Baptists and racism

[David Ekstrom]

The charge that Baptists in particular are racists is entirely unfair. We have had the best history in this regard bar none.
There are those who call themselves "Baptist" these days that are an embarrassment. "Fundamental Baptist" isn't. Those who are the loudest in claiming to be fundamentalists are fighting for everything except the fundamentals. And their legalistic and authoritarian pastors are in direct contradiction to Baptist distinctives.
We've changed our name to Grace Community Church because, while we're proud of our Baptist heritage, we're embarrassed by those who have ruined the Baptist name.

 

[mioque]

"About 20 years ago, I experienced a most hateful, racially motivated act. As a pastor in the ABA (have been SBC for almost 15 yrs) I was attending a national meeting of the messenters. A black pastor had been chosen to preach one of the messages. If my memory is correct, he had been elected the previous year to bring the "annual sermon" for that particular year. The word had gotten out that the delegation from Louisiana was going to lead a "walk-out" when the black preacher got to the pulpit."
"
That could still happen in the middle of the 80's!
I find that very disturbing.

The problem with the baptist movement in the US has never been that it was inherently racist. The problem has been that it was (possibly still is) to involved in politics. The government itself was racist for quite some time in the South and most of the local baptist churches followed right along.

 

[SaggyWoman]

Originally posted by dh1948:
Racism is not a white, Baptist problem. It crosses all racial and denominational lines. I have heard it said that it is just as black at a black church on Sunday morning as it is white at a white church on Sunday morning.

I would agree with you. I am mixed race (Filipino/white) and attended a black church recently. I was one of two non-blacks there--the other non black was with me. The church was not "ugly" to me, but they were stunned, and I could sense the uneasiness on their part.

I personally enjoyed being different.

 

[Jeffrey H]

Originally posted by Gerad:
Folks, I've been reading the long and sometimes sordid history of Baptistic racism. What do y'all think?

You don't really need to go back that far. As a child growing up in the 60's, I heard plenty of ugly and racists remarks made by my Baptist relatives. I also remember hateful remarks toward MLK, Jr.

When I hung around my Presbyterian relatives, I never heard one hateful racist remark. Among this group, MLK, Jr. was highly regarded and respected.

Just my experience, not a scientific survey.

 

[mioque]

On the other hand when MLK visited the Netherlands in 1964, my baptist parents went to a sermon of his and are still admirers of the man.
http://www.iisg.nl/today/nl/28-08.php

 

[blackbird]

Baptists and racism??

If a man or a woman of another color(other than the majority who congregates with us--white) joins us---and somebody in the church tells him/her they must leave----I'm the second man out the door!

I admire Billy Graham---years ago during his early ministry---he was "getting the feel" of the stadium in Los Angeles-----while walking through the arena he noticed a "roped off" section---and asked the crusade manager---"Why is this section roped off?"----he was told the roped off section was for the blacks----

"Take the ropes down or the crusade is off immediately!"

The ropes came down---the people came!

thats me, friend----it is totally idiotic for the things to happend that happened----Jesus died for the blacks, yellows, reds, and whites----Jesus lives today for the same blacks, yellows, reds, and whites!!!

Take the ropes down---or I don't preach!!! And thats a quote from Me-a Southern Baptist!!!

 

[Ben W]

Praise the Lord that Billy Graham had the courage to stand up for what is right, no wonder the Lord has blessed his ministry so!