Church only wants White Greeters

[Zaac]

North Carolina Church Wanted “Only White People” as Greeters

Freedom House Church did not seem all that free this weekend.

Makeda Pennycooke, the church’s executive pastor of operations, sent an email to church volunteers asking that “only white people” greet worshippers at church services. The email said that leaders anticipated an increased number of visitors in the coming weeks, and that since “first impressions matter,” the church wants “the best of the best on the front doors.”

An outraged church member received the email and sent it to local news station WBTV. The controversy is complicated because Pennycooke is a black woman, while senior pastors Troy and Penny Maxwell are white. Nonetheless, the church’s request was hard to misinterpret. ”We are continuing to work to bring our racial demographic pendulum back to mid-line,” Pennycooke wrote. ”We would rather have less greeters on the front door if it means that the few that we have will represent us the best.”

Freedom House, a diverse church in north Charlotte, has already apologized for the incident. “The email was sent by one of our longtime pastors in an attempt to emphasize that our greeting team reflect the racial diversity of our entire congregation,” a church spokesperson wrote in a statement to WBTV. “However, she admitted it was a mistake to over-emphasize any specific group and sent an apology email within 24 hours of the original email going out.”

Read more: http://swampland.time.com/2013/09/0...-only-white-people-as-greeters/#ixzz2ds1k5qMd

It's a shame that we have this going on in any Christ-following church.

The spokesman for the church's statement seems disigenuous seeing as asking for all white greeters wouldn't in any way emphasize the racial diversity of the congregation.

 

[Zaac]

They issued an apology.

One of our longtime pastors, in keeping with our church’s desire to be inclusive and intentionally reach out to all races, noticed our front door greeting team was no longer reflecting the racial diversity of our entire congregation, and she wanted potential visitors to see people like themselves upon entering our church. However, she made an error in judgment in requesting all white greeters at the front door, going overboard in placing emphasis on any one race over another in trying to highlight diversity within the greeting team. She admits this was a grave lapse in judgment and is sincerely sorry for her actions. She immediately apologized and has asked our forgiveness. She and senior pastors have made themselves available to meet with any church members who want to discuss this situation with them, and have communicated their true heart in this matter — to be a church welcoming and inclusive to all. Freedom House believes in a diverse relationship within its membership, reflecting the larger community in which the church resides, doing life together as a church representative of everyone — culturally, ethnically, economically, and generationally.

 

[annsni]

Well, Mr. and Mrs. pastor made a mistake. I wouldn't have gone there just by nature of having a Mrs. pastor but to even THINK about black/white makes that a church that would never see a person like me. That is disgraceful to even think a church would consider skin color for any reason at all.

 

[Aaron]

Church only wants White Greeters

So?

Philemon was a slave owner, to whom Paul returned Onesimus. He entreated, did not command, Philemon to free Onesimus.

Your focus is wrong when judging a church.

 

[webdog]

Zaac claims to not be a race baiter :laugh:

 

[Zaac]

So?

Philemon was a slave owner, to whom Paul returned Onesimus. He entreated, did not command, Philemon to free Onesimus.

Your focus is wrong when judging a church.

I titled the thread after the title of the story.

 

[Zaac]

Zaac claims to not be a race baiter :laugh:

And webdog claims to not be a racist. :laugh:

And for as much as folks on here want to cry racebaiter as much as they claim Blacks cry race, how about we deal with what's going on in the church?

 

[thisnumbersdisconnected]

Not to be a devil's advocate or anything, but I can understand the motivation for the email Pastor Pennycooke sent out, even though I don't agree with the content or overtone of the request.

Let's face it. Even though racism is dead in America -- and by "racism" I mean the Jim Crow, John Barleycorn halcyon days of blatant and unapologetic bigotry not just in the South, but across this nation -- individuals still harbor personal prejudices, even in church.

Sunday is not the most "racially divided" day of the week in America (for one thing, there is only one race: Human), but it is the day when a preponderance of people from all ethnic backgrounds make their prejudices known by their presence in churches where the vast majority of attendees resemble each other.

