The Is A Small Black Traditional Ame Church On A Poor Community With A Population Of 2231 People

I chose to do my religious ethnographic study at my home church, Tabernacle Baptist Church in Youngstown, Ohio on Sunday, May 8, 2016. Tabernacle is an 112-year-old historic Black Baptist church located on the lower Northside of Youngstown surrounded by a mixed income housing development, homeless shelter, Youngstown State University, and St. Elizabeth’s Hospital. I would say the average age of a Tabernacle member is 55 years old. About 70% of the members at this church are “middle-class” families. Until about five years ago, its membership was almost exclusively middle class. There has seen an influx of membership in working class individuals and students since the arrival of Tabernacle’s young, vibrant pastor, Rev. Christopher McKee, Jr., three years ago. The church is attentive to the needs of this demographic but remains true to its historic Black Baptist church roots. The church previously struggled with this conundrum until it came to the reality that an exclusivist mindset around worship is detrimental to the body of Christ when it did not have a pastor for over three years. The church was dying because no one was welcome to it and it did not have a leader. Though it was difficult, this reassessment was beneficial in making Tabernacle more relevant and welcoming to the community it is blessed to serve.

The authors point out a huge problem that is alive and well in the church. Due to personal preferences, the church has separated itself from one another. Not only are different cultures separate but the age differences within the church are separated amongst themselves. The leaders of worship within the church whether they are pastors or worship band leaders must not

From the beginning of times, music has played an important role in everyone’s life. At first, it started with drum-based and percussion instruments made out of what was available as rocks and sticks. Our ancestors proved that human beings have an innate need of music. Nowadays, no one teaches a baby to follow the beat of a song, he just naturally lets his body get involved with the rhythm. Since the prehistoric era to Christian times, several forms of music have developed leaving a trail to new genres of music. For Christianity, hymns and plainchants were the first forms of music considered as a worship to God. As time passed by, Christian music has evolved giving way to new and fresh sounds.

Yet; now, some argue the institution, whether without walls, storefront, or mega church, has become ambiguous in its purpose. Various people question the relevancy of the church and its current contributions to a contemporary community where poverty remains high, homelessness continues to grow, ignorance persists, and educational pursuits are problematic. Some even suggest ill-moral behavior is rampant. While others, even suggest the church only serves as a tool to put money in a few manipulative peoples' pockets.

All around the world people have different clubs, groups and different organizations that there a part of that can make them who they are. The subculture that I decided to write about is Christianity. The main focus of this ethnography is to show people what Christianity is and to learn about the culture. Some characteristics of Christianity are faithfulness, kind, peace, honest, generous and loving. On Sunday March 6, 2016 I had the pleasure of interviewing someone from New Spirit Revival church she doesn’t have a role or position because she just joined a month ago, but she was thinking about joining choir, besides going to church every Sunday she has a husband and one child and she’s also a kindergarten teacher at Oliver hazard Perry elementary

Community Church has been in existence for roughly 28 years and in that time, has grown very rapidly. While starting out with around 120 original members, Community Church now averages a weekend attendance of 3,000 over all the services and campuses in the Hampton Roads area. Community Church’s membership spans from infants to the retirees, with most of our members being young, growing families. There is something for everyone and a place to fit for all ages. Further, Community Church has 10 cores values such as: pray first, speak life, live fully alive, proclaim and become the Good News, and love God-love people, just to name the few. Our core values drive the mission and vision of our church and is the foundation of everything we

St. Timothy’s, like St. Christopher’s, was an aging and dwindling numerically parish that celebrated the Eucharist only bi-weekly and worshiped in Elizabethan English once a month. Many of the elderly parishioners had met me before because of my many previous visits to the parish, at the request of Reverend Fran, to introduce new music. They genuinely liked the new hymns I had taught them, but on Sunday mornings they were still stubbornly clinging to the same old Elizabethan metrical styles they had been singing for decades to pipe organ accompaniment.

This generation is the most relational generation yet. They strive for relationships. Rainer stated that, “Nearly nine out of ten (88 percent) told us that their parents had a positive influence on them” (pg. 18). Not only are they relational, they are learners. It was stated that this generation is the most educated generation yet with a desire for knowledge. One staggering theme that we will discuss later is the fact that this generation is looking less to religion. “The shocking reality for us is that only thirteen percent of the Millennials considered any type of spirituality to be important in their lives” (pg. 21). This must change and the church has the opportunity to do something about it.

The children are important parts of our congregations. And even though they are cared for through our budgets, there is much more to their hearts and hands can transform. Jerome Barryman struggles through generations of theologians to detail what the church’s approach could be as reflected in the history of Christianity’s greatest minds. Is it any wonder then that children continue to disengage from church life as they grow older? As with the Black Liberation Theology, the White church has prescribed their cures. As the children’s voices need to be heard in this generation, perhaps we should look to them to teach us their theology. Barth believed that children are “…apprentices entrusted to adults, who as elders in the church should lead children as God leads them.” Another theologian, Joyce Ann Mercer, believes that when children are thought about as “doers of the Word” instead of receivers of knowledge and as passive learners” they become central to the ministry, worship, and theology of the

It was the first time that I felt God’s presence at an annual conference. As odd as it may sound, it is true. Bishop Chow tipped off the conference with an open dialogue about the state of the church. Of course I debated with the young man next to me that it was our inability to attract and keep youth. I argued that our traditional structure has built a fence too high for millennials and screenagers (Generation Z) to climb; making them feel boxed in and unwelcomed. But Bishop Chow quickly proved us wrong. His diagnosis was that the Holy Spirit had left the church. Because we’ve become so entangled with who we are, the Holy Spirit cannot move within the church. He asserted that new programs and initiatives cannot fix a dead church; that we must loosen the chains that we’ve given ourselves so that we can fully praise God. Only then, will his people draw near. I could feel God move amidst the hearts of the conference.

But, sometimes somebody comes along and says, “I know the Lord didn’t put instrumental music in the church, but it sounds so good, I think it should be there.” So, they put it in the church.

Grand Rapids first is an Assemblies of God church. As a result, its theology is closely related to that of the pentecostal denomination. Also, the worshippers varied from toddlers to the elderly. Because of this context, worship was very diverse. The worship team sang songs that were familiar to both the youth and to the elderly. Also, the words of the songs were projected on a screen for people who were not conversant with the songs. Additionally, Pastor Sam preached in a way that was applicable to both the old and young. During his preaching, he gave quality examples that resonated with everyone’s life, no matter the age difference.

The Bible informs us that as they sung and praised God the Moabite armies became disoriented and began to fight one another. Perhaps this is why we schedule the choirs and praise teams to minister before the preached Word. Singing spiritual hymns to God will soften the hearts and prepare our minds for what God has to say to us. Once our hearts are “plowed” or softened we can receive with joy the assignments or correction God will give to us.

Over the years, the government of the American people has subtly and gradually seized control of the responsibilities and roles of the American family and the Christian church. Both families and the church are being completely taken over by the government as time passes by. Now the people of America are counting on the government, not their family and the church as it used to be.

While the goal of Christian education and discipleship is spiritual formation of the new believer into a true disciple who makes other true disciples, this concept has been watered down in the American church today by emphasis on programs instead of progressive spiritual growth in every member’s life. There are many