We might have nurtured several reasons why “racially – segregated conferences” are live and vibrant in the USA, other countries too can “boast” of “tribal …,” but one thing is clear: from here we have been called and adopted to be sons and daughers of the God.From here we must arise and entre the promised land where our light will shine; the entre world to behold; not from Obama’s presidency but becouse this is the Lord’s command that love must reach beyond worldly boundaries.

Shalom

Here is the breakdown of Regional conferences by Union in the North American Division, moving from North to South, East to West:

Northeastern Conference (Atlantic Union Conference)
Allegheny East Conference (Columbia Union Conference)
Allegheny West Conference (Columbia Union Conference)
South Atlantic Conference (Southern Union Conference)
Southeastern Conference (Southern Union Conference)
South Central Conference (Southern Union Conference)
Lake Region Conference (Lake Union Conference)
Central States Conference (Mid-America Union Conference)
Southwest Region Conference (Southwestern Union Conference)

The following Union Conferences do not have Regional Conferences:

Seventh-day Adventist Church in Cananda
North Pacific Union Conference
Pacific Union Conference

Just because there is not a separate organizational structure does not mean that the territory is without racism. I have not been blessed to spend any time in Canada or the West Coast, so I don’t know whether racism is rampant in the church in those areas or not. Basing on the general population, I imagine that there are at least some areas in each territory where racial tensions exist.

My point about the fact that we have black, Korean, and Hispanic pastors was not an attempt to make Chesapeake look good. In retrospect, I probably shouldn’t have stated it, for it goes totally against my vision. My vision is that we get to the point where it doesn’t matter what race the employee is — only that the person is called to serve in the position at this time.

I long for the day when race truly doesn’t matter in hiring practices. I think it’s overly simplistic to believe that only a black pastor can effectively minister to a predominantly black congregation, or that only a white pastor can effectively minister to a predominantly white congregation. Furthermore, in many places, including the area served by our conferences, congregations are becoming more multicultural. In my last assignment, near Baltimore, the little church had Hispanic, black, and white members. In my current assignment on the Eastern Shore, we have black, Romanian, Indian, and others worshiping together weekly. I know the same situation exists in Regional churches. In fact, very few of the congregations I am familiar with (admittedly a small number) have been exclusively one race or another. Pastoral hiring practices must be based on calling, skills, and match to the congregation — without respect to race.

When I say that the separate conferences should be abolished, I do not mean that we simply take the regional churches into the “State” conferences with current leadership and organization. All existing conferences could be dissolved and reorganized along geographical lines with the new constituencies. If we need only the so-called “State” or only the so-called “Regional” conferences, I see special constituency meetings called for reorganization and election of new officers, executive committees, etc., that would reflect the needs of the combined organization.

I don’t believe that integrating the conferences will have a magic effect and that racism on both sides will instantly vanish. However, I don’t believe that racism in the pews will disappear as long as the church still officially condones racism with separate conferences.

It’s one of the “top-down” or “bottom-up” quandaries that we find ourselves in so often — does reform need to come from the Top and work its way down, or does it need to come from the pews and work its way up the organization? I would prefer both. However, leaders need to be leaders, and so we need to initiate change together.

We can continue to blame each other, or we can come together in humility to the Cross, to recognize that in Christ, there is no black, or white, Hispanic or Korean, nor any other race. Together, we have a mission — to share the “everlasting gospel” to “every tribe, kindred, nation, and tongue.”