Karitos: Christian Arts Conference

Don't miss Karitos 06
June 1-3
Wheaton College, Wheaton, Illinois

===>Click headline for the complete line-up of workshops and more. . .

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City Transformation Conference Call

Talk with other Christian leaders who are serious about seeing their city or community transformed. Join the National Featured Cities Conference Call (see previous cities listed below).

Tuesday, May 30th @ 11am Central
Call: 563-843-7429 / Code: 643706#

Previous Conference Calls:
Albany area, NY -- June 28, 2005 (36.7 MB)
Birmingham, AL -- March 28, 2006 (27.7 MB)
Boise, ID -- October 24, 2005 (49.9 MB)
Boulder, CO -- November 29, 2005 (38.9 MB)
Branson, MO -- November 30, 2004 (47.9 MB)
Charleston, WV -- April 25, 2006 (28.7 MB)
Coachella Valley, CA -- February 28, 2006 (37.6 MB)
Corvallis, OR -- May 31, 2005 (41.5 MB)
Elk River, MN -- March 29, 2005 (39.7 MB)
Little Rock, AR -- September 27, 2005 (39.3 MB)
Santa Rosa, CA -- January 25, 2005 (52.8 MB)
Springfield, MO -- October 25, 2005 (29.1 MB)
Tukwila, WA -- February 22, 2005 (50.4 MB)

===>Click headline to download or order from the website . . .
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HUB: His United Body

Chicago HUB
===>Click headlne to access website . . .

#1 We are meeting this Sunday night, May 21 at 6:30pm, Holiday Inn Naperville. Back by request, Muriel will lead worship.

#2 HUB MEETING! !!!!! "A Memorial....to remember a special event or person" During the festivities of Memorial Day weekend, why not join us for a memorial for the THE special event and Person, our Beloved Jesus...who is very much alive! Georgian Banov will be at HUB along with Peru Eagle Rock Worship Team...Sunday night, May 28 at 4pm, Holiday Inn Select in Naperville. Light refreshments served. Come have a blast with us as we enjoy the presence of our Lord. Admission is free...no registration required. Just show up thirsty! Overnight rooms available for $79, if needed. Call hotel at 630-505-4900 Call HUB at 847-401-8554

The following was sent out by Georgian's office regarding where he will be in the area. I intend on going. I hope you can catch some of these meetings and that I'll see you there. God bless you this holiday weekend!

May 24 - 25th 2006 Wed @ 7:00 PM, Thurs @ 9:30, 2:00 & 7:00 pm "Heal Your Body, Lord Prophetic Conference" With Jim Goll, Che Ahn, Bobby Conner, Georgian Banov Meetings at: Christian Fellowship Church 3419 Walkup Rd Crystal Lake, IL 60014 815-784-3467 For more info, visit: http:/ /www.ohmint.org/ or write to Tracy: teej1265@yahoo.com (*Conference continues through Saturday, Georgian leaves on Friday)

May 28th, Sun @ 4:00 PM "Kingdom Celebration at the HUB!" Chicago Hub Ministries Founder: Nancy Ma giera Meeting at: Holiday Inn 1801 Naper Blvd Naperville, IL 847-401-8554

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Blessed Are Those Who Make Peace

Lombard Mennonite Peace Center (LMPC) focuses on peacemaking education for clergy and congregations. We will be conducting the Mediation Skills Training Institute for Church Leaders at St. Peters United Church of Christ in Elmhurst, Illinois, August 7-11, 2006.

This training is designed to equip church leaders with the skills necessary to deal effectively with interpersonal, congregational, and other forms of group conflict. It also includes a component on congregational intervention and consultation, placed within the context of family systems theory.

The registration deadline is July 10. After this date, the tuition increases from $625 to $700. I have attached a registration brochure for Mediation Skills Training Institute for Church Leaders. Feel free to forward this brochure to others who may be interested. ===>Click headline to access website . . .

