Segregation/Desegregation

The African Methodist Episcopal Church (or the AME) was founded by Rev. Richard Allen in 1816. Racial segregation and slavery were still very much part of everyday American life and the AME provided black congregations independence from white Methodists and allowed them to freely worship God. Segregated churches were a source of empowerment for black communities- they were able to choose how they worshipped God, they were able to express themselves without being treated as a lower class of human and they were able to form a comforting and supportive community.

As time has gone by, churches in America have remained segregated for the most part. These segregated churches played a huge role in the fight for civil rights. The strong communities formed by these churches were better able to organise themselves and the church provided the spiritual strength needed to continue fighting for what was fair and right.

America is now, theoretically, a desegregated society, yet these segregated churches remain.- ‘in 2010, 12.5% of Protestant churches and 27% of other Christian churches (Catholic/Orthodox) were multiracial,’ with multiracial churches being those where where 20 percent of members were of different racial groups from that congregation's majority race. (http://hirr.hartsem.edu/research/fastfacts/fast_facts.html) This isn’t necessarily because of racism- those who have grown up as Christians tend to develop a preference for the style and culture of the church they grew up in. These days, whilst some will still prefer not to be part of a multi racial congregation, I suspect many choose their church because it’s what they’re used to and what they like. Also, churches located in predominantly black or white areas are more likely to be segregated as people tend to attend churches that are local to them.

There will be those, however, who feel uncomfortable in a service where they are the only white person or the only black person and, according to Kevin Dougherty, ‘"People choose churches where they feel comfortable. Maybe they get challenges there, but they're going for the comfort." Churches still face the challenge of how to make themselves more open and welcoming to those of other races, economical backgrounds, ages, etc. This is not an easy problem to solve.

Congregations in America are, however, becoming more multiracial- studies have ‘found the number of multiracial faith communities has nearly doubled in the past decade.’ (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/scott-thumma-phd/racial-diversity-increasing-in-us-congregations_b_2944470.html) Churches are slowly desegregating, but whether this is a good thing or not still divides public opinion. Rev. Mark Whitlock argues ‘integration should be happening at every church, because he says most of the issues that blacks, whites and everyone else struggle with are the same’. Michael Reel, however, believes ‘the black church is our best institution… It's ours -- it's the one last place in the world that we can call our own’. (http://edition.cnn.com/2010/LIVING/10/18/bia.church.integration/index.html?hpt=C1)