Posted on Sep 2, 2009 | =
by David=20
Winfrey
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (BP)--Several questions =
remain after=20
long talks, compromises and at least one blunt =
sermon=20
prior to the merger of a black church and a =
white church=20
in Louisville.
But both pastors say they =
have the=20
Holy Spirit and a spirit of cooperation to=20
succeed.
More than 560 people sang, =
prayed and=20
rejoiced Aug. 23 as St. Paul Missionary Baptist =
Church,=20
a mostly black congregation, and Shively Heights =
Baptist=20
Church, a mostly white congregation, merged into =
St.=20
Paul Baptist Church at Shively=20
Heights.
Denominational leaders praised =
the union=20
as a model for racial =
reconciliation.
"Today is a=20
great example of the Gospel at work changing =
lives,=20
congregations and communities, with impact =
extending far=20
beyond today and far beyond Louisville," said =
Larry=20
Martin, a consultant for the Kentucky Baptist =
Convention=20
who has long worked with St. Paul's pastor, =
Lincoln=20
Bingham, in Christian racial reconciliation=20
efforts.
The location of the combined =
churches is=20
especially noteworthy. Years ago, Shively was a =
"white=20
flight" suburb for many families leaving the =
city of=20
Louisville. Just down the road from the church =
campus, a=20
bomb destroyed the house of the first black =
family to=20
locate in Shively 55 years ago.
Pastors =
at both=20
churches say they realized their congregations =
were at a=20
crossroads when they proposed combining=20
forces.
At St. Paul Missionary Baptist =
Church,=20
Bingham said facilities were limiting the =
ministries=20
that members wanted to conduct.
The youth =
had no=20
gym. Seniors had no elevators. The sanctuary, =
which=20
seats 220 people, lacked room to grow. "Our =
challenge=20
was we had ministries and membership larger than =
what=20
our facilities could properly accommodate," =
Bingham=20
said.
Seven miles southwest, Shively =
Heights=20
Baptist Church was facing challenges both =
economic and=20
cultural, said Mark Payton, who has led the =
congregation=20
for eight years.
"We had 100 people =
trying to=20
raise $112,000 per year," Payton said. "We were =
just=20
getting so crunched and we just knew that we =
needed help=20
to reach this community."
Statistics =
compiled=20
with the help of the Kentucky Baptist Convention =
reinforced the challenges and opportunities =
surrounding=20
the church campus, Payton =
added.
Projections=20
showed that by next year, 30 percent of the =
neighborhood=20
would be African American, he said. Yet =
opportunities=20
abound: Reports also noted that 300,000 people =
live in a=20
five-mile radius of the church, he said, noting, =
"Shively Heights is sitting in the most =
populated area=20
in Kentucky."
The two pastors, who have =
been=20
friends for 25 years, were talking this past =
winter when=20
they realized a merger might solve their =
problems. The=20
Shively Heights campus has a gym, four times as =
much=20
education space as St. Paul, elevators and a =
sanctuary=20
to seat 500 comfortably.
Together, Payton =
and=20
Bingham emphasized the opportunities to reach =
the=20
community with a witness and racial sensitivity =
that=20
wasn't possible before.
Still, both =
congregations=20
had some objectors. Said Payton: "Me and Lincoln =
decided=20
when we started this process we would lose some =
but we=20
would gain far more."
Bingham said =
two-thirds of=20
St. Paul voted for the move. He said he =
maintained focus=20
by casting the vision for what God wanted to=20
accomplish.
"God wants us to do bigger =
things,"=20
Bingham said. "We've had a great ministry here. =
But God=20
has much more for us to do. And the facility and =
the=20
racial mix [in Shively Heights] will provide =
even=20
greater opportunity."
Payton said =
approximately=20
70 percent of Shively Heights voted for the =
move, but=20
less than 1 percent gave "public opposition." =
Nearly 20=20
members have left since the vote to merge, he =
added.=20
"Even in this day and age, we would be na=EFve =
to think=20
some of it wasn't because of =
race."
Payton even=20
addressed the racial issue in a sermon before =
the=20
merger.
"I just told them, 'You all used =
to live=20
downtown. Why did you move to Shively? We all =
know why=20
you moved,'" he recounted. "'When are you going =
to quit=20
running from them and start reaching=20
them?'"
Nationally, approximately 8 =
percent of=20
churches are integrated, according to George =
Yancey, a=20
sociology professor at the University of North =
Texas who=20
has studied race and churches.
While =
schooling=20
and other aspects of life often are integrated, =
totally=20
voluntary organizations like churches remain =
less so,=20
Yancey said. "In America we still choose to be =
among our=20
own racially," said Yancey, author of "One Body, =
One=20
Spirit."
"Families are that way. We =
usually=20
choose [to marry] someone of our own=20
race."
Successful integration requires=20
sensitivity and compromise from all parties, =
Yancey=20
explained. "Things are not going to be the way =
they used=20
to be and both groups are going to have to =
accept that,"=20
he said.
Yancey said some research =
suggests=20
integrated churches are better able to grow =
numerically,=20
but there has been no measurement for such =
things as=20
spiritual growth or true cooperation among =
different=20
ethnic groups. "There needs to be more research =
into=20
that," he said.
At St. Paul Baptist =
Church at=20
Shively Heights, many details remain to be =
worked out.=20
Bingham and Payton are taking turns preaching on =
Sunday=20
morning. All current staff is remaining. Bingham =
said=20
leaders are working to maintain a diversity of =
cultures=20
in all aspects.
"It will take some time =
to do=20
this, but we'll do everything we can possibly do =
to make=20
sure that equity is demonstrated in music, =
preaching and=20
every other part of our worship," Bingham=20
said.
Payton agreed: "We are merging all =
of our=20
teams to make sure we have adequate =
representation from=20
both churches. We just want to make sure we =
don't have=20
all black talking in one area and all white =
talking in=20
another area. We want it totally =
blended."
Payton=20
said he's asked members to be patient as leaders =
"nail=20
down the wrinkles."
"We're all going to =
be=20
stretched," he said. "I've reminded them of =
Joshua as he=20
led the children of Israel. He said, 'We've =
never been=20
this way before,' and neither of our churches =
have been=20
this way before."
Bingham said he hopes =
other=20
congregations will learn from the merger that =
"we all=20
should follow the biblical mandate that we all =
be one,=20
and that it does not necessarily suggest =
disaster when=20
we obey that command."
--30--
David =
Winfrey is a=20
freelance writer in Louisville, Ky. This article =
first=20
appeared in the Western Recorder=20
(www.westernrecorder.org), newsjournal of the =
Kentucky=20
Baptist Convention.
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