From Azusa To Memphis Where Do We Go From Here Roundtable Discussions On The Memphis Colloquy

113

ROUNDTABLE:

RACIAL

RECONCILIATION

From Azusa to

Memphis: From Here? Roundtable

Where Discussions

Do We Go

on the

Memphis Colloquy

Frank D. Macchia

On October

17-19, 1994,

the all-white Pentecostal

Fellowship

of North America

(PFNA)

met in Memphis to admit its racist

past

and to meet with African-American Pentecostals

concerning

the establishment of an

integrated

association. The result was the dissolution of the PFNA and the establishment of the PentecostaUCharismatic Churches of North America

(PCCNA),

with the

governing

board of six whites and six African Americans.

Bishop

Ithiel Clemmons of the Church of God in Christ serves as

Chairperson.

The

only

woman chosen to the board was

Bishop

Barbara Amos of the Mt. Sinai

Holy

Church of America. As the name of the new Association

suggests,

the Charismatics were also

included,

and Mexico was

explicitly

mentioned as part of its geographical

region.

The

Memphis meetings

featured four

principal

lectures: the

past roots of racial

unity

and division

(Cecil Robeck),

the

present problem of racism in Pentecostalism

(Leonard Lovett),

the

ideal,

biblical

pattern of

unity (William Turner),

and the future

strategy

for reconciliation (Vinson Synan).

The

meetings

also featured

spontaneous

and

planned times of

repentance, forgiveness,

and

worship.

At one

point,

white and African-American leaders

engaged

in a

spontaneous

foot

washing ceremony.

The

meetings

ended with a communion service.

As I have discussed in the

society’s journal,’

the efforts of white Pentecostals to achieve

unity

and

partnership

with African-American Pentecostals raises a number of

thorny

issues and

questions.

Can African-American Pentecostals come to the table of

dialogue

and partnership

with white Pentecostals who have not

yet

taken

significant measures to

repudiate

racism and

inspire

racial

justice

and

healing

in their denominations? Would such a

partnership represent

a search for “cheap grace” by

white Pentecostals? Can

repentance

and

forgiveness ‘Frank D.

Macchia,

“From Azusa to

Memphis: Evaluating

the Racial Reconciliation

Dialogue Pentecostals,”

PNEUMA: The Journal

Pentecostal Theology 17 (Fall 1995): 203-218.

Among of

the Society for

1

114

healing throughout the sacrifices involved commitments

for

justice

Pentecostals

for the

purpose

changes

and

as initial and affirms a mere

“spiritual”

unity

without Pentecostal in

defining

function

politically

to create a

preliminary partnership

of

aiding

white Pentecostals in their efforts to

inspire

racial

justice

and

their denominations? Will white Pentecostals make

in the radical institutional

necessary

to

support

the

struggle

of African Americans

and liberation? Has the PCCNA made a

sufficiently

radical break from its roots in the PFNA?

Why,

for

example,

did the PCCNA affirm the PFNA’s Statement of

Faith,

which excludes Oneness

(many

of which are African American and

Mexican), insists on the classical Pentecostal doctrine of

tongues

evidence

(excluding

most

Charismatics),

a word about the

visible,

institutional divisions between

believers based on race and

gender?

Was the PCCNA wise

racial

justice solely

in terms of black and white, without fundamental

input

from Asians and

Hispanics?

In the

light

of the

role

played by

women in the

history

of Pentecostalism,

why did

only

one woman attend

among

the 200

participants

significant

meetings?

For this SPS Roundtable theologians

Gaxiola-Gaxiola

Andover-Newton

Theological author,

(Gaxiola-Gaxiola

meetings.

Gaxiola-Gaxiola

who was not

invited to the

a

panel

of six Pentecostal

include:

of the

PCCNA,

Manuel

scholar and panel

members

in the context and as one

discussion,

and church leaders have been asked to summarize what they

believe the

Memphis meeting represented

and what

prospects

exist for the future. Panel

participants

Ithiel Clemmons of the Church of God in Christ and

Chairperson

of the Center for the

Study

of

Religion

in Mexico City,

Barbara Amos of the Faith Deliverance Christian

Center,

Cecil M. Robeck of Fuller

Theological Seminary,

Samuel Solivan of

School, and, independent

Leonard Lovett. All but two of the

and

Solivan)

were

major participants

in the

Memphis

speaks

from a Mexican Pentecostal context as a Oneness Pentecostal who was not invited to

participate meetings.

Solivan

speaks

from a Hispanic-American

invited to

participate

in the

Memphis partnership.

In the first

presentation

of the Roundtable

discussion, Clemmons

expresses

a cautious

hope

that white Pentecostals will take

the sacrifices and

challenges

involved in true

partnership

for racial justice

and

healing.

He draws from Comel West’s

Prophetic Fragments to define a future

trajectory

for Pentecostal

prophetic leadership

toward racial

unity

in

diversity.

The

major components

the

past,

connection with the

humanity

of all

peoples, tracking

internal

up

hypocrisy,

and cautious

hope.

Ithiel

include discernment of

African-American Pentecostals mere token

gestures

Leonard Lovett is not

hopeful

that white Pentecostals

in

genuine partnership

made

by

white Pentecostals toward Americans since the

Memphis meeting

leave Lovett “disturbed

will join with for

justice.

The

African

about

2

115

the future of racial reconciliation” in the Pentecostal movement. His criticisms and

disappointments

need to be taken

seriously by those

who tend to celebrate

Memphis prematurely.

Manuel Gaxiola-Gaxiola

compares

the

tendency among

American Trinitarian Pentecostals to exclude Unitarian Pentecostals from partnerships

and associations with the trend in Mexico and Latin America for Pentecostals and

Evangelicals

to work

together despite certain differences in belief After

all,

if all Pentecostals have been sanctified and

empowered by

the same

Spirit, why

has the PCCNA affirmed a Trinitarian Statement of Faith that excludes Unitarian Pentecostals? Gaxiola-Gaxiola

suggests

the “Trinitarian” Statement of the Lausanne

pact

which confesses “One

God, Father, Son,

and

Spirit.” Samuel Solivan shares the

deep disappointment

he felt upon hearing the news about an

attempted

racial reconciliation

partnership

at

Memphis that was limited to whites and Afiican-Americans. He finds in this limitation of racism to a problem between “black and white” as “at best hypocritical

and worst a denial of the

dignity

of all

people.”

He finds this limitation to be reductionistic and a biased

reading

of

reality. Solivan will not allow Pentecostals to feel that

they

have

repudiated racism

solely

within the context of a

dialogue

between whites and African-Americans. He

implies

that such a dialogue further

perpetuates the

implied insignificance of Hispanic

Pentecostals as dialogue partners. A

meeting

for racial

justice thereby only

serves to

perpetuate

further injustice.

Solivan makes us

pause

to

inquire

into the

degree

to which the PCCNA has

really departed

from the

politics

of discrimination that so characterized the PFNA. In a similar

vein,

Barbara Amos

expresses concern for whether we have

“really

disbanded the

original

team (PFNA)”

or

merely “reorganized

the team”

by adding

new members (PCCNA).

Amos was struck at the

Memphis meetings by

the lack of participation by women, youth,

and other racial/ethnic

groups.

Most disturbing

was her encounter at

Memphis

with “brothers who refused to remain in prayer and

dialogue groups

with

my

female

presence.”

The uneasiness with Amos’ female

presence

is reflective of the Church’s general tendency

to

keep

women within certain social roles that are rigidly

defined and distance them from

decision-making power.

She remarks

concerning

women in the churches that the “welcome mat must be

placed

not

only

at the door of the music room and the

kitchen, but also at the door of the board room.” She wonders about the

degree to which

participants

in the

Memphis meetings

will communicate these concerns to the churches at the

grass-roots

level.

Only

in this

way

can genuine repentance

occur and

systems

be dismantled in an authentic “ministry

of reconciliation”

(2

Cor.

5:17-18).

She concludes that such a ministry

“must extend

beyond

the formation of token

groups

and periodical meeting

that

give

the

appearance

of

harmony.”

The

3

116

Roundtable discussion concludes with a

powerful

statement from Cecil M. Robeck who

played

a crucial role in the

Memphis meeting, along with Ithiel

Clemmons,

Leonard Lovett and Harold

Hunter,

in formulating

the “Racial Reconciliation Manifesto. ,,2

The

Day

of Pentecost reveals an event of enormous ecumenical implications.

