Move over Zeus and Hercules! The Evangelical church has a mythology that will blow your mind. If you eavesdrop on certain conversations you will be amazed at the things that are believed just because a famous leader said them. Things like: “America is a Christian nation!” or “If you use this system your church, marriage, finances will prosper and grow just like mine.” The funny thing is many of these things have a kernel of truth in them just like the myths of many cultures. A kernel of truth.
Myths are interesting. They fuel our belief system. They teach us values and offer guidance in our decision making. Myths are powerful. They can fill our minds with ideas without us being aware. They can give rise to a whole movement if we let them.
I want to destroy a myth that has become pervasive in the evangelical world. It has become widespread and is very deceptive. It can lead the church astray and down the wrong path although it promises to lead to a noble goal. The myth I want to destroy is the myth of the minority associate pastor.
Here is the myth of the minority associate pastor: If I hire a certain person of ethnicity on my staff then it will cause other people of that ethnicity to come to my church.
This is totally wrong. It may sound nice but it does not bear out when you take into account different factors.
Factor #1 Your overall church culture
It means nothing if you hire a minority associate pastor and your overall church culture remains the same. If you hire a minority associate pastor and nothing changes in your structure, programs, or worship style then all you are doing is hiring a token. Yep I said it! It’s tokenism pure and simple. Just filling a quota.
Factor #2 The importance of senior leadership
I started off as an associate pastor at a multiethnic church. I would invite my African American friends but the usual response I would get was “Well I would come and join if it was your church” What they were implying was that it was all about who was ultimately in the leadership role. An associate pastor doesn’t hold ultimate sway over the direction and ethos of a congregation
Factor #3 Practical Realities
Most evangelical churches are not in the hood. If you hire an associate pastor who is African American or Latino and your church is located in an affluent white community then you have alienated them from their people. How are they going to invite someone from their neighborhood when it takes three buses to get to your church?
What do you think? Have you ever experienced the myth of the minority associate pastor? How can we effectively hire associate pastors of different ethnicities? Should we be hiring those of other ethnicities at majority white churches? What needs to be the goal in hiring someone of a different ethnicity at a majority white church?
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