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WHYAREN'T BLACK CHURCHES BEING PLANTED? ATHESIS PROJECT SUBMITTEDTO THE FACULTYOF GORDON-CONWELLTHEOLOGICAL SEMINARY IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FORTHE DEGREE DOCTOR OF MINISTRY BY MICHAEL DAVID BAILEY JANUARY 2015 Copyright© 2015 by Michael David Bailey.All Rights Reserved. Dedication: This is dedicatedto my Parents, Siblings (Rivaand LeRoy) and theirfamilies, The Flagg's, The Monroe's and my spouse (Sonya). Most importantly, this is for my children to knowthatthey can aspire to become even greater. I love you all. TABLE OF CONTENTS: ABSTRACT VI. INTRODUCTION CHAPTER 1: FROM RECONSTRUCTION TO PENTECOSTALISM 3 TheAfrican Methodist Episcopal Church 9 The Black Baptists-National Baptist Convention, USA 13 The Pentecostals-Church ofGod In Christ 20 CHAPTER2: THETHEOLOGICAL FRAMEWORK OF CHURCH PLANTING 28 What Is Church Planting? 28 What IsAChurch Planter? 30 WhatThe Church Plant Must Be 42 CHAPTER 3:THE CRIPPLING FACTOR: LIBERATION THEOLOGYAS BLACK THEOLOGY 53 CHAPTER4: THE DATAANALYSIS 83 CHAPTER 5: DEARBLACK CHURCH LEADERS 108 BecominganActs 2 Church 110 IV. Kill The PersonalAgendas & Focus On The Spiritual Disciplines 113 BeingAGospel Driven Leaderand Plant Churches 117 Focus On The YoungerGeneration 120 Get Rid ofLiberationTheology 122 PlantChurches and Build Love God, Love People, Share Christ, Make Disciples 124 BIBLIOGRAPHY 129 VITA 132 v. ABSTRACT This focus ofthisthesis is to answerthe question, why aren't blackchurches being planted and whatare the problems as to why blackchurches aren'tchurch planting. Interviews were conducted for this particularresearch. The questions were structuredto learn more abouttheirorganizational structure, leadership style andtheiropinions on plantingchurches. Itwas also designed to learn ifthe effects ofblack liberationtheology are still in existence. In the conclusion ofthis research, the findings are thatthere are many pastors who desire to plant churches butfeel likethey lackthe resources to accomplish this goal. The othercrippling factor is the ongoing practice ofblack liberation theology that is practiced in many predominately black churches today. VI. INTRODUCTION The focus ofthis thesis is to answerthe question, whyaren't blackchurches being planted and whatare the problems as to why black churches aren'tchurch planting. ThroughoutAmerican history, the portrayal ofthe blackchurch has been more centered on race relations while using scriptureto eitherreinforce racism orfor liberation from American slavery. The Bible establishes thatevery believer is tasked with being atremendous witness to the Gospel ofChrist. This conceptbegan with the GreatCommission. Jesus instructed all believers in the bookofMatthew 28:18-20to sharethe Gospel into all the world proclaimingthe works and teachings ofthe LordJesus Christ for the purpose of winning souls. And Jesus came and saidto them, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples ofall nations, baptizing them inthe name ofthe Fatherand ofthe Son and ofthe Holy Spirit,teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, Iam with you always, to the end ofthe age."-Matthew28:18-201 As cited in this passage, Jesus commands believers to spreadthe incamational gospel truth ofthe resurrection ofChrist. Within this study, it will show some ofthe problems suggested as to why churches are not being planted in the blackcommunity. In this thesis, theological ideologies will be viewed such as Black Liberation Theology and the meaning for the blackcommunity. Has itcausedthe church to driftaway from the mission ofsharingthe Gospel ofJesus Christeffectively, as well as have shifted the thought process ofplanting churches? 1All Scripture citationsaretakenfrom the English Standard Version, unless otherwisenoted. 