Men and women

gave prophetic

witness in many tongues that

people

from

many

different

geographical

locations could

inherent

nations, tribes, peoples,

praise

of God’s

mighty

expressed Pentecostals century.

understand and affirm. Such an

astounding

deeds cuts across

geographical

and cultural lines without

eliminating them. There was a

unity

in

diversity. Yet,

the ecumenical

implications of Pentecost were

by

no means

fully

realized on the

Day

of Pentecost. The

people

from

many

lands were

Diaspora

Jews. The

story

of Acts presents

us with a

people

of God who had to

struggle constantly

to reach

beyond

their own limitation in order to realize more of the implications

in Pentecost. The ecumenical fullness will not occur

until,

before the throne of

grace,

the

people

of God from “all

and

tongues” glorify

God and the Lamb of God in the

power

and

unity

of the

Spirit (Rev. 7.-9ff). Until then,

the

people of God must continue the

struggle

and the journey, of which Azusa and Memphis

are

only

minor moments of triumph. The

despair

and the

hope

in the

following

statements need to be heard all

if the

journey

is to continue

by into the twentieth-first

What Price Reconciliation: Reflections on the

“Memphis Dialogue”

Ithiel C. Clemmons

“Ever since the

coming

of John the

Baptist

the

kingdom

of heaven

has been

forcing

its

way forward, (Matthew 11:12, NEB).

you my

reflections

and men of force are

seizing ‘

it”

Pentecostal/Charismatic

Frank

Macchia, my

Union

Seminary colleague

and much

younger brother

(almost

a generation separates

us),

has asked me to share with

on the

Memphis Dialogue

of October

7-9,

1994. That

dialogue gave

a

respectful

burial to the then 46

year

old “all white” Pentecostal

Fellowship

of North America

(PFNA).

The

dialogue also

gave

birth to the new inter-racial

inter-gender,

inter-cultural

Churches of North America

(PCCNA).

Frank has himself

given

a most astute and

wide-ranging

and has

really

asked me to answer some of the

of that

dialogue

historical assessment

2 Reprinted,

“Pentecostal Partners: Racial Reconciliation

Manifesto,”

in PNEUMA: The Journal

of the Society jor

Pentecostal Studies 17 (Fall

1995): 217-218.

4

117

paradoxical questions

that led

to, structured,

and resulted from the dialogue. Why,

for

example,

would African-American Pentecostals come to the table of

dialogue

with the PFNA

knowing

that the constituencies of the member churches of PFNA were not

really ready to take

significant steps beyond

the

pious

rhetoric of its leaders to eradicate racism and affirm

equality?

Was the

major impetus

behind PFNA’s desire to dissolve and

reorganize

with the

participation

of African-American Pentecostals

really

a realistic awareness that the PFNA’s

days

were numbered? Is it not true that it faced

extinction,

and as usual when

lily

white

organizations

are

dying,

blacks are

suddenly admitted and

given

some token

leadership positions

with the responsibility

of

extending

the life of that

community, usually

without adequate

financial resources or

adequate support

staff?

I stated

again

and

again

to those leaders

who,

with

great sincerity, initiated this new venture that our Caucasian brethren and sisters have usually

wanted

unity

without

being really ready

to

pay

the

price

of justice;

that is without

being willing

to take

seriously

the issues of power, privilege

and

purse.

As African-American

Pentecostals,

our interest is not in unity in simply a spiritual sense. Our interest is in love, power

and

justice

which are

indivisible,

and concrete

expressions

of unity

of heart and

unity

of soul.

Historically,

white Pentecostals have attempted

to be

vigorously missionary

minded and

evangelistic

while being unwilling

to view racism as a sin

(viewing

it as

merely

a social problem)

and

hypocritically hiding

a sense of racial

superiority. Why did

I, despite grave misgivings,

come to the

Memphis Dialogue

with “cautious

optimism?” Why

would

I,

over

my family’s sage

advice and concern for

my health,

venture forth

by agreeing

to assume the Chairmanship

of the Executive Committee of PCCNA? What concrete objectives

does PCCNA have

beyond

the

generalized

vision set forth in the

Memphis

Manifesto? Let me

attempt

to answer these

very important

and crucial

questions

in reverse order.

I do not have to outline for

you

the events in our nation and around the world that made the

year

1995 an

appalling

one for race relations. The

responsibility

for

promoting

racial

healing

rests with all Americans, but

especially

with the Christian

Church;

and

especially

with that segment

of the Christian Church in which Pentecost is the essential metaphor

that defines its vision. The PCCNA above all is established as a

symbol

of

interracial, inter-cultural, inter-gender cooperation

that

by , precept

and

example challenge good people

to

step

forth and

say enough

to

hate, bigotry

and violence.

PCCNA leaders are in

continuing dialogue

in search of an ever deepening understanding

of the Old and New Testament biblical traditions with their

suspicion

of

power (Old Testament)

that we have absorbed,

and

recognition

of God’s universals

(New Testament)

which is where tribalism ends. There are no “chosen

people”

in the sense that

5

118

God

gives privilege

to one

group

over another. All have

equal

access to God,

which is the

beginning

of the truest biblical and

incidentally democratic vision.3 The

Founding

Fathers of America were

grasped by a Deity that

they

did not

fully comprehend

and allowed their

prejudices to

sully

God’s dream. Yet God continues to raise

up prophetic witnesses like William J.

Seymour

and Charles Harrison Mason to free the Bible Christian

Faith,

and the church from

captivity

to America or any

other Government. That is why some of us are able to

forget

those things

that are

behind,

and reach forth to those

things

that are

before, and

press

toward the mark for the

prize

of the

high calling

of God in Christ Jesus. PCCNA is

attempting

to so structure itself so that it can accomplish

at least seven

objectives.

1.

Create, encourage

and

intensify church-community

based efforts to

promote

racial

healing.

2. Call

upon

churches and

community

leaders to

speak

out

against bigotry

and violence whenever and wherever

they occur, regardless

of race, religion

and

ethnicity

of the

perpetrators.

3. To

expose

not

only

the evils of racism but also “neo-racism.” Neo-racism is not manifest in an obvious form. It is hidden,

subtle,

and frequently

unconscious. It is often undetected

by

the victim. It

is, however,

more destructive because of its insidious character. Neo-racism is nationwide in America.4 It is

powerfully present

in structural,

institutional manifestations and in missionary activities of the denomination. 5 It is the

major

form of

oppression

at the end of the 20th century.

4. To

encourage churches, colleges, universities,

Bible

colleges, institutes, Sunday Schools, Saturday-Sunday Schools,

to address the problems

of the racial divide in America and around the world. It was Karl Barth who lifted

up

the need to look at the world’s condition with the Bible in one hand and the

newspaper

in the other. Dr. Gardner Taylor,

America’s most

dynamic preacher,

in his

Lyman

Beecher lectures at Yale

Divinity

School some

years ago, said,

we must read both the Bible and the

newspaper

with

“split

vision.”6 For the

preacher must

point

out the hidden but

powerfully present footprints

of God in the affairs of men and nations.

5. Create

multi-racial,

multi-ethnic networks to

press

for

public policies

that reflect the biblical vision of justice.

I Cf

Stanley Crouch, “We’re Still One People,” New York Daily News. Sunday, 24 December

1995, 33.

.

‘ See J. Deotis Roberts’ excellent volume, The Prophethood of Black Believers (Louisville,

KY: Westminister/John Knox Press, 1994), 133.

‘ C$ Benjamin DeMott,

“Put on a Happy Face: Masking the Differences between Blacks and Whites,” Harpers Magazine 291 (1995): 31-38.

6 Gardner C.

Taylor,

How Shall

They Preach (Elgin,

IL:

Progressive Convention

Baptist

Publishing House, 1977).

6

119

–

6. To concretize our

dialogue

with

Scripture

and our

dialogue

with each other

by developing projects

that send inter-racial teams into the prisons.

PCCNA

leadership

is

working presently

to structure its first major project

called

“Operation Joseph;”

a project that builds

upon

the Sing Sing

Prison

Project

model

developed by George Weber,

former President of New York

Theological Seminary.

7. To become more

inclusionary

rather than

exclusionary

in our vision and

ministry.

PCCNA leaders are

presently working

to focus on Hispanic

and Asian Pentecostalism in its 1996 Convention,

September 30-October

2,

1996 at Memphis, Tennessee.

I remember

very vividly talking

with

my

wife-herself a

highly trained

scholar-following

the final session of the

“Memphis

’94” Dialogue. Beyond

her visceral

responses

to the event -was her observation that racism has

historically

defined America

and,

to

simply give public expression

to

repentance

without

sounding

the

depths

of the economic,

social and

political purposes continually

served

by

the manipulation

of

people

of

color,

is to make these

public

events of repentance just

one more

“evangelical

fad.”

Days

later we wondered whether or not the

deeply

sincere and

genuinely repentant

white

pastor who washed

my

feet under the

prompting

of the

Holy Spirit

would or would not vote for Affirmative Action

given

the

opportunity?

There is this

perennial

tension between what

my

friend the late Dr. Howard Thurman called the

religion

of the inner

life,

of which Pentecost.alism is a major expression, and the demands of the

empirical

realities of human community.

We must forever be involved in Jesus’ instruction “Be

ye therefore

perfect,

even as

your

Father which is in heaven is

perfect” (Matthew 5:48).

That is to

say,

sometimes

(much

of the

time),

we are called

upon

to take stands

against simple-minded

definitions of

“unity” to make the

larger point

that

evangelism

and justice are

inseparable (cf. Luke

4:18-19).

Sometimes risks must be taken to

clarify

the issues that transcend circumscribed

categories

and

speak

to the

national, spiritual and

political

health. This is what is behind

my personal

involvement in the efforts to address this

recalcitrant, tragic reality

at the heart of 20th century

life-the color bar. This is what PCCNA is

attempting

to address.

