Southern churches merge for racial reconciliation скачать в хорошем качестве

Southern churches merge for racial reconciliation

(14 Feb 2022) LEAD IN: More than five years ago, Refuge Church, a formerly white congregation in North Carolina, merged with an African American church. The move was an effort to be an example of unity and racial reconciliation in the American South. STORY-LINE: April and Troy Savage and their two children are part of an experiment at the Refuge Church in Kannapolis, North Carolina. This formerly predominantly white congregation merged with an African American church in an attempt to use religion as a vehicle for racial reconciliation in the south. "It's been said that the most segregated hour in America is Sunday morning at 11," says Troy Savage. "Because we work together, different races, different ethnicities, cultures, we work together every day, we have our different friends that we go, we hang out, social gatherings. And then on Sunday morning... we go our separate ways." Savage did not go to a multi-racial church until he was almost 30 years old. "I think for so long religion has separated us more than it has brought us together," says his wife April Savage. And she believes that racial reckoning means doing what Jesus would want them to do. Jonathan and Summer Daniel and their four children joined the church six years ago, just before the merger with the African American Church. "I believe overall, the average American does want unity," says Daniel. "Are there racist people? Absolutely. And there's always going to be racist people. But I believe as a whole, America does want to see unity." Daniel says that everyone he talked to thought that the joining of the churches was a really good thing. However, transition to this Church was difficult for the Savage family. April says not everyone she's encountered understands it "Some people, they may not say it out of their mouth, but they feel like, oh, like you abandoned your people, Because you're going through this, predominantly, you know, white ministry, or however you want to classify it," she says. "But we choose to not look at it that way. We choose to look at it as this is the kingdom of God, and it's the kingdom that brings us together, we all believe the same." But some ministers urge caution. Rev. Abdul Knox of Greater Bethel Church in Charlotte, North Carolina, says the experiences of Black people must not be forgotten in multi racial churches. "If it's better for our family to worship in an interracial setup, that's great," he says. "But as a pastor, to another interracial pastor, don't forget and don't leave out and don't neglect, the struggle, the Black struggle, we have that we have to include that. That's a part of our faith formation." Derrick Hawkins was the lead pastor at the African American church and helped spearhead the merger with the Refuge Church. "Faith in the African American community has always been all we had," he says. "And so we lean to what I knew to do is to always resolve in seeking the Spirit of God for unity, we can't do it in our own ability. There's never been a policy created, any speech that's able to unite. It's only the power in the presence of God that unites us." Jay Stewart is the Lead Pastor at the Refuge Church and worked with Derrick Hawkins to unite their churches. "For us, a part of our purpose is be a demonstration of unity, be a demonstration of racial reconciliation in a nation that has been so divided for way too long," says Stewart. "And we get the privilege of walking out this purpose." The service blends Christian Bible Study, Evangelical Healing, and Speaking in Tongues.   ___ Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork Twitter:   / ap_archive   Facebook:   / aparchives   ​​ Instagram:   / apnews   You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/you...