1. Thereforethe empirical question ofthis thesis is, why aren't black churches being plantedand whatare the problems as to why blackchurches aren'tchurch planting? Are these problems systemic from bad theology? Aquestion which will challenge the black church inAmerica. This research will try to identifythe gaps that are currently active in the church. So thatadifference can be made and the church can respond to search forthe moral compass ofthe blackchurch, and make sure that its intentions are Jesus centered. Let's engage and begin with the history ofthe movement ofthe black church and investigatethis study to understand and answerthe question, why aren't blackchurches being planted and what are the problems as to why blackchurches aren'tchurch planting. 2. CHAPTERONE: FROM RECONSTRUCTION TO PENTECOSTALISM The church has beenan institution where blacks have faced challenges. Sincethe church's inception in America, blacks have encounteredthis tension and used itas atool for defining theirfaith. Akey paradigm was their mindsetofliberation; especially through the transition ofslavery, reconstruction and civil rights. Ithas oftenbeen noted that blacks were considered as the ultimate heathen with no hope. Forthe church to become a beacon oflight, there must be hope. In orderfor blacksto accept Jesus as their personal saviorand become members ofthe church,the gospel ofJesus Christ must transcend and sendthe message ofthis hope through salvation. Fora slave to be introducedto this strong sense ofhope they mustfirst realize thatthey are deserving of rights and freedom. Forthe slave thatwould meanequality inAmericawhich would unsettle whites as they believed blacks were objects ratherthan human beings. However, there were a certain group ofblacksthat opposed Christianity and couldn'tfind hope inthe Gospel because ofthe church's portrayal ofa Saviorthat was relatable onlyto whites. However, there were those who sawthe future especially as it dealt with the church. Amongstthose who paid attention to Christianity inAmericawas the social scientist William Edward BughartDu Bois. In acollection ofessays from his book The Souls ofBlackFolk, he wrestled with the ideaofChristianity and the mindsetofblacks. W.E.B. Du Bois writes, Butback ofthis still broods silently the deep religious feeling ofthe real Negro heart, the stirring, unguided mightofpowerful human souls who have lost the guiding starofthe pastand seek in the great night a new religious ideal. Some day theAwakening will come, when the pent-up vigoroften million souls shall sweep irresistibly toward the Goal, outofthe Valley ofthe ShadowofDeath, where all 3. that makes life worth living-Liberty, Justice, and Right- is marked "ForWhite People Only."2 In the writings ofDu Bois, he sawthatthe mindsetwas key for change in the status of slaveto free. BookerT. Washington, authorofUp From Slavery:AnAutobiography chimes in onthe mindsetofblackamericans. Thatblack americans should notallow race to prohibitthem from having great success. Washington writes, The individual who can do somethingthatthe world wants done will, in the end, make his way regardless ofrace. One man may go into acommunity prepared to supplythe peoplethere with an analysis ofGreek sentences. The community may notatthe time be prepared for, orfeel the need of, Greekanalysis, but itmay feel its need ofbricks and houses and wagons. Ifthe man can supplythe need for those, then, itwill lead eventuallyto ademand forthe first product, and with the demand will comethe ability to appreciate itand to profit by it.3 Through this religious ideal, it showed promise to all who believe; a promise ofsalvation to be free from the ills ofracism and slavery. This ideaalone has really impacted the church. It producedthatthere is a lightatthe end ofthe tunnel. These ideas would arise especially through the period ofReconstruction. Originally, the Reconstruction era's initial intentwas to radically reconstructthe United StatesofAmerica in lightofthe Emancipation Proclamation which freed the slaves through the mandate ofour 16th President,Abraham Lincoln. In an attemptto unite the Union and Confederacy, the goal was to reconstructAmerica so that itwould provide promise and opportunity to all. However, this did not take place due to the death of PresidentLincoln and the succession ofPresidentAndrew Johnson. PresidentJohnson 2W.E.B. DuBois, The Souls ofBlackFolk, (NewYork: Oxford University Press, Inc.,2007), 93, Kindle. 3BookerT. Washington, Upfrom Slavery:AnAutobiography. (NewYork: Doubleday, Page and Company, 1901),58-59, Kindle. 4.