Hopefully,

with some

degree

of success.

In his 1993 Paul

Anthony

Brick Lectures at the

University

of Missouri noted

author, teacher, historian,

John

Hope

Franklin reflected upon

Dr. W. E. B. DuBois’

remarkably

wise and

prescient

observation of 1903: The

problem

of the twentieth

century

will be the

problem

of the color line-the relation of the darker and

lighter

races of man.’ Distilling

more that two centuries of history this

premier scholar;

James B.

Duke,

Professor Emeritus of History, Duke

University,

said that the great challenge

of this decade of the 1990s is also this nation’s final

.

‘ W. E. B. DuBois, The Souls of Black Folk (Greenwich, CT: Faucett Publishers, 1961),23.

7

120

opportunity

to

prevent

the color

from being important

twenty-first

8

line a most

legacy for

the

century.

W. E. B. DuBois died in

August 1963,

the same

day

that Martin Luther

King

delivered his memorable “I

Have

A Dream”

speech

at the Lincoln Monument. DuBois was 97

years

of

age.

He had become disillusioned because the

problem

was as alive and as intractable in the 90th decade of his life as it had been 60

years

earlier.

William J.

Seymour

had died of a broken heart in 1922 because human

sinfulness, despite

the

outpouring

of the

Holy Spirit

and the revelation of God’s cosmic/historic eternal

purpose,

had allowed racism to

mitigate

that

purpose.

Bishop

Bernard

Underwood,

the last Chairman of the Pentecostal Fellowship

of North America

(PFNA)

and the Co-Chairman and guiding spirit

of the

Memphis Dialogue ’94, together

with other denominational leaders are convinced that the

Holy Spirit

is once

again gifting

Pentecostals with

yet

another

opportunity

to correct their earlier deception

of the

Holy Spirit ingenuity.

I am convinced that God’s

appointed, inspired,

and anointed prophetic

leaders are the

only

cure for America’s

social, cultural, political

ills and for the ills of America’s white-led nationalistic,

right wing

churches and the ills of America’s black-led

compromised,

left wing

churches. In the secular realm there was a fleeting moment when the nation

glanced

at General Colin Powell as a

possible

Presidential candidate-a man of

color,

of

experience, high

moral

principles,

who many thought might span

the ever

widening

racial divide in this nation and in the world. With the

help

of his

clear-sighted

wife he

wisely backed

away

from all the entreaties to become a Presidential candidate citing

the lack of “fire in his belly” for that

particular leadership

task. It was his way of

saying

he felt no

anointing

or call of the Lord to take on such a responsibility.

Not since Martin Luther

King

Jr.’s

prophetic, biblical, Christ-centered

public ministry (1956-1968)

has there arisen in this nation the

dynamic

leader that we would follow. The

night

before he was assassinated

(April 3, 1968),

he stood at the

podium

on the rostrum of Mason

Temple, headquarters

church of the Church of God in

Christ,

and declared that God had taken him to

“Pisgah’s” lofty height

and allowed him to see the Promised Land.

America,

black and white,

secular and

sacred, rejected

his vision and ever since has been paying

the

price

of that

rejection. King’s

vision was laid out in his volume,

Where Do We Go From Here: Chaos or

Community.9

The nation chose chaos and since

1968,

has been

experiencing

a

steady deterioration of life on a broad front. We are no

longer

able to transmit

8 Cf John Hope Franklin,

The Color Line: Legacy for the Twenty-First Century (Columbia, MO: University of Missouri Press, 1993), 31.

9 Martin Luther King,

Jr.,

Where Do We Go From Here: Chaos or

Community (New York,

NY: Harper and Row Publishers, 1967).

8

121

to our children dignity

and

decency,

excellence and

elegance.

There is the wide and growing disparity

between rich and

poor,

between blacks and whites. There is

not

only

the color bar but also cultural racism as native Americans,

Hispanics

and Asians are

marginalized.

Someone has said that

history

is the

story

of human wounds that are either filled

by the healing

force of great men or wounds left to become gangrenous,

or short

of that,

left to become

disfiguring

scars that detail the costs

always facing

civilization.’°

American civilization now suffers from a number of wounds.

They stretch from the soul to the

economy

and touched us

all, regardless where we live on the social scale.” The PCCNA will have

difficulty

as it attempts to shift from the exclusivist

leadership paradigm

that marked its

predecessor

the PFNA to the inclusivist

leadership paradigm

that it must

adopt

if it is to be an

authentic, prophetic

voice in the

twenty-first century.

It is

challenged

to lead the church to

higher ground beyond Eurocentrism and

beyond

multiculturalism to

prophetic,

Pentecostal thought

and action. This means

taking seriously

the four crucial elements of

prophetic thought

that

my good

fiiend Professor Cornel West of Harvard

Divinity

School so brilliantly lays out.

1. Discernment. Comel West

emphasizes

the

capacity

for a broad and deep analytical grasp

of the

present

in light of the

past.

There has to be an accent on a nuanced historical sense. That is to

say,

the PCCNA must remain attuned to the

ambiguous legacies

of Pentecostalism particularly

and the

ambiguous legacies

of this nation

generally.

2. Connection. Comel West

highlights

human connection and the value of

empathy,

while not

losing sight

of the

humanity

of various peoples

and

lifting

the

importance

of connection to the same level as dogmatic

concerns. The

prophets

and the

apostles

wrestled with this issue.

3.

Tracking Hypocrisy.

We are

challenged

to

keep

track of

hypocrisy in a

self-critical,

not

self-righteous

mode. We are

challenged

to accent boldly

and

defiantly

the

gap

between

principles

and

practice,

between promise

and

performance,

between rhetoric and

reality.

We are challenged

to be

open

to

critique

even as we

critique

others. We must be ever in touch with our

complicitousness

with the

very thing

we are criticizing.

Crouch, “Op Ed,” New York Dai(v News, Saturday, 12 November 1995, 43. ‘° Stanley

zu There are some insightful, significant volumes that we ought not miss we

reading if are

to understand the

challenge

of reconciliation that we face in this nation

and also in civilization as a whole. See Jim The Soul

specifically post-modem Wallis,

of Politics: A Practical

and Prophetic Vision for

Change (Maryknoll, NY: The New Press-Orbis

Books, 1994); Robert Wuthnow, The Struggle jor America ‘s Soul (Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1989); and, Walter E. Fluker, They Looked For a City (Lanham, MD: University Press of America, 1989).

9

122

4.

Hope.

While

hope

is most difficult in our times we must remain optimistic

that what we can do will make a difference. 12

Why

then did I

agree

to invest

time, energy

and

money

into the PCCNA? I did

so,

and am

doing so,

because I have

hope.

St. Paul’thy Apostle puts

it better than I ever could when he wrote to the church at Rome of his trials and

hopes.

He wrote:

… not only so, but we triumph even in our troubles. For we know that trouble

produces

endurance and endurance

produces character,

and character and this hope does not disappoint us since God’s love floods produces hope our hearts through the Holy Spirit which has been given to us (Romans 5:3-6, Moffat).

Looking

Backward to Go Forward

Leonard Lovett

I am disturbed about the future of racial reconciliation within the Pentecostal-Charismatic movement. To label what took

place

in Memphis

in October of 1994 the

“Memphis

Miracle” was

premature.

If we are

labeling

a “miracle” the historic

gathering

of

representatives from

major

Pentecostal-Charismatic denominations for the first time in almost a century,

perhaps

there

may

be some

justification

for the use of the term. In

hindsight

what took

place

in

Memphis

was no more than cosmetic to

say

the least. I am disturbed for several reasons which I will attempt

to elaborate in the

following pages.

When the Pentecostal

Fellowship

of North America was

organized

in 1948,

the

purpose

was to

promote fellowship among

Pentecostal denominations. African-American Pentecostals were excluded then and throughout

its

history only

token measures were taken to welcome Black

participation.

Control was a

primary

issue then and remains an issue to this

day.

While

Bishop

Ithiel Clemmons of the Church of God in Christ was chosen to chair the new

organization (Pentecostal/Charismatic

Churches of North

America),

it is questionable

whether he has received the

support given

to

previous chairpersons

of the

organization.

I now

suspect

that Clemmons was chosen as chairman of PCCNA out of white

guilt

rather than a genuine desire of whites to be led

by

an African-American. Until white Pentecostal-Charismatics make

good

the

promises

and commitments made

during

the

Memphis gathering

first

by supporting

the new chairman with their

resources,

all else will be written off as “much ado about

nothing.”

12 cm Cornel West, Prophetic Thought

in Postmodern Times

(Monroe,

ME: Common Courage Press, 1993), 3-6.

10

123

I have no more room on

my agenda

for

games.

When are we

going to face the fact that racism is an

integral, potent

and

virtually indestructible

component

of this

society?

Racism is

ingrained

and pervasive.

It is like cancerous cells that invade the normal

processes

of cellular

development.

Prior to the

Memphis

confab I drafted the Memphis Manifesto except

for the final

paragraph.