Blessings of peace, Erin Dalian
LMPC Assistant for Communications
Lombard Mennonite Peace Center
101 W. 22nd Street, Suite 206
Lombard, IL 60148
ph: 630 627-0507
fax: 630-627-0519

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1973 Chiacgo Declaration Still Speaks

A CALL FOR EVANGELICAL RENEWAL

Chicago Declaration II---In 1973 a group of evangelical Christians gathered in Chicago to offer a declaration of social concern. In November of 1993, evangelicals sharing the same concerns and convictions gathered again in Chicago to reconsider what they should do in the midst of a worsening social and moral crisis.

We give thanks!---We give thanks for the Christian communities that are living out the sacrificial and compassionate demonstration of the reconciling love of God. Their faithfulness encourages us to follow Christ more closely in the power of the Holy Spirit. While we acknowledge our weaknesses and confess our failures, we take heart from the love of God at work in their lives and communities.

We weep and dream

We weep for those who do not know and confess Jesus Christ, the hope of the world. We dream of a missionary church that, by its witness and love, draws people into a living relationship with our Lord.

We weep over the persistence of racism, the broken relationships and the barriers that divide races and ethnic groups. We dream of churches that demonstrate the reconciling Gospel of Christ, uniting believers from every nation, tribe, and tongue.

We weep over the growing disparity between the rich and the poor, the scandal of hunger, and the growing number of people who live in oppressive conditions, insecurity, and danger. We dream of churches that work for education, economic empowerment and justice, both at the personal and structural levels, and that address the causes and the symptoms of poverty.

We weep over escalating violence, abuse, disregard for the sanctity of human life, and addiction to weapons -- in both nations and neighborhoods -- that destroy lives and breed fear. We dream of faith communities that model loving ways of resolving conflict, and seek to be peacemakers rather than passive spectators, calling the nations to justice and righteousness.

We weep over the brokenness expressed in relationships between generations, between men and women, in families, in distorted sexualities and in cruel judgementalism. We dream of faith communities that honor and protect both our elders and our children, foster a genuine partnership and mutual submission between men and women, nourish healthy families, affirm celibate singleness, work for healing and compassion for all, and for the keeping of marriage covenants.

We weep over the spiritual emptiness and alienation of modern secular society. We dream of a redemptive church that restores personal identity, provides loving community, offers purpose in life, and brings transcendent values and moral conscience to the public square.

We weep over our exploitive practices and consumerist lifestyles that destroy God's good creation. We dream of a Church that leads in caring for creation and calls Christians to serve as faithful partners of God in renewing and sustaining God's handiwork.

In all of these, we have fallen so far short of God's glory and awesome holiness, yet we rejoice that in the incarnation, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, and in the power of the Holy Spirit, we are called by God to the obedience than comes from faith.

We commit---Because of the hope we have in the Gospel, we dare to commit ourselves to the kingdom of God and oppose the demonic spiritual forces that seek to undermine the reign of God in this world. Because of our faith we dare to risk and seek the future that God has promised, and we give ourselves to works of love.

We recommit ourselves to grow in the knowledge and the love of God, drinking from the well of worship and praise, word and sacrament. We commit ourselves to sacrificial and loving engagement with God, with all other Christians, and with a needy world.

We commit ourselves to share the good news of Jesus Christ, by living and announcing the Gospel of the kingdom, so that all may come to know, love and serve God.

We repent of our complacency, our reliance on technique, and our complicity with the evils of the status quo. We repudiate the idolatries of nation and economic system, and zealously dedicate ourselves to Christ and his kingdom's values. We turn away from obsession with power, possessions, self-fulfillment, security, and safety, and willingly risk discomfort and conflict as we live our dreams.

In 1973, we called evangelicals to social engagement: this call still stands. We are thankful that more social engagement is emerging, yet tragically it has frequently divided us along ideological lines. Too often recent evangelical political engagement has been uncivil and polarizing, has demonized opponents, and has lacked careful analysis and biblical integrity. Faithfulness to the full authority of the Scriptures transcends traditional categories of left and right.