Pennycooke was simply trying to overcome the tendency of ethnic individuals to choose to worship with those of their same ethnicity. You can call that "racism" if you wish, but you will be wrong. They do not attempt to lynch anyone who doesn't look like them that comes through the church door. In fact they will most likely greet someone of another ethnicity warmly and welcome them to the church. But they don't go to a church where there is more of another ethnicity than their own. Note that I'm not saying only whites do this, or only blacks do this. All of us do this. Perhaps not even consciously, but nonetheless, we do it.

What Pennycooke was perhaps rightly concerned about was the white visitor who would see an all black team of greeters and act on his/her own personal prejudices. A black visitor to a white church faced with an all white team of greeters would be just as likely to act on his/her own personal prejudices as well. That is to say, either person would somewhat self-consciously enter the sanctuary, participate in the service, and never come back. Again, that's not racism, and it cannot be legislated out of existence. It will always be with us.

That said, Pennycooke's email was still too edgy and the church needed to apologize. But I still understand what her intent was, and it was not racism. It was an exhibition of a love for her church and a desire to see it be vital in reaching the needs of her community. It went down the wrong road and rightfully upset a lot of people. Neither she nor her church are "racist" any more than is the person who enters a part of town where he/she is "outnumbered" ethnically and self-consciously reaches to secure his wallet or hold her purse tighter to her side, or perhaps lowers his/her eyes as though that will prevent them from being noticed. Again, that's human nature, and is a reaction that is wrongfully labeled "racism" by those who want to keep the fight -- and the division -- alive.

 

[webdog]

And webdog claims to not be a racist. :laugh:

And for as much as folks on here want to cry racebaiter as much as they claim Blacks cry race, how about we deal with what's going on in the church?

The ones starting race thread after race thread are the racists.

 

[Scarlett O.]

And webdog claims to not be a racist. :laugh:

And for as much as folks on here want to cry racebaiter as much as they claim Blacks cry race, how about we deal with what's going on in the church?

What's going on with ONE woman in ONE church is not the same thing as what's going on in THE church.

I hope you weren't trying to take this one black woman's foolish email about white people-only being greeters and imply that the universal church has her same problem with viewing white people as better than black people.

If you were, then THAT would be race-baiting. :flower:

 

[InTheLight]

What's going on with ONE woman in ONE church is not the same thing as what's going on in THE church.

I hope you weren't trying to take this one black woman's foolish email about white people-only being greeters and imply that the universal church has her same problem with viewing white people as better than black people.

If you were, then THAT would be race-baiting. :flower:

Isn't that exactly what Zaac was implying in post #7? He also hammered on this theme in the Trayvon Martin threads. The church is also in trouble, according to Zaac, because it elevates h*m*s*xual sin above hetero sin, because it supported a Mormon for President, because, because, because, etc. etc. etc.

 

[Zaac]

What's going on with ONE woman in ONE church is not the same thing as what's going on in THE church.

but ain't that ONE woman part of THE church?

I hope you weren't trying to take this one black woman's foolish email about white people-only being greeters and imply that the universal church has her same problem with viewing white people as better than black people.

If you were, then THAT would be race-baiting. :flower:

If that were my intent, I would have said so. :flower: A lot of folks in the church have the same problem.

I hope you weren't trying to take my reposting of a story and looking for an excuse to cry race-baiting.

 

[Don]

but ain't that ONE woman part of THE church?

So everything you do or say is representative of THE church as a whole?

 

[Zaac]

Isn't that exactly what Zaac was implying in post #7?

I don't imply things I can type quite clearly on the page.:thumbsup:

He also hammered on this theme in the Trayvon Martin threads. The church is also in trouble, according to Zaac, because it elevates h*m*s*xual sin above hetero sin, because it supported a Mormon for President, because, because, because, etc. etc. etc.

Yep, yep and yep.:thumbsup:

 

[Zaac]

So everything you do or say is representative of THE church as a whole?

If I'm living in accordance with the word of God, it certainly should be.

However I didn't say anything about her actions being representative of the WHOLE of the church.

Her actions are representative of an undercurrent in the church that folks don't like to acknowledge, but it is indeed there.

 

[thisnumbersdisconnected]

Isn't that exactly what Zaac was implying in post #7?

No.

but ain't that ONE woman part of THE church?

And ... ?

Aren't you likely to say that Jeremiah Wright is part of THE church? But does that mean THE church teaches as Jeremiah Wright? That's ridiculous.