In

post-reflection

I now believe I was under

deep

conviction of the

Holy Spirit

when I wrote the

portion

that stated: “I

pledge

in concert with

my brothers

and sisters of

many

hues to

oppose

racism

prophetically

in all its various manifestations within and without the

Body of

Christ and to be

vigilant in the

struggle

with all

my God-given might”…

and “I am further committed to work

against

all forms of

personal

and institutional racism.”

It is unrealistic to

expect

us to

prepare

for a new future without honestly

and

realistically assessing

our

past.

The

key

words in the statements above are “to

oppose

racism

prophetically

in all its various manifestations.” I have scanned the media since last October

listening for at least one verbal

prophetic

indictment of racism from

key players in the

dialogue. (Maybe

the media is not the best

place

to look and listen since

they major

on

formulating

and

selling

news stories with their

pre-occupation

with

ratings).

I have

honestly

tried to listen for some minute evidence

pointing

to structural

change

within the Pentecostal-Charismatic movement. I do not believe that I am alone in saying

that the verdict remains the same as we look within the movement.

The recent O. J.

Simpson

verdict combined with the Million Man March

only

served to validate what

many

of us

suspected

but dared not verbalize. Time has a

fugitive quality

to it and has a

way

of

bringing hidden

things

to the surface. The media did not divide America on the two events mentioned

above,

it

merely

validated what

many

of us were thinking, feeling

and

living.

White America for the most

part

was sick on the

day

of the verdict. I

candidly

told a

seminary

class who wanted to discuss the matter that White America tasted in one event what we had lived with for

nearly

four hundred

years.

The church was no different from the

larger society.

I heard church people repeating

news

commentary referring

to the Million Man March condemning

Farrakan because

they

could not

separate

the man from the

message.

I am disturbed that the Black Church

spoke reactively

and too late while the white church was silent. Racism will

persist despite the cosmetics of countless “ecclesiastical

conclaves,” pseudo-political solutions and

“empty agreements”

which

promise change

without changing anything.

It is much easier to

reject

than refute the fact that racial reconciliation within the Pentecostal movement is no where near realization in our time. The

dialogue

was no more than a

temporary “peak

of

progress,”

a short lived miracle that will

eventually

slide into

11

124

irrelevance as racial movement

patterns

Our racial

xenophobia

discernment of human nature

within the Pentecostal-Charismatic

and

pervasive.

I was asked

structures is

only

and not a

body.

Likewise without

adapt

in

ways

that maintain and

give

credence to white dominance.

is

deep-rooted

prior

to the

dialogue

to

present

a

probing analysis

of the

problem

of racism within the Pentecostal-Charismatic movement and not to let anyone

of the hook. I tried to take the

assignment seriously.

In

my

I anticipated a post-dialogue reaction. We are often

outraged

because someone

“goes public”

with our most deeply-held private

sentiments. To be

“prophetic”

often means to

“go public”

and “sound the

trumpet

in Zion”

against

racism.

Personal inner

change

without

an idealist

illusion,

as

though

humankind consist of a soul

to

argue

that the White church a death blow to institutional racism

a

change

in circumstances and

a

change

in external circumstances

Fences and

Church.” I later formulated Building Bridges”

church has

requested Tonawanda,

New York.

inner renewal is an

illusion,

as

though

humankind were a product

of one’s social circumstances and

nothing

else. I am

prepared

in North America is not

prepared

to deal

within and without its ranks.

One

year prior

to the

Memphis Dialogue

on racism and reconciliation I structured a seminar entitled “How to

Develop

an Ethnically Inclusive

a seminar on

“Mending

on racism and reconciliation. To date

only

one

the

seminar,

it was the New Covenant Church in

The

pastor

congregation

is about

ninety-eight percent

Euro-American

The seminar was held two months

past

the

Memphis dialogue.

Several inquiries

were made but not one

single Anglo pastor

has

requested

either seminar.

us,

it is

sudden

is African-American but the

and other.

among

When I

say

I am disturbed over the future of reconciliation

for

pragmatic

reasons. For me the

“proof

is in the

pudding.”

“A tree is known

by

the fruit it bears.” The

problem

is too massive and pervasive

to vanish over

night.

It would be ludicrous for me to

expect

I believe

change

should

begin

with short term manageable goals.

1. Get to know

persons

unlike

yourself

in

settings

other than a

change.

religious

one.

3. Avoid

getting

2. Avoid like the

plague making

token and

superficial gestures toward

persons

who are different.

on

escapist agendas

such as

people

who sit around and

try

to

argue

cases for Affirmative Action

being

“reverse racism” and therefore unfair. The

problem

is that the modifier “unfair”

suggests two more or less

equal parties,

one of whom has been

unjustly

penalized by

an

incompetent African-Americans have not

simply been

subjected

first to chattel

judge.

The

reality

is that been treated

unfairly, they

have slavery,

second-class

citizenship,

12

bartered, dehumanized description

beaten,

125

They

have been exploited,

shamed and

Reconciliation

legalized

discrimination and cultural

stigmatization.

lynched, raped, excluded,

for

quiet

a while. The word “unfair” is hardly an

adequate

of their

experience.

4.

Stay proactive, speak prophetically

is best demonstrated rather than announced.

Reverberations From

Manuel Gaxiola-Gaxiola

all-white Pentecostal

fellowship

Charismatic geographically

movements

Canada,

admission that

any group Pentecostalism

part

of the movement:

Anglo-Saxons, when this

goal

is reached that

part

of

Christianity

people

of other Pentecostalism

races

began

possibility

Spanish

and live in

repentance.

Memphis

of all kinds of Pentecostal and America. It will also be

in North America:

blacks, Latinos, Asians,

to

sought by

all the

founding

The 1994

Memphis meeting

was much more than the

dissolving

of an

and the foundation of a multi-racial entity

that will be more

representative

in North

more inclusive because its intention is to embrace groups

and movements from the three countries

the United States and Mexico. The

meeting

was also an

open

that

pretends

to

speak

or act in behalf of

must include the

people

of all races that have become a

etc.

Only

will the PCCNA be

truly representative

of

with the

greatest impact

in the twentieth century.

The theme of racial reconciliation was

paramount

at

Memphis.

The meeting

was marked

by

a desire for a full return to Azusa

Street,

where blacks and Mexicans were the first to

worship together

even before

attend

Seymour’s meetings.

had heralded at Azusa Street the

promise

of a

really integrated church,

but almost

ninety years passed

before this became a

that would be

consciously

members of the PCCNA and other

groups

that will join it later.

The concern for racial

segregation

is not so

profound among

the

and

Portuguese speaking

churches both in

Canada,

the USA and in Latin America as it is in the two

Anglo-Saxon

countries.

the

conquistadors

abused and

exploited

that reduced the

negative

effects of interracial contact. One was the

large

number of mestizos that were bom

mainly

from

Spanish

or

Portuguese

fathers and native

women, who in a short time

outgrew

in numbers the

purely European

and in many cases became

part

of it by intermarriage. In the second

place,

there was no

segregation

in the

church,

and both the patron and his Indian

peon

attended mass

together,

were served

by

the same

priests

and

many

times the Indian children were the

godsons

and

Although admittedly natives,

there are two factors

population

the

13

126

goddaughters

lighter

educational and economic

status

aplomb

the same

way

that unconsciously

doctrinal

division, censurable, mainly

because

The mutual

experience

of

Thus the only

and

consciously

that In or

more

reproachful

and

groups

who

of the

early

and

of the hacendado and other

people

from the

upper classes. At the

present

time the

existing

kind of discrimination in Latin America is mainly economic and cultural and the road to the middle and upper

classes is not closed to

people

of darker skin and Indian features who

by

hard work and education make themselves

equal

to those of a

skin. A recurrent

phenomenon

in Latin American now is that of men of a humble

origin, especially Indians,

who have reached a higher

and are

marrying

women from the middle and

upper

classes. The man offers the woman financial

security and the woman lends the man the

pedigree,

social

prestige, poise

and

he needs to move around in social circles different to those in which he was

bom,

but in which he is now

fully accepted.

remains of discrimination in Latin America will

disappear

when

social,

economic and educational conditions are

improved.

The question

of color will

simply go away

as it has been

doing

since all Latin American nations became

independent.

At

Memphis

there also surfaced another field for

reconciliation, between the Oneness

segment

and the other kinds of Pentecostals.

all American Pentecostals

divided themselves

along

racial

lines,

there was also a

more acute and

perhaps

all the American Pentecostal

went each one their own

way

had been an

integral part

Pentecostal movement and had

worshipped

and labored

together, even now are

baptized

in the same

Spirit. This, then,

will have to be the basis for reconciliation between Oneness and other Pentecostals: the common

possession

of the same

Holy Spirit.

the

Holy Spirit baptism

was the basis for the

acceptance

of the

gentiles

into the Christian Church. Peter reminded the

participants

at the Jerusalem council that it was he who had witnessed the descent of the

Spirit

on the

people

at Cornelius’ house when he was

preaching

“the

message

of the

Gospel,”

to which he added: “And

God,

who can read men’s

minds,

showed his

approval

of them

by giving

the

Holy Spirit

to

them,

as he did to us. He made no difference between them and

us;

for he

purified

their hearts

by

faith”

8-9

NEB).

