Читать книгу The Craft of Innovative Theology. Argument and Process онлайн

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(See Box 3.10.) Its change of tone also was reflected in 2012 when the SBC elected its first African American convention president, the Rev. Fred Luter, Jr. of New Orleans. It was not something the Rev. Luter sought, but he believed that it was God’s will that he become president to assist the SBC’s efforts to become more diverse.51 It also must be noted that at the time it elected the Rev. Luter, the convention faced a decline in overall membership.52 This move toward more diversity came as the SBC grappled with a 2010 baptism rate that was down 5% from 2009 and a 0.15% drop in membership – the fourth consecutive year of decline.53 The work toward a more ethnically diverse SBC may have begun in earnest with the election of the Rev. Luter, but the work to evince trust with oppressed groups has been difficult. As a part of its work thus far, it has opened its congregations and has planted churches in African American and Hispanic communities.

Box 3.10

The author has sketched some of the understandable suspicion surrounding the apology among African American Christians. So here the author highlights the decision of the convention to elect its first African American president. However, she links this decision with the data around the decline of membership. She invites the reader to wonder if the passion for inclusion is mainly driven by declining attendance.

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