 

[Zaac]

Not to be a devil's advocate or anything, but I can understand the motivation for the email Pastor Pennycooke sent out, even though I don't agree with the content or overtone of the request.

Let's face it. Even though racism is dead in America -- and by "racism" I mean the Jim Crow, John Barleycorn halcyon days of blatant and unapologetic bigotry not just in the South, but across this nation -- individuals still harbor personal prejudices, even in church.

Sunday is not the most "racially divided" day of the week in America (for one thing, there is only one race: Human), but it is the day when a preponderance of people from all ethnic backgrounds make their prejudices known by their presence in churches where the vast majority of attendees resemble each other.

:applause:

Pennycooke was simply trying to overcome the tendency of ethnic individuals to choose to worship with those of their same ethnicity.

And how was she doing that? All one has to do is look at the staff of the church to surmise what the majority ethnicity probably is.

How do you overcome what you said by asking that only people who look the majority be at the doors greeting?

Wouldn't it make more sense to have a mixture of folks as society is surely mixed?

You can call that "racism" if you wish, but you will be wrong.

Who said it was racism?

They do not attempt to lynch anyone who doesn't look like them that comes through the church door. In fact they will most likely greet someone of another ethnicity warmly and welcome them to the church. But they don't go to a church where there is more of another ethnicity than their own. Note that I'm not saying only whites do this, or only blacks do this. All of us do this. Perhaps not even consciously, but nonetheless, we do it.

Perhaps to some degree. We have the folks in each ministry do their own recruiting for the most part. And we encourage everyone to get involved doing something. Makes for a nice mixture, just like the community, involved in every aspect of the church.

What Pennycooke was perhaps rightly concerned about was the white visitor who would see an all black team of greeters and act on his/her own personal prejudices. A black visitor to a white church faced with an all white team of greeters would be just as likely to act on his/her own personal prejudices as well. That is to say, either person would somewhat self-consciously enter the sanctuary, participate in the service, and never come back. Again, that's not racism, and it cannot be legislated out of existence. It will always be with us.

Was there previously an all Black greeting team?

That said, Pennycooke's email was still too edgy and the church needed to apologize. But I still understand what her intent was, and it was not racism.

It wasn't racist. It was just stupid. And help me out. What was her intent? She wants the white people in the community to get to the doors and feel welcomed because they see folks who look like them. What about the Black folks? The Hispanic? The Asian?

Does she not care how they would feel?

Why not avoid this stupidity and just use the folks who regularly greet because they enjoy doing it?

I personally would much rather encounter someone at the front door of the church who was loving and joyful and whose skin color was different from my own than to encounter every greeter with the same skin color but a totally yucky attitude.

It was an exhibition of a love for her church and a desire to see it be vital in reaching the needs of her community.

That was a very poor exhibition of love that seems to be removed from GODLY love. LOVE should involve God. There was nothing of God in that decision.

It went down the wrong road and rightfully upset a lot of people. Neither she nor her church are "racist" any more than is the person who enters a part of town where he/she is "outnumbered" ethnically and self-consciously reaches to secure his wallet or hold her purse tighter to her side, or perhaps lowers his/her eyes as though that will prevent them from being noticed. Again, that's human nature, and is a reaction that is wrongfully labeled "racism" by those who want to keep the fight -- and the division -- alive.

Well, I'm glad to see that at least one other person in the world ain't caught up in equating prejudices with racism.

 

[Zaac]

No.

And ... ?

Aren't you likely to say that Jeremiah Wright is part of THE church?

I'd say that he's SUSPECT at best.:laugh:

But does that mean THE church teaches as Jeremiah Wright? That's ridiculous.

Yes it does. There are a lot of churches that teach the exact same way as Jeremiah Wright. There are a lot of churches that repeatedly exhibit the type of prejudice that Miss Pennycooke did.

and it IS an indictment upon the church. We,the church, has to take responsibility for what the church looks like. That's why you disfellowship with such people.

But when folks don't think there's anything wrong with what they are doing...

Had it not been brought to the attention of the press, things probably would have preceded as planned. I still wonder if the Head Pastor knew.

 

[thisnumbersdisconnected]

But does that mean THE church teaches as Jeremiah Wright?

Yes it does.

Here ... let me give you a hand.

 

[InTheLight]

So everything you do or say is representative of THE church as a whole?

C'mon, Don, he's all knowing, so yes.