We must thank God that there is

hardly

a Pentecostal church or individual who does not admit that it is one and the same

Spirit

with which Christians

were all

brought

into one

body by baptism,

in the one

Spirit,

whether we are Jews or

Greeks,

whether slaves or free

men,

and that one

Holy Spirit

was

poured

out for all of us to drink”

(1 Cor. 12:13 NEB).

As Oneness Pentecostalism has

grown

in the Western

Hemisphere, we have noticed a difference between those in the United States and

in Latin America and

part

of the Caribbean. American and Canadian Oneness

people

seem to have tended to

stay

(Acts

15:

Canada and those

are

baptized.

“For indeed we

14

Evangelicals, excluded organizations demands

especially by

believe which doctrine

Oneness

Evangelicals.

127

away

from

significant

contacts with the other Pentecostals and other

and a

good

number of them believe that

they

have been

from

participation

in inter-church

fellowships

and

means of a

“simple” requirement

that

assent to a Trinitarian formula in which the word Person and Trinity

are never absent. Most American and Canadian Oneness

people

these are deliberate

ways

to exclude them even in those cases in

has little or

nothing

to do in matters of joint action in which churches

may engage.

To some other American and Canadian

leaders these exclusivistic

requirements

also look like premeditated

efforts to continue the

theological

wars that

raged

in the middle of the 1920s in the United States alone.

Another result of this

regional

difference is that in Latin America it is the churches founded

by

American and Canadian Oneness missionaries that seem to care less for

contacts, fellowship

and joint work with other

Most of them exclude themselves from

any significant contact with the others as soon as they arrive in a country.

are

very

different in most of Latin

America,

where we

figure that there are close to two million members of Oneness

churches, including

those in the United States and Canada that

speak Spanish

or

Most of these churches are autocthonous and

consequently

have been inflicted with the wounds of the

in the United States. Oneness and Trinitarian

Things

Portuguese.

have neither suffered nor New Issue

controversy

Pentecostals and other

Evangelical

government

leaders in several Latin respected

and in

many

cases some inter-church

organizations

would be CONEMEX which several Oneness

groups

believers in Latin America have

and

that

recognize Respectable

and

suffered

persecution

and needed to make a common front vis-i-vis the

and the Roman Catholic Church and thus

keep

in touch with one another. The

fellowship

is

mostly spontaneous

and

informal, and

very

few times are the Oneness

people

excluded

by

means of declarations of faith with which

they

do not

agree.

As a result, Oneness

American countries are

recognized

have become

spokesmen

or leaders for

the

importance benefits of Oneness

participation.

and

large

inter-church Latin American

fellowships

have no

objection

to

accepting

Oneness believers in their assemblies because of the

personal relationship between leaders of Oneness and Trinitarian

groups.

One

example

(Cortfraternidad Evangelica

are affiliated. Both CONEMEX CONELA

(Confraternidad Evangelica Latinoamercana)

the Lausanne Pact as a basis for

fellowship,

which instead of mentioning

the word

“persons,” simply

states: “We believe in one

God, Father,

Son and

Holy Spirit,”

which is

acceptable

to most Oneness believers. We could also remember

regarding baptism simply says,

“We believe

remission of sins.”

de

Mexico),

to

and

have

adopted

the

Apostles’ Creed,

which

in one

baptism

for the

15

128

We understand that at

Memphis

it was

clearly

felt that the Oneness issue cannot continue

being ignored,

that the mutual

feeling

is that there must be reconciliation between those who were sundered

by

the New Issue

controversy.

In our

opinion,

it is

necessary

to take the following steps

before a reconciliation can be achieved.

First, perhaps

the Oneness

people

themselves must

begin by

can talk to others.

They

would

dialoguing

with one another before

they

need to

revise,

define and

perhaps

redefine their basic doctrinal tenets and the core beliefs in which

they

all

agree,

for there seem to be

many marginal

tenets which are the cause for

separation

among

them.

and/or division

Second,

this

dialogue

should have as its main

goal

the reconciliation between those Oneness churches that have

split

or otherwise been in

conflict with one another.

the Trinitarian

In the third

place,

the other side of the

controversy,

Pentecostals and Charismatics should do their own

part by asking themselves if it is true that

they

have

deliberately

and

willfully

excluded the Oneness

people

from

fellowship

in inter-church

organizations,

and instead should endeavor to find a common

ground

of action for all the

churches.

Fourthly,

both

sides, doctrinal declarations should ask themselves

orthodoxy

non-Pentecostals,

should seek

including

that are

acceptable

to all and at the same time all

if

they

need these doctrinal statements

before they

can

engage

both in a

meaningful dialogue

and in common tasks that should be

guided

more

by

the

spirit

of love than

by

the desire for

and doctrinal correctness. Pentecostals would thus be honoring

their old

belief, very

few times

put

into

practice,

that we must seek the

unity

of the

Spirit…

until we come to the

very

distant

goal

of the

unity

of faith.

that the

Society

for Pentecostal Studies

or some of its members as

individuals,

could serve as a neutral and

appropriate ground

for

significant dialogue

and future encounters

among

the

parties

concerned.

Finally,

we would

suggest either as an

institution,

A

Hispanic/Latino

Samuel

Pentecostal and a

professor

Pentecostal

Response

Solivan

The

perspective

from which I have

read,

reflected and

responded

to the Pentecostal Reconciliation

dialogue

is that of a Hispanic American

of

theology

at Andover Newton Theological

School.

Several

days prior

to the

consultation,

Robeck of the event.

My

initial reaction was

joy,

but then it turned to

I was informed

by

Dr. Mel

16

I

immediately

leaders

129

and

half were there to

represent the other half

African-American

neglect

such a

disappointment.

asked Mel if he knew which

Hispanic

had been invited to the consultation. He then informed me that none were

invited,

and that this was billed as a reconciliation between Blacks and Whites. Of those

participating,

European-American

This was

very disturbing

to me. How could an event of

guided by

the

Holy Spirit intentionally

of people-Hispanic Americans-who have also suffered

and

bigotry?

How could it be that my

Black brothers and sisters who have

experienced

the dehumiliation

racism leave others who share in their

suffering

and

neglect

outside

Pentecostals Pentecostals.

reconciliation

large segment

at the hands of Pentecostal racism

of the

gate?

racism

perpetrated against

against

Is the

Holy Spirit only calling

for the

repentance

of

only

the sins of

African-Americans ? Is racism Hispanics

and Native Americans to be

ignored

or

justified?

Does the Holy Spirit

suffer from selective amnesia? How can this

happen?

responding before

European-American

I would like to

give my

assessment of

why

this has

happened by

to the

papers presented

at the

Memphis gathering.

But

I do, I must

say

most

clearly

and

unequivocally

that the Lord is to be

praised

for what did occur at

Memphis.

That reconciliation event is a watershed in racial relations

among

African-American and

Pentecostals in the United States.

Vinson

Synan

noted in his

address

that on the

day

of Pentecost

of all nations and cultures were

present

for the

Spirit’s

act of

turning humanity

Christ-ward. In Acts this seems so

not the absence of

people

of other cultures and

that have also been

injured

and often excluded invited to this table of reconciliation? It seems to me that this absence was not unintentional. Often in the

past European-Americans

to African Americans

they

had fulfilled their

responsibilities,

people

reconciliation, obvious.

Why

was languages

speaking

thinking

that Blacks

represent African-Americans also

historically

European-American

believed that

by

all have

other

people

of color. assumed to

speak

for all

minorities. This attitude is the result of

allowing

the world to dictate the conditions and the resolution of the conflict. The

impact

of

racism and

bigotry goes

much further than offending

African-Americans. The

Scriptures

call us to be reconciled with all those

against

whom we have sinned. Not

just

the ones that are more

politically advantaged

or

socially

obvious.

In a number of

papers

it was

pointed

out that in Acts

people

of different

ethnic, cultural,

and

linguistic groups

were filled with the Spirit.

I note that that which

separated

us from the other as Pentecostal Christians has been more than

just

issues of color or race. Race

may

be the most obvious. Another reason for our divisions and

bigotry

is related to our

linguistic

and cultural biases.

17

130

Black,

kinky-haired, brown-haired, and

blue-eyed

discriminated

against

Hispanic

Americans

span

the

spectrum

of color. There are millions of

Brown as well as White

Hispanic

Americans. We are

and blonde. We are

dark-eyed, green-eyed

Latinos. We are a rainbow

people.

When we are not

for our

culture,

we are for our

language. English ‘

speaking monolingual

North American Pentecostals often

dismiss, oppress,

and/or

ignore

the

presence

Latino Pentecostals because we

speak Spanish

and/or because we are

non-white.

On the

day

of Pentecost cultural

diversity multicultural,

for

respect mutuality hypocritical

and or contributions

made

by

it

interpretation American

stereotypical

Partnerships

partnerships

we were each

“Lords,” forgetting

the

Holy Spirit

affirmed the

linguistic

and

of the Church. The

Spirit

did not

suspend

the

multi-lingual

character of the

Church;

she

empowered

missions and

evangelism. Today

Pentecostals have often fallen

prey to a

political agenda

of

English only

that flies in the face of the

design of creation and the order of salvation. What makes us one is not the idolatry

of

language

but the

infilling

of the

Spirit.