The Gospel is not divided -- it embraces both the call to conversion and the summons to justice. Obedience to Jesus' teaching and example demands congregations that integrate prayer, worship, evangelism, and social transformation.

We Pray---In the face of such complex and unremitting problems, we claim the promise of God to give wisdom to those who ask. Therefore we ask: Oh God, Giver and Sustainer of life, Holy Redeemer and Lord, comforting and empowering Spirit, teach us your ways, show us your will, give us your presence and pour out your power. Amen. Come Lord Jesus.

FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Evangelicals for Social Action
10 Lancaster Ave.
Wynnewood, PA 19096 USA
===>Click headline to access website . . .

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Is the Church of Chicago Prepared to Serve in a Disaster?

His Presence in Crisis

When disaster strikes and questions flow from broken hearts, how will you respond?

The Billy Graham Evangelistic Association will be holding a conference for pastors, church leaders, chaplains, crisis volunteers, and anyone interested in learning more about how to bring comfort and hope in Jesus Christ to those suffering in times of crisis.

June 19–22, 2006
The Billy Graham Training Center at The Cove
Asheville, N.C.
Featuring:
• Franklin Graham
• Skip Heitzig
• Dr. Jonathan Olford
• Practical training workshops

Learn, strategize, and fellowship with others in Christian ministry who share your desire to comfort and care for the suffering during times of trauma.

===>Click headline for more information or to register or call toll-free 1-800-950-2092.


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Good Stuff for our Good City

In January of 2000 a small group of men from two churches began meeting on the first Saturday of every month for worship, bible teaching, prayer, and fellowship. This would not be unusual except that one church was black and urban, and the other was white and suburban.
How good and pleasant it is when brothers live together in unity! It is like precious oil poured on the head, running down on the beard, running down on Aaron’s beard, down on the collar of his robes. It is as if the dew of Mount Hermon were falling on Mount Zion. For there the Lord bestows his blessing, even life evermore. Psalm 133

Within a few months of the first gatherings the Lord directed them to include women.

In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams. Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days, and they will prophesy. Acts 2:17, 18

From the beginning there was something special about this group of believers, young and old, male and female, black and white, Baptist and Christian Reformed. They had all been part of churches, some veterans of numerous attempts at conciliation between ethnic groups and denominations, but there was something different about these gatherings where the focus was on worship, prayer, teaching, and honest and open dialogue. Discussions about the many reasons why Sunday morning at 11am is the most segregated time of the week, and intense listening by the white brethren for the deep struggle that has been the black experience, especially for those that remain faithful to God’s call to remember the poor. In the church at Antioch there were prophets and teachers: Barnabas, Simeon called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen (who had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch) and Saul. While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.” Acts 13: 1, 2

These gatherings, now in their seventh year continue to be a unique experience for those who attend. From the vibrant worship of a diverse group, to the prayer and scripture teaching that is a part of each meeting, the School of the Prophets is an opportunity to fellowship with other Christians we don’t normally encounter in our daily lives. This past Saturday, over 40 people from at least ten different churches packed into the humble surroundings of Austin Corinthian Baptist Church on the West Side to be refreshed by the presence of the Lord, and to fellowship and dialogue around the issue of conciliation among Gods people from diverse ethnic, racial, denominational, and economic backgrounds.

This week’s teacher/discussion leader was Mike Ivers, president of Goodcity, ===>Click headline to access webiste . . . an organization that discovers, incubates, and supports start up ministries in Chicago and works to network churches and community organizations for the renewal of the city. I encourage you to look at their web site at www.goodcitychicago.org, to get more information on the great work they are doing and to explore how you might become involved. Mike was a Catholic priest for 27 years, serving most recently as Pastor of St. Agatha Church in North Lawndale from 1988-2000. “Father Mike” is well known in the community because he regularly walked the streets, visiting homes, and worked to build a sense of community among the residents.

