tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22980286.post5564428692938230705..comments2024-03-28T10:26:20.408-04:00Comments on Ponderings on a Faith Journey: How Diverse Can a Church Be and Stay Together?Robert Cornwallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04581876323110725024noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22980286.post-85660557389100559292010-06-11T18:35:29.281-04:002010-06-11T18:35:29.281-04:00Bob,
We have a certain amount of diversity around...Bob,<br /><br />We have a certain amount of diversity around the issue of how we read the Bible. We have a fair number of folks who have come into our community from more evangelical experiences where it didn't work for them anymore. But they still read the Bible in a more conservative way than I do. What I say frequently in messages is "this is what I believe" and we encourage you to think for yourself. So we have some interesting conversations around this issue. However, our diversity tends to run the other way too with folks who are not Christian but like our community so it has been my experience that there are limits to how conservative or traditional someone might be theologically and feel comfortable in our community.<br /><br />BTW most of our racial diversity, current and past, is mixed race relationships. Which is another dynamic all together.liberal pastorhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11957506289805625578noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22980286.post-4379346753113010752010-06-11T14:51:04.562-04:002010-06-11T14:51:04.562-04:00LP -- this is the question I wrestle with -- to ha...LP -- this is the question I wrestle with -- to have ethnic diversity or socio-ethnic diversity must there be