Racism manifests itself in many ways.

Ethnic, cultural,

and

linguistic oppression

is one of them. The

tyranny

of the

English language

often

endangers

the

cultural, ethnic,

and racial

diversity

of the Church of Jesus Christ.

Several

presenters appealed

to mutual

respect.

What is needed is

for all

people

and not

just

between Blacks and Whites. A

of

respect

between Blacks and Whites alone is at best

and at worst a denial of the

dignity

of all people. Black and White

mutuality

is not

only reductionistic,

of

reality.

One that serves to maintain the status

quo

of

race relations.

Prophetic mutuality repents

and confesses

respect

for all of God’s

creation,

not just those who are most obvious or

politically expedient.

in ministry that are limited to WhiteBlack

categories

are

of convenience. What is

required

is not

partnerships

as if

with Christ

reconciliation

Mention

it is a biased

reading

and

that we as servants are

already

in

We must not

forget

Paul’s

in Romans 14: “Who are

you

to

relationship

to each other as servants.

admonition to the Romans and Jews

judge

one another and

you

to

despise

one another?” Our

partnership

is

in the

power

of the

Holy Spirit.

What we are called to do is to be reconciled with God and one another. Out of this

Spirit-filled

comes mutual service and love. The

mutuality

in this context is never a certain

group,

it is the

body

of Christ at

large.

was made of

congregations growing

because

they

were “colorblind.” God forbids us to be colorblind. God forbids that

growth come at the cost of colorblindness. Who I am is unknown

apart

from my

color.

My

color is a gift of

grace. My

color reflects the

diversity

of creation and salvation. To be a

Spirit-filled

Christian is not a call to become

colorblind,

to

ignore

or

give

no value nor attention to color or difference.

Rather,

Paul’s declaration that we are no

longer

Jews nor

18

things.

joins

us

together is racist for me

(white). Spirit said

I

thought the

black and white

monochrome

131

Gentiles,

males nor

females,

slaves or free is not an

appeal

to

ignore

or suspend

difference. It is a proclamation of the arrival of a new order of

It witnesses to the

inbreaking

of the

Kingdom

of God

among

us. It is a call to restructure human relations, not on the basis of that which distinguishes

us one from the

other,

but rather to consider that which

in light of and in spite of our

diversity.

Colorblindness

what it usually means is stop being who

you

are and be like

God is not colorblind. Christ was not colorblind. The

Holy

is not colorblind.

Why

should we be? Did God not create

us,

and

it was

good?

it

interesting

that an

appeal

was made to the

metaphor

of

rainbow. I ask

you,

have

you

ever seen a black and white rainbow? I have not. Yet what was celebrated and convened in Memphis was a

rainbow for the other colors of the rainbow were not invited. A true

shining through

of the sun in the midst of the rain is a multicolored

sign

of God’s

promise.

Let us beware of not

confusing what occurred in

Memphis

with a rainbow. It was at best a

picture

and not

living

color. Until

Latinos/Hispanics, Native

Americans,

and others are treated as members of the

body

of

there can be no

rainbow,

and the absence of a rainbow often means that there is still more rain to come and the Son can not shine.

As Dr. Lovett

noted,

“When the Pentecostal

America,

founded in

1948,

met at Des

Moines,

the

prayer

of Jesus in John

17,

that

they

all

may be ”

African American was extended an invitation…. So in the

Memphis meeting, history

is

repeated,

but now neither White nor Black extend an invitation to

Latinos/Hispanics

nor Native

Americans,

Christ,

people

of color. Will

Hispanics uninvited ones at that?

members.

which has Puerto

Pentecostal movement leaders extended

Fellowship

of North Iowa to demonstrate

one,

not one

nor other continue to serve as tokens and

of hundreds of thousands of

Among them,

the

largest

Mission

International,

yet

undone and needs Black/White

relations,

our

In the United

States,

Puerto

Rico, Canada,

and Mexico there are large

Pentecostal

fellowships composed

In Puerto Rico which is

part

of the United States there are very large

national Pentecostal denominations.

and oldest

being

La

Iglesia

de Dios

Pentecostal,

Rican missionaries

serving

all over the

world,

not only

in Latin America and Mexico. The same can be said of the

in Mexico.

Why

were not

Latino, Hispanic

an invitation to

Memphis?

Have we

again repeated the , history

of 1948? Have we after so

many years

still not learned our lesson that while one is left unattended and uninvited the table can not be served. The Lord of the household sends us forth to

compel

them all to come to the feast.

Memphis

was a foretaste, a rehearsal of what is yet required. Much is

reconciliation. While

Memphis

focused on

next

steps

must

bring

us to attend to the

19

132

reconciliation needed between Blacks and

Hispanics

and Whites with Hispanics.

Until then we

Hispanics/Latinos

stand outside the

gate

not because we chose to but because the

gate

was closed to us.

Could it be that we have not been invited to

speak

because

they

do not

yet

know we exist? Thank

you

Lord and

Holy Spirit

that we know you

know we exist and

you

filled us with

your

blessed and

empoweling Holy Spirit.

We

pray

for them for we know

they

exist and are our brothers and sisters. While we wait for them to know what

you already

know we will continue to work

your vineyard

until

you

return for us. We know you

know us and have

given

us a

prophetic

voice to

proclaim your Kingdom

and

Lordship among

the nations to all

people

of

every

tribe and nation. Amen.

Race, Gender,

and Justice

Barbara M. Amos

The Racial Reconciliation

Dialogue

held in

Memphis,

Tennessee in October

1994,

was indeed an historical and momentous occasion. I was indeed thankful for the

opportunity

afforded me to

participate. My selection to the executive committee will afford me the

opportunity

to contribute in a meaningful

way

as we seek to fulfill the will and

purpose of God relative to

unity

within the

body

of Christ. Tension is escalating in race relations in America. Race relations is

steadily moving

to the forefront of the

agenda

of social concerns in America. While this is not a new

concern,

it is

very apparent

that it is

seriously gathering momentum and

causing

the racial divide to widen. It is

my

contention that the racial situation of the Pentecostal tradition that necessitates the Memphis gathering

and the formation of the Pentecostal and Charismatic Churches of North America

(PCCNA)

is consistent with the racial climate of the nation. The church has a

long history

of segregation along

racial lines. We can see in

examining

the historical roots of racism in America how the

credibility

of the church has been seriously impaired

because of this

history.

Racism is not

exclusively

a Pentecostal concern but

necessity

is laid upon

the Pentecostal church because of its foundation

emphasis

of “oneness of the

Spirit” proclamation.

The

Memphis gathering represented

an

attempt

to address a

prevalent

and inevitable concern. It is unfortunate that the conviction of the

Holy Spirit

to reconcile the races is in

conjunction

and in

many

instances

trailing

the church’s secular

counterparts.

The motive of the

gathering

to

many

Americans is again suspect.

In

reflection,

I humbly submit the

following

in retrospect

.

20

133

relative to

my

involvement with the

Memphis experience

and its

impact upon my

life.

While I was not so naive to believe that decades of division could be abolished in a couple of

days,

I approached the

gathering

with an

open mind in anticipation of fruitful results in a move toward reconciliation. I must

readily

admit the overall

spirit

of the

meeting, including

the worship

services in the

evening,

was indicative of an effort to establish rapport

and interaction. The

presentations

were

thought provoking

and at times

dug

into some

extremely

sensitive areas. The individual

group discussions

following

the

presentations

allowed for much needed interruptions

between the

participants. My greatest

concern was that the allotted time frames were too brief to allow for the discussions to be as fruitful as

possible.

It was also

interesting

to notice that the participants

seemed to

automatically

break down and

gravitate

to those similar to themselves

racially

and even

denominationally.

I noticed this also in the hotel and as

people

interacted

socially throughout

the gathering.

It was

very

obvious that some of the

participants

and those in

leadership

were familiar with each other.

My

concern at the end of the

gathering

is whether or not we have

really

disbanded the

original team

(PFNA)

or whether we have

reorganized

the team and included more

players (PCCNA).

As

opposed

to

many

of

my counterparts,

I

approached

the

dialogue from a different

vantage point.

Aware that the

gathering

was a move toward racial

reconciliation,

I

experienced

the

seemingly carefully calculated racial mixture that I had envisioned. I was

disappointed

at the lack

of

female, youth

and diverse ethnic

participation,

however. As an African-American female who is

relatively young,

I am

always sensitive to these variables.

Knowing

that PCCNA is an

attempt

to foster racial reconciliation and that the

process

will be

potentially

slow and

painful,

I am

by

no means

minimizing

our efforts in

Memphis.

I must however

inject

that while we are

charged

to exorcise the demon of

racism,

the momentum must allow us to be sensitive to these other issues.

Being

a female in ministry has at times been

extremely

controversial. I must admit that at the

Memphis

Reconciliation

meeting

in October 1994,

I encountered brothers who refused to remain in

prayer

and dialogue groups

with

my

female

presence.

