ABSTRACT
A MISSIOLOGICAL EVALUATION OF SOUTHERN
BAPTIST MULTIETHNIC CHURCHES
IN THE UNITED STATES
Stephen Gary Crouse, Ph.D.
The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, 2014
Chair: Dr. Adam W. Greenway
The thesis of this dissertation is that Southern Baptist multiethnic churches
exemplify the mission of the church as revealed in the Scriptures and offer a valuable
strategy for reaching the increasingly diverse population of the United States. Chapter 1
introduces the ethnic segregation of Southern Baptist Churches and begins to establish a
missiological foundation for ethnic inclusiveness. A discussion of the research problem
including the background of the dissertation follows. The broader question of the
missiological need for multiethnic congregations in the current milieu of American
society is addressed. The chapter concludes with a discussion of the definitions of key
terms, limitations and delimitations, and the research methodology employed.
Chapter 2 explores the mission of the church and the extent to which it applies
to all peoples. The ethnic inclusiveness of the ministry of Jesus and the ethnic diversity of
the New Testament churches address the need for multiethnic Southern Baptist churches.
The chapter ends with a discussion of Paul's charge that Christ broke down the dividing
wall of separation between the Jews and Gentiles and the implications for Southern
Baptist multiethnic congregations.
The focus of chapter 3 is a historical examination of Southern Baptist
multiethnic churches. While many ethnicities are included in Southern Baptist life,
attention is limited to African Americans and Hispanics in this historical survey.
Southern Baptist churches had many African slaves among their members when the
Convention was founded. The western expansion of Southern Baptists and the United
States' acquisition of the Southwest territories following the Mexican American War led
the young Convention to initiate mission work with Hispanics. The unequal treatment
that these ethnic groups received from Anglos has lingering effects on contemporary
Southern Baptist multiethnic churches. Southern Baptist attitudes about integration and
the Civil Rights Movement also influenced ethnic relationships. Immigration policies and
socioeconomic factors that favor the majority ethnicity create obstacles for multiethnic
congregations. Contemporary Southern Baptists actions to improve ethnic relationships
are examined.
An in-depth study of Donald McGavran's homogeneous unit principle and its
impact on contemporary Southern Baptist multiethnic congregations is offered in chapter
4. This principle is scrutinized from a biblical and missiological perspective. The
implications related to cross-cultural evangelism in light of the biblical witness conclude
the chapter.
Chapter 5 segues into a critical look at worship in the twenty-six Southern
Baptist multiethnic churches used for the social research. The chapter begins by defining
worship as an integral part of the mission of the church. The need for an authoritative
standard as a reference point in navigating the challenges of leading a multiethnic
congregation to worship God is examined including data obtained through the social
research. Aspects of corporate worship and their impact on multiethnic churches are
explored based on the social research data. The chapter concludes by addressing ethnic
inclusivism in Southern Baptist multiethnic churches and exploring the biblical notion of
worshiping God in spirit and truth.
Chapter 6 offers a summation of issued raised and addressed in the
dissertation. Southern Baptist multiethnic churches offer a valuable strategy for reaching
the increasingly diverse population of the United States. Areas for further study are
suggested.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:SBTS/oai:digital.library.sbts.edu:10392/4871 |
| Date | 31 March 2015 |
| Creators | Crouse, Stephen Gary |
| Contributors | Greenway, Adam W. |
| Source Sets | Southern Baptist Theological Seminary |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Electronic dissertation, Text |
Page generated in 0.0023 seconds