Pastor Mike began his School of the Prophets time this past Saturday with an enthusiastic reading of Isaiah 11:6-9. He then reminded us that Jesus saved us, but that we are all going through a constant sanctification. He was very clear several times during his remarks that despite his background he considers himself to be a person of prejudice, and on the road to recovery. Mike admitted that his wife keeps him in “check” and especially so because she is black. Mike grew up on the south side of Chicago at 97th and Throop, his mother German, and his father Irish. His experience with ethnic and racial prejudice began as early as third grade when some other kids from his neighborhood reminded him that he was not as good as they were because he was a mix of German and Irish but they were “all Irish.” As Mike reached his teens during the late 50’s to early 60’s the neighborhood he grew up in changed from all white to all black, yet his family remained. He has a vivid image in his mind of working as a caddie at Beverly Country Club, where the members were all white, and right across the street from the club was Beverly Woods which was all black.

These experiences have given Mike a passion for study and reflection on the problem of racism in America, and prompted him to spend four summers studying at the Institute of Black Catholic Studies at Xavier University in New Orleans, Louisiana. While there, one of his instructors, Thea Bowman, taught him that the United States is millions of islands, and that the work we are to be about is building bridges between these islands. This lesson has stayed with Mike, because that is exactly what he continues to do today through his work at Goodcity.

Mike admitted that he is often frustrated by the way people in economically depressed neighborhoods in the city are characterized by the media, which contributes to continued separation and isolation of people from different racial backgrounds. He says, “It is a very small percentage of people who are causing all of the trouble, the vast majority are hard working and honest.” He also cautioned us to be very careful about passing judgment on poor neighborhoods, because as he puts it, “If you had been in their shoes how would you have turned out? We simply don’t have a clue about what is going on in other people’s lives.” Mike also reminded us that “we must be very careful with what we say.”

The divide between people of different ethnic and racial backgrounds, gender, economic level, and denomination continues to be a major problem within the Church of Jesus Christ. Mike believes that the greatest contributor to this divide may be that we simply don’t know each other, we are not in relationship. The School of the Prophets, which meets just once per month, is an opportunity to take a first step toward building bridges between the islands we all occupy. I encourage you to consider this as an alternative to your normal Saturday morning routine, we will continue to strive to have Spirit led teacher leaders who inspire and encourage us. In fact, if you know of someone who we should consider inviting to lead one of our upcoming gatherings please don’t hesitate to send an email my way.

In Christ’s name,
Bro. Bob Marsh
323 West Chicago Ave., Hinsdale, IL 60521
630-290-2388
bob@marshdesign.biz


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Fore the Marketplace

The 4th Annual Communion Cup Golf Classic
Where the Spirit of Man and Business become a Whole in One
Chicago, IL –

The 4th Annual Communion Cup Golf Classic and Jazz Celebration will be held at the majestic Cog Hill Golf & Country Club on Monday, September 25, 2006. The country club nestled in the Des Plaines River Valley in Lemont Illinois, served as the home of the 102nd PGA Western Open and features 4 regulation golf courses, an exquisite cuisine and a 280 seat banquet hall.

On par to becoming an even bigger stroke of success, this spirited experience brings together some of Chicago’s most influential faith, business, sports, political and community leaders with other influencers from around the US. The 2006 Golf Classic will feature the annual tournament, golf lessons, luncheon and special guest speakers. For golfers and their invited guests, the day will be capped off by a Celebration of Jazz Reception with an intimate performance by an acclaimed and award wining Jazz Recording Artist who will be announced shortly.

