The Black Church during the period of the Civil Rights movement served as a sanctuary for Black people. The church was a place where Black people could not only advance their relationship with God, but it also served as a place where Black people could receive an education, feel protected, be fed and prosper. It was the quintessential utopia of safety for Black people. However, in recent years, many scholars and thinkers reject the notion that the church has preserved the roots of community and activism that it was once founded upon. Morehouse Man and Yale divinity graduate, Pastor Otis Moss Jr, was a part of a Columbia University panel titled, “Is The Black Church Dead? A Round Table On The Future Of Black Churches.” He says, “The great challenge, is not, is the church no longer perfect? But the fact that the postmodern church has been overshadowed by prosperity ministry… if anything is killing or destroying the church it’s the word “network” he goes on to say, “ We need to reimagine the church.” On this same panel, Dr. Butler says that the Black church is lacking a strong sense of community.
The Black Church needs reimagining because it has in many ways become a performance rather than what it once stood for. The sense of community within the church is no longer perpetuated often, in the 21st century there are MEGA-churches that look like world-renowned theaters, which are separated from the community in which they are located. In other words, there are many mega-churches that are not doing "mega jobs" within communities around America. I would argue that the church operates more like a business, than a place fulfilling the ministry of Christ. Though it is essential for there to be a strong financial basis, so that the church may be able to grow, there also should be a strong basis of ministry so that the church can save souls. Religion in the 21st century continues to scare people from the church. Many churches and pastors fail to realize that religion has been indoctrinated into the church by Human and not by God.
The church has become a performance, the congregation is concerned with how the pastor stylistically preaches rather than the substance of the message, the church is concerned with what someone wears on Sunday rather than helping the less fortunate and the church will assassinate one’s character with judgement rather than helping them overcome issues that they deal with. The church celebrates when someone shouts, screams, or run. But scorn those who silently worship. The Pastor of the church is supposed to serve as a watchman of the souls of God’s people, (Ezekiel 3:17). However, people cannot put faith into a preacher who is not following and aligning with the word of God. Furthermore, the congregation can not put faith into a pastor who looks at the church as a marketing firm. James Baldwin writes,
"I had been in the pulpit too long and I had seen too many monstrous things. I don’t refer merely to the glaring fact that the minister eventually acquires houses and Cadillacs while the faithful continue to scrub floors and drop their dimes and quarters and dollars into the plate. I really mean that there was no love in the church. It was a mask for self-hatred and despair. The transfiguring power of the Holy Ghost ended when the service ended, and salvation stopped at the church door."
Most people that are a part of the Black Church has lost the basic meaning of the church...Charity! 1 Corinthians 13:3, "And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing." The church has lost its sense of charity. In many ways, the church has become a place with a deconstructive emphasis and not a reconstructive mindset. The church chastises people in hate, rather than in love. I am not merely speaking of the churches that are doing a revolutionary job within their community, but I am speaking of the church that carries out a personal mission of hatred and strife against damaged people. We must stop and take responsibility of the flaws within our churches. When we regard the church as a theater, and not a hospital for damaged people we have disregarded God’s mission, denounced our ancestors, and simply are wasting time. We must not practice religion, but strive to practice Christ.
Religion has damaged the people of the Black church. However, I will not go as far to say that the Black church is dead, but that it is in a state of emergency. It is imperative that we hold true to Christ because he has been and continues to be the preserving force of all people. Finally, we can not only fellowship with only black churches, but we must fellowship with all people of all races. We cannot judge, but we must inform people. In John 8:7 Jesus says, "He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her." We have all sinned, stop judging, and start informing. Promote Christ and STOP performing religion.
