Diversity for the Rest of Us: Pursuing the Imperative Beauty and Benefits of Koinonia in Christ between Mono-Ethnic Anglo- and African-American Churches

Doctor, Craig

Etd

Diversity for the Rest of Us: Pursuing the Imperative Beauty and Benefits of Koinonia in Christ between Mono-Ethnic Anglo- and African-American Churches

Public Deposited

MLA citation style (9th ed.)

Doctor, Craig. Diversity for the Rest of Us: Pursuing the Imperative Beauty and Benefits of Koinonia In Christ Between Mono-ethnic Anglo- and African-american Churches. rim.ir.atla.com/concern/etds/75a2ecb5-fa17-4925-8db4-0fed1e5d4c59.

APA citation style (7th ed.)

D. Craig. Diversity for the Rest of Us: Pursuing the Imperative Beauty and Benefits of Koinonia in Christ between Mono-Ethnic Anglo- and African-American Churches. https://rim.ir.atla.com/concern/etds/75a2ecb5-fa17-4925-8db4-0fed1e5d4c59

Chicago citation style (CMOS 17, author-date)

Doctor, Craig. Diversity for the Rest of Us: Pursuing the Imperative Beauty and Benefits of Koinonia In Christ Between Mono-Ethnic Anglo and African-American Churches. https://rim.ir.atla.com/concern/etds/75a2ecb5-fa17-4925-8db4-0fed1e5d4c59.

Note: These citations are programmatically generated and may be incomplete.

Creator

Doctor, Craig

Rights Statement

In Copyright

Abstract

In light of the chronic segregated state of the church—alongside the compelling biblical impetuses toward diversity, pastors’ related convictions and aims, and the formidable challenges they face along the way—the purpose of this study was to explore how pastors of mono-ethnic Anglo- and African-American churches lead their congregants to pursue koinonia with congregants of churches of the other ethnicity—either as a preliminary step in the process of becoming more diverse, or even while expecting to remain mono-ethnic (in situations where a church’s mono-ethnicity accurately reflects its context). The themes that surfaced during the pastor interviews were identified, organized, and presented in accord with the research questions that directed this study. Specifically, the themes that emerged under Biblical Impetuses were 1) Our Oneness in Christ, 2) The Great Commission, and 3) The Second Great Commandment. Those under Identifying the Challenges were 1) Fear, 2) Anger, 3) Distrust, 4) Guilt and Shame, and 5) Surprise. Under Working Through the Challenges: 1) Prayer, 2) The Gospel, 3) Friendship, 4) Acknowledgement, 5) Education, 6) Joint-Congregation Events and Ministries, and 7) Black Leadership. And then under Growth Through the Challenges: 1) The Sense of Our Oneness in Christ, 2) Patience, 3) Humility, Repentance and Prayer, and 4) Obedience.The study revealed that this essential pursuit hinges around 1) prayer, 2) relationships (genuine, contagious friendships that begin with the pastors and flow down into the congregations from there), 3) bold, sensitive pastoral leadership, 4) education on cultures and where our present life together lies within God’s larger redemptive story, and 4) the importance of seeing through one another’s eyes in the midst of the story.

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