Dr. Ray Charles, event founder, Spiritual Coach and Chairman of A Ray of Light Ministries, says “The Communion Cup Golf Classic was created based on the need to bring together a plethora of business leaders and community influencers in a leisurely atmosphere usually reserved for discussing every day business opportunities with colleagues. Our goal is to transcend that energy, while removing the cognitive training that fosters harmful competition. Replace it with the spirit of team work, sense of Oneness with all, and a covenant of The “Whole Man.”

A spirit of unity and purpose among this influential group will result in a “Think Tank” without walls. More important, it could lead to restoration of a faith based belief system, the revitalization within our communities, a re-affirmation of family values and a shifting paradigm for collective business growth.

The Communion Cup® Golf Classic is open to the general public. Corporate partnerships, Philanthropic sponsorship and other donation opportunities are available. Proceeds from the event will benefit The Communion Cup® Foundation. Previous Event Sponsors include Luster Products, Victory Center, Duerson Foods, Shore Bank and Holland Capital Management. A Ray of Light Ministries is a registered 501(c)3 corporation that provides corporate and spiritual coaching services to a variety of high net worth individuals, corporate executives, spiritual leaders and elected officials in the public and private business sectors.

For more information Contact:
Dr. Ray Charles, AROL Ministries Inc.
1-800-809-3523
spiritualcoach@msn.com

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Crusaders Church Presents: Kingdom Harvest Conference 2006

A Time Of Impartation, Activation and Demonstration

Greetings Kingdom Builders!
"Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields, for they are ripe already to harvest!"

We are in a time like never before that a sense of God given urgency must arise within the heart of God's people to fulfill the apostolic mandate given to the church. God is equipping the church for gathering the harvest.

Are you equipped and prepared to be a Harvester in this Kingdom in age?

You are invited to join us for this upcoming conference.

Sponsored by Crusaders Ministries Department of Evangelism
This conference brings together ministry leaders of diverse giftings anointed to bring revelation, impartation and training tools to help you reach your next level of ministry.

LOCATION: Monument Of Faith Church, Chicago
DATE: June 2-3, 2006
TIME: Begins Friday at 7 pm
Crusaders Main Office Phone: (773) 637-2121


Conference Schedule and Description
Friday Harvest Night
Service Begins at 7 pm

All are welcome to this special service entitled "Harvest Night." You are invited to bring many non-Christian guests.

Expect to see the miracle of salvation that comes through Jesus Christ as the Glory of the Lord comes in the midst of His people to bring healing and deliverance

No conference fee required for this Friday evening service.

Saturday Workshops
Ministry Begins at 8:30 am

Knowing the King's Heart
Kingdom Intercession
Kingdom Financing
Kingdom Impact

Workshop registration is only $20.00 until May 26th and $25.00 thereafter.

Special free workshop provided for new Christians entitled "Who Is Jesus."

Personal Ministry Provided - Healing Ministry -Prophetic Ministry -Deliverance Ministry

You may register by mail or credit card by phone. Please call 866-857-9880 for a registration form and detailed conference information. Those in the Chicago area may register in person on Sundays between 9:00 am and 10:15 am at Crusaders Church (AFC), 7859 S. Ashland Avenue, Chicago, Illinois.

Hope To See You There!
Evangelist Darlene Cothron
Crusaders Church Evangelism
email: crusadersevangelism@minister.com
phone: (866) 857-9880
===>Click headline to access website . . .

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Uniting a Diverse Chicago

Greetings in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ,

For those who are receiving this announcement for the first time, welcome! The School of the Prophets is an ecumenical group of men and women from many backgrounds who have been meeting together since January 2000. We meet this Saturday May 6, at 7 a.m. at Austin Corinthian Baptist Church at 823 S. Cicero Ave., which is 2 blocks south of the Eisenhower Expressway on the east side of the street next to Marvin’s Soul Food Restaurant.

Our aim is to pursue the unity of believers that Jesus prayed for in John 17:20: “I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me.”