Other brothers in the

groups apologized

and seemed

appalled

and

embarrassed, by

a scenario that is relatively

routine to me as a

young

African-American female. This display

of

prejudice

and

bigotry-even

if classified

isolated–coupled with

my

lone female

presence

is indicative of a serious

malady

in the body

of Christ.

Again,

the

integrity

of the church is undermined. Equality

of humankind was

granted by

God before

equality

was

granted to citizens of the

United States

by

law and

equal rights.

Created in the image

of

God,

we must

develop

an

appreciation

for the

uniqueness

of

21

134

Scripture

disappointment

bodies. It is

hypocritical, simultaneously

condone

Repentance

is

reconciliation

(2

Corinthians

appearance

of Christian

experiences.

A

political

and economic

by

participation

in

of the

justice

all

persons

and the varied

particularities

combination of

social, biological, cultural,

factors makes each

person

or

groups

of

persons

distinctive. The

views all

persons

as creations of God in his

image

and hence should thus be

respected.

Reconciliation can not be limited to concerns of racial

prejudice

and discrimination. Such a limitation will be a

to the millions of women who

comprise

our church

to

say

the

least,

to affirm racial

equality

and

gender disparity

discriminatory practices

and/or silence on the issue.

in order for

past

silence and

non-response church

(African

American and

Caucasian)

on the issues that have plagued

us. Our Christian witness has been hindered and our ranks divided. We must

discover,

admit and confess our

prejudices.

We must denounce and cease our

discriminatory practices.

Sin and evil thrive best in

systems

and institutions created and maintained

by

evil hearts. These

systems

must be dismantled. God has

given

us a

ministry

of

5:17-18). Necessary

corrective measures must be taken. We must seek to be in full sincere

relationship

with all of God’s creation. Our efforts of reconciliation must extend

beyond formulation of token

groups

and

periodical meetings

that

give

the

of

harmony.

It is fruitless to meet

together

to

fellowship and

pray

if we are not

willing

to man the trenches to

pursue

the reconciliation. Policies and

practices

must be

put

on the scale of God’s

and be

weighed.

Devotion to God mandates our Christian involvement in the total liberation of all of

humanity.

Learned attitudes of evil in the hearts of

people

must be

unlearned,

and the

preaching moment must be utilized to this effect. Well-intended leaders who repent

on behalf of their churches and denominations

as the Racial Reconciliation

Dialogue

in

Memphis

given

which

they preside.

With the same fervor that we

of fornication and

drinking,

we can use the

opportunities

them to congregations

over

have attacked the sins

convey

these

in meetings such

must seize the sentiments to the

kitchen,

partners

in

creation,

word and deed an inclusive

gospel. honest. All

Constructive

power

of the

gospel

to attack the sins of

prejudice,

racism and sexism. The full embrace of the Christian

message

will make it

imperative

that we share on all levels. It is not

enough

to

fellowship

on “Love the Brethren

Day,”

or have annual “Women’s Week.” Invitation must be extended into

decision-making positions

of responsibility. The welcome mat must be

placed

not

only

at the door of the music room and the

but also at the door of the board room. We must become

power

and

participation,

Our

dialogue

must be

open

and

participants

must articulated heart felt concerns.

conflict is inevitable. Galatians 2:11-20

gives

us a biblical

We must

proclaim

in .

22

135

example

of Paul’s

challenge

to Peter relative to Jewish and Gentile relationship.

All

persons

must be held accountable for their attitudes and actions. The

Holy Spirit

that we

emphatically say gives

us

power

over devils and demons of the

world should

empower

us to

oppose

the evils that lurk within our own ranks. We must

struggle

to eliminate the ills that threaten our Christian witness. We must celebrate and affirm all of the members of the

body

as well as all of

humanity.

No

person

deserves or should be awarded

special

credit or commendation for

treating

others with

decency

and

respect.

What should be normal has become heralded as

charity

and

good

will.

Special

credit must not be awarded for what should be considered standard

procedure.

The

challenge

for the Pentecostal

leadership,

in

my evaluation,

is to dare to deviate from eloquent manuscripts, operation

in

spiritual gifts,

articulate

prophecy, and the conference circuit to confront the real issues

paramount

to establishing

a valuable and viable Christian witness to the world. Then and

only

then can we

present

and effective witness to the world. With the

help

of God, I forge ahead in this endeavor.

Racial Reconciliation

Some Personal

at

Memphis: Reflections

Cecil M.

Robeck,

Jr.

The events which

transpired

in

Memphis, TN,

on October

17-19, were

newsworthy

events at several levels. The

leadership

of the Pentecostal

Fellowship

of North America

(PFNA)

voted to disband the organization

after 46

years together.

This act was followed

by

these and other leaders

choosing

to vote into existence a new

organization, the Pentecostal/Charismatic Churches of North America

(PCCNA). These decisions were

newsworthy

because Pentecostalism has traditionally

had

great difficulty thinking

about

sickness, suffering,

and death. It is

generally triumphalistic

and it chooses to concentrate on health and life. What these leaders did in

Memphis

was to

recognize and admit to the

unhealthy

character of the

PF1VA,

and rather than praying

over it in futile

attempt

to

keep

it

alive, they

allowed it to die. In

fact, they

euthanized it. Then

they

aided in

giving

birth to a new organization

which

they hoped would, by

its interracial

character,

be healthier than its predecessor from the time of its birth.

The events in

Memphis

were

newsworthy

also because

during

these days

a

group

of Pentecostal leaders who had led and nurtured a fellowship

whose

membership

was made

up

almost

entirely

of white folks and whose

leadership

was

composed

for 46

years exclusively

of white

men, voluntarily

chose to

go

out of business. This decision was

23

136

newsworthy

because Pentecostalism

PFNA has

traditionally

way

for what I

especially

the

type

of

by

the

leadership

of the

and

acting

leadership

has

traditionally

also in

followed

immediately by

these same leaders

determining,

believe is the first time in at least

eight decades,

to share

power

with women and with African-American

leaders, by entering

into a new venture as

equal partners

with some of them. These facts alone were

Pentecostalism,

which had been

represented

had

great difficulty thinking

inclusively.

Pentecostals all too often have had a reputation of being an exclusivist

people

and Pentecostal led the

in perpetuating this exclusivist stance.

The events which

transpired

in

Memphis

were

newsworthy that a

significant

number of Pentecostal leaders in North

America,

and in

particular,

white Pentecostal

leaders, voluntarily

chose to submit themselves to a forum of

public

criticism. To be

sure,

it was focused criticism. It was criticism which was limited in scope to a

single

issue: racism. And it was

long

overdue criticism. But it should not

escape

our attention that the invitation to enter that forum of criticism was issued by

the

very

leaders who were

culpable

of the

very thing

about which they

invited criticism.

They

invited critics who

they

believed would speak

in love, but

who,

above

all,

would

speak

the truth.

They

chose to be confronted in the mirror of their

past

as well as the

present,

and

this, in a public forum.

in

Memphis, then,

were

newsworthy

because

in North

America,

and

especially

white

has had an

extremely

difficult time

tolerating any

form of

public criticism,

or for that

matter, any

difference opinion

from their own. To

my knowledge,

in the

history

of North

there has never before been a public forum in

exchange

between Pentecostal leaders and their critics was invited and made

possible by

the Pentecostal themselves. In too

many

cases there has

merely

been defensiveness and

These events Pentecostal

leadership Pentecostal

leadership,

American

Pentecostalism, which a constructive

retaliation.

willingness

place

in

Memphis relationships.

It

promised

of

leaders

a new set of

For these reasons

alone,

the death of an

organization

and the birth of a new

one,

the move toward

greater inclusivity

in

leadership,

and a

to entertain criticism of

any sort,

the events which took

promised

more. It

promised

new

ways

of

relating

to one another. And it promised

that North American Pentecostals would take another look at themselves in order to root out racism from their midst.

In the months which have followed the

Memphis event, impatience has

replaced hope

in the minds and hearts of some

people.

Others have

of

promises

which were made. Some have

the wisdom of

putting

in the new PCCNA. Still others

narrowness of

thinking

which excluded others from

joining

in at the

questioned questioned participating

the

sincerity

the PFNA to

death,

or of

have criticized the

24

137

birth of this new organization.

These

concerns,

of

course,

are valid concerns,

and

they

should not be

placed

on “hold” nor should

they

be allowed to fall from

sight.

For

Memphis

to have

anything

like ultimate significance,

more needs to be done.

Questions

need to be formulated and issues need to be resolved.

Memphis

was

strong

on

rhetoric,

but more

importantly,

it was

strong

on

good

will. For us to overlook this fact,

or to continue to criticize

any perceived

lack of action without offering realistic,

measurable solutions is for us to miss the

opportunity to build

upon

the

goodwill

and the

promises

which were made at Memphis.

Of all

people,

the

membership

of the

Society

for Pentecostal Studies is

capable

not

only

of

stating

the

problems

toward which Memphis pointed, they

are also

capable

of laying out

potential

solutions which have not

yet

been tried.

