The Christian Post reports that the ELCA is trying to reach out to non-whites and youth, perceiving racism in its mostly white, older population.

“Largely white congregations in a largely white church are simply unwilling to confront the realities of how we will be changed by virtue of the presence of persons of color in our midst,” (ELCA Bishop Mark) Hanson said.

“If you (people of color) choose to stay, we expect you to become increasingly like us,” he added. “That’s not a biblical view of transformation.”

I do not wish to heap scorn on Bishop Hanson and his white guilt. It is more important to emphasize that the Christian Church is not racist (Matthew 28:19-20, Galatians 3:28). If there is racism, it has to come from the departure from the Word.

A large common population doesn’t necessarily mean racism, either. You may look at your statistics and find disparity, but God will not hold you accountable for failing to evangelize equal percentages of people in church as there are in the community.

A church body need not be socially liberal to be open to people of different races. The most conservative Anglicans happen to be African. Penial Lutheran Mission (LCMS) in central Ohio is Ethiopian.

We do want people to transform when they join the church. We want them to change from unrepentant sinners bound for Hell to baptized Christians in the Word. That is the Biblical view of transformation. We do want people to become like us in that manner.

The one holy, Christian (catholic), and apostolic Church is counter-cultural. Scripture does not transform itself. The means of grace do not change. If a church body needs to transform, it needs to transform back towards the truth, as uncomfortable as that may be to the members of that church body. Deliver Word (all of it) and Sacraments to everyone, and let the Holy Spirit determine how many blacks, whites, etc., are converted.

Credit the bishop for recognizing that racism is bad. The remedy will be most interesting.