This Saturday our teaching and devotional time will be led by Mike Ivers. A native of Chicago, Mike obtained his undergraduate degree from DePaul University in 1970. After studies at St. Mary of the Lake Seminary, he was ordained a Catholic priest in 1974. He also spent four summers studying at the Institute of Black Catholic Studies at Xavier University in New Orleans, Louisiana. During his 27 years as a Catholic priest, he made an impact by organizing efforts to combat gangs, eliminate substandard housing, build new housing, and bring new retail stores to Chicago’s West Side. He spent his active ministry in Chicago’s African-American community, lately as Pastor of St. Agatha Church in North Lawndale where he served from 1988-2000, walking the streets, visiting homes, and building a sense of community among the residents.

He co-founded Look to the Future with Commonwealth Edison and other major corporate sponsors to paint the homes of the elderly and disabled in 19 communities. Mike played a key role in the creation of United Power for Action and Justice (250 institutions paying $450,000 in annual dues bringing together diverse people for relational power).

Mike’s leadership in Chicago was recognized when he was named a Paul Harris Fellow of Rotary International in 1999, and in 2000 when he was named the Distinguished Fellow of Leadership Greater Chicago. Mayor Richard M. Daley appointed Mike to the Board of the Chicago Housing Authority in September 2001. Mike became a board member of Chicago Communities in School in 2002.

Mike has been president of Goodcity (===>Click headline to access website) since May 2001, focusing his energy on building relationships among people, churches, organizations, and civic entities to build a better Chicago.

We will begin our time together at 7 a.m. with worship and prayer. Please pray with Brother Mike as he prepares to bring us a word from the Lord. We will allow plenty of time for discussion and questions.

If you can stay, breakfast will be served at around 8:30 a.m. for a cost of $5.

To the glory of God!
Brother Bob Marsh
323 West Chicago Ave., Hinsdale, IL 60521
630-290-2388
bob@marshdesign.biz


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Henry Blackaby's Prayer for America

ATLANTA (BP)--This 2006 National Day of Prayer on Thursday, May 4, may be one of the most important and significant in our history as a nation. We are facing real threats to our national security and the moral fiber of America. Spiritual decay is causing a great social unrest, including the breakdown of the family. In short, we are facing a national crisis that has the potential to bring about some very dire consequences.

“America, Honor God” -- this is the theme for this year’s National Day of Prayer. In a moment of national crisis in the nation of Israel, God’s covenant people, God announced, “[T]hose who honor Me, I will honor” (1 Samuel 2:30). This promise is clear and short and simple. Yet, it is most profound. When God chooses to honor a person or a people or a nation, it is awesome what happens next!

On the other hand, we should tremble with great fear if we do not honor God. For God also declares in 1 Samuel 2:30 that “those who despise Me shall be lightly esteemed.” Our nation hangs in the balance as we teeter between these diametrically opposing truths.

In the days of God’s messenger, Malachi, the people lived with a false sense of security of what had been a very blessed relationship with God. They continued to “practice” religion while their hearts drifted far from the Lord. Even the priests had “... departed from the way” (Malachi 2:8). The nation became so sinful that God’s Word fell on deaf ears. Hypocrisy, divorce, idolatry and wickedness were the standard for the day. And God pleaded: “Return to Me and I will return to you” (Malachi 3:7).

Today, I believe God is sounding the same clarion call for America. Therefore, let us pray for the nation:

"Oh Heavenly Father, You have made Yourself known to us as a nation by Your mighty works throughout our history. From the beginning, You have been with us and through many wars and conflicts Your right arm has saved us. We have been amazingly and graciously blessed.

"Today, we confess our sin of not responding to Your right to rule in our lives and our nation. Too often we have despised and rejected Your will while imposing our own, and are now facing the consequences of our disobedience. Draw us back to Yourself, that you may return to us once again. Without You we can do nothing. You have promised that if we honor You, You will once again honor this great nation.

"That is our fervent prayer, for Your honor and glory we pray.

"Amen."

God will be honored when our relationship with Him is restored. Take time to know Him in a more intimate way, primarily through prayer and the reading of the Scriptures. Believe Him and obey Him thoroughly and immediately. Release your life totally to Him to allow Him to reveal Himself through you. Let others see God’s great salvation lived out in your life. Commit with me to pray for our nation daily. Finally, pray for me as I share such a challenge to our nation on May 4.

For more information about the National Day of Prayer, visit www.nationaldayofprayer.org. For more information about Henry Blackaby's ministry and travel schedule, visit his website at www.blackaby.org, call (770) 603-2900 or contact Blackaby Ministries International, P.O. Box 16338, Atlanta, Ga. 30321.

===>Click headline to access Baptist Press . . .

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Chicago: Surprising Insights from 2006 Congress on Urban Ministry

Roger Johnson, Editor of CityVoices, reports on the recent Congress on Urban MInistry that took palce in Chicago, Phil

===>Click the headline to read the entire edition . . . Samples below...


The 2006 Congress on Urban Ministry took place here in Chicago. If you were unable to join the 650 people who gathered at the Hyatt Regency McCormick Place Hotel in Chicago, this edition of CityVoices is for you.

Roger Johnson - CityVoices / SCUPE
(312) 726-12000, roger@cityvoices.com

***************
Rev. Soong-Chan Rah: The Emerging Church

(Rev. Soong-Chan Rah is Senior Pastor of Cambridge Community Fellowship
Church, Cambridge, Massachusetts. He is a contributor to Growing Healthy
Asian American Churches, and was recently appointed to the faculty of North
Park Theological Seminary, Chicago, Illinois.)

Within a decade or so, the majority of Christians in the United States will
be non-white. I can say that with confidence because all the sociological
trends, all the ways the white church is declining and all the ways the
immigrant church, the African American church, the Spanish-speaking church
is growing by leaps and bounds. Within a decade, in every metropolitan
corner of the United States, we are going to see more non-white Christians
than white Christians.

Why is it that the leadership is still all white? Time magazine does an
article on the top 25 evangelical leaders. Twenty-three of those spots are
filled by white evangelicals. Why is it that the face of the "emerging
church" is always white? I look at invitations I get to conferences on the
emerging church, and it's the same old story. They'll have a leadership of
40 people, and one or two will be non-white. The message is that the next
generation of leadership that is supposed to come out of this emerging
church movement is a perpetually 29-year-old blond male with a goatee.

The emerging church is not that 29-year-old blond male with a goatee. The
emerging church is the young black male in the urban setting. The emerging
church is the young Latina female. The emerging church is the
second-generation Haitian American. The emerging church is the child of
Brazilian immigrants. That's the true emerging church. And when we talk
about leadership, we have to see that the leadership of the next generation
cannot be all white because that's what we've had to put up with for the
last 50 years.

The white captivity of the church means that there is time when those of us
coming from the boundaries, not in the existing power structure of the
American evangelical church, need to take on greater positions of
leadership. Even though we might feel we're not up to the task, even though
our self-image tells us we're not good enough, not strong enough, or not
white enough, it's time for us as young Asian Americans, Caribbean
Americans, Native Americans and Latino Americans to start taking on the
mantle of leadership.

Contact: Rev. Soong-Chan Rah, Cambridge Community Fellowship Church, 234
Franklin Street, Cambridge, MA 02139, srah@ccfconline.org

*******************
Rev. Dr. Yvonne Delk: The Beloved Community and Contested Space

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Dr. Fred Smith: Shalom - Doing the Unthinkable

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Gary Gunderson: Boundary Leadership at the Heart

********************
Grace Lee Boggs: Imagining a New Kind of City

*******************
Jim Wallis: There's a Whole Generation Waiting!

********************
Bishop Philip Robert Cousin: Looking Backward to Step Forward

********************
Claudia de la Cruz: Manifesting God's Justice


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