In the sixteen months which have

gone by

since the historic

inception of the

PCCNA,

I have learned two

things. First,

white Pentecostals are having

an

extremely

difficult time

understanding

the nature of racism. One

might

be

sympathetic

to this

problem

in

light

of the 250

year history

of

slavery

and racism and

subsequent years

of “Jim Crow” legislation throughout

the United States. We need to

help

our

people

to understand the

meaning

and character of

racism,

the

problem

is

fairly easily

illustrated.

Over the

past year

I have been invited several times to

speak

on the issue of racism. These invitations have all come from white Pentecostal churches which heard the

message

of Memphis and decided to

bring

the discussion home to see how

they might change things.

In one such church,

I was asked to

preach

an extended

message

on racism.

My sermon was

subsequently published

for further

study

in an adult education

program, complete

with

footnotes,

discussion

questions,

and a short

bibliography

on interracial

cooperation.

A

great

deal of

energy went into the

preparation

of this educational

program by the pastor

and the staff of this

congregation. Many people appreciated

the work and the

opportunity

to discuss this

very

difficult issue. The result was that some heard the

challenge

to abandon their racist

ways.

But others did not. Their denial came in three

ways.

First,

there were those who chose to hear the

challenge

as

politically motivated.

They

have not

yet

understood that

participation

in racist actions is a moral

issue,

not

necessarily

a

political

issue. It was uncomfortable for them to think about it as a moral

evil,

since that would call them to

change.

It was not uncomfortable for them to think about it as a political issue.

They

could dismiss it rather

easily,

because it was classified as a “liberal”

issue,

and these whites were “conservatives.” Their

theology

needs to be

challenged,

and it is

up

to us to find

ways

in which to

challenge

their

theology

which allows them to dismiss their own

complicity

in a moral evil

simply by labeling

it as politically

motivated.

.

.

25

138

Second,

there were those who in a sense chose to blame the victim.

On more than one occasion I was

told,

“You talk about

racism, you should see what those blacks did to me. That’s racism!” This

response reveals a basic

misunderstanding

of such realities as

prejudice (in

which any

race

may participate),

discrimination

(in

which

any

race

may participate),

and racism

(where only

those with

prejudice

and the

power to enforce their beliefs about others

may participate). They

need

help

in a basic

vocabulary,

a

grid through

which

they

can be

encouraged

to measure their actions.

Third,

there were those who felt overwhelmed

by

the

charge

of racism and threw

up

their hands. “I’ve never owned

slaves,”

said one Pentecostal leader to me. “I’m not even sure that

anyone

in my family

has ever owned slaves. But even if

they did,

what am I

supposed

to do?” Racism was a

mystery

to him. Once

again,

he did not understand what it

was,

and he felt

powerless

to do

anything

which

might bring about a

change. He, too,

needs to understand the terms of the conversation before he can do

anything

to make a

change.

Accusations alone will not

help

him move ahead. Criticism will

only

frustrate him. He needs information which we can

provide.

The second lesson I have learned in the

past

sixteen months is that our leaders do not

yet

understand the

problem any

better than our people

do.

They

are,

after

all,

the

products

of the same

culture,

the same

theology,

and the same educational

experiences.

What we have in our

leadership

is a number of individuals who have

gone

on record as supporting something

which

they

believe is

right,

the eradication of racism within our

respective

Pentecostal

denominations,

and the first tangible

evidence of their commitment was the

Memphis colloquy.

It was followed

by

two other

tangible demonstrations,

the birth of the PCCNA and the

adoption

of the “Racial Reconciliation Manifesto.” Each of these

steps

must be viewed as evidence of their

goodwill

and evidence of their

willingness

to

begin

the task of

implementing change. But it has become clear to me as I have

spoken

with a variety of white Pentecostal leaders

during

the

past year

that

they

do not have all the answers as to how to move ahead. I must hasten to add that I do not believe that Pentecostal leaders who are in the Black

community

or in any

Pentecostal

community

which was not a

participant

in

Memphis have all the answers either.

They

are

open

for

suggestions.

Pentecostal leaders do not realize that racism is not overcome through

an

event,

as

important

or miraculous as it

might be,

but rather through

commitment to meet the

challenge

whenever and wherever they

see it. Pentecostal leaders need

discernment,

a God-given ability to recognize evil,

and

wisdom,

a

God-given ability

to address the evil in such a

way

as to overcome it. The

attempt

to overcome racism must include the

putting

to death of the PFNA and the

giving

of birth to the PCCNA. But it is more than that. The

attempt

to overcome racism is

.

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139

more than

inventing

new

positions

in

leadership

structures within our respective fellowships

in order to find a

place

for ethnic and/or racial minority

candidates to serve. Their

presence

in such

positions

can contribute to the overall solution to the destructive

problem

of

racism, but more often

they

become

present

without

any

real

power.

It is a form of

marginalization

which

assuages

white

guilt

because

they

can point

to their success of giving a presence to a minority

representative, but

they

can now overlook the reason that

they

believed it was necessary

to

grant

the

presence.

The

attempt

to overcome racism is also much more than

simply finding

new African American or

Hispanic American or Asian American or Native American or ethnic Canadian pastors

to minister

among

their own.

Homogeneity may

be a useful tool for

growing

certain

types

of

churches,

but it does not

speak

in a positive way

to issues such as racism.

By segregating

Black

pastors into Black communities without

involving

White

pastors

and leaders in the heart of these same

communities,

or without

involving

Black pastors

in White

communities,

racism has not been

adequately addressed.

Furthermore,

the

attempt

to overcome racism is also much more than

giving

social or economic

advantage

to those who have thus far been at a demonstrable

disadvantage.

Each of these methods can be useful in

making

small contributions to the

larger problems

of

racism, but none of them is

adequate itself,

or even in concert with all the others so far named.

As much as we

might

wish that we were further down the road on redressing

the issue of

racism,

we must be realistic about our own expectations.

All of us after

all, are products

of our cultures. We do not have

anything

in our histories which can act as wells from which we can draw. What we have in common is one

Lord,

one

faith,

one baptism,

one God and Father of us

all,

one

body

and one

Spirit,

and one

hope

of our

calling (Ephesians 4:4-6).

We also need to acknowledge regularly

that in Christ we have been created anew as one new

humanity (Ephesians 4:15-16).

And while we share these

things together,

we have

differing perceptions

on who/what

they

are and what they

mean for us. At the

very least,

these

points

of

convergence between all of us demand that we

grow

into an ever

expanding

view of who or what the Church is. We need

help, theological help,

in discovering

a

genuinely

Pentecostal

ecclesiology.

These

points

of commonality

demand that we rethink our views of God

together.

We need

theological help

in

discovering

a

genuinely

Pentecostal

theology. Our claims to

sharing

the same Lord

requires

that we review

together not

only

how we have been

redeemed,

but what the demands are which together

we are called to live out under the

sovereign

rule of the One who has redeemed us. It means at the

very least, adopting

his

ministry as our

ministry (Luke 4:18-19),

and

exploring ways

in which we can do it with one another. In short, what

Memphis

has made clear to us is that

27

140

new

questions

of Pentecostal

identity

must be addressed. Who or what

is a Pentecostal? How should that Pentecostal live in the One

Body

of

which he or she is a

part?

And what should be the role of that

Pentecostal in the world?

Memphis

marked the

beginning

of a “reconciliation

strategy”

for

effective Pentecostal

ministry

into the 21 st century. In

Memphis,

a baby

was bom. Babies need to be

nourished,

not criticized. Babies need to

be

handled, held, caressed, fed, exercised, encouraged,

and nurtured.

They

also need to be

taught

how to do

things.

Babies demand

patience.

They require

tolerance.

They

clamor for attention.

They

necessitate

understanding.

If it is our

privilege

to have

played

a part in the birth of

this

baby,

it is our

duty

to

help bring

it to

maturity.

We

may grow

impatient,

but we dare not

give up,

for to fail in that

regard may

be

worse than what we knew before the

baby

was bom.

If what we do is

merely

criticize without

bringing

new and

accomplishable

ideas to bear on the

issue,

we

may

end

up

with a

mentally

or

physically challenged baby

on our hands. This

baby,

the

PCCNA needs to

develop

its own

place

in the world of the 21st

century.

It needs to realize that it is not the old PFNA. It needs to see

itself as redefined. It is not

merely

a

repetition

of an old

regime using

old and

faulty

methods. It is

something

new. We in the

Society

for

Pentecostal Studies

(SPS)

have before us an

opportunity

to make a

contribution to the

process

of growth and redefinition

by offering

ideas

which will move the PCCNA ahead. If the PCCNA desires to

grow

and

mature,

it will need to take

seriously

the

input

of the SPS. It is in the

interrelationship

between the

community

of

scholarship

and the

community

of

pastoral leadership

where we can find our best

contribution to its growing effectiveness. If we are successful in making

a

positive

contribution

by helping

to tear down

racial, ethnic, gender,

class,

and other divisions

by working

with the PCCNA

leadership,

it

may

be

possible

to find ourselves in other forums where new

critiques

can be offered and taken

seriously.

Memphis, then,

is a miracle in the

making.

It is an event which

may .

yet prove

to have been a watershed in Pentecostal racial relations. But

it is

immature,

and needs our

help.

I believe that we should rise to the

occasion and

engage

the

challenges

which it poses to the SPS.

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