lack of trust. History shows that churches flourish best when they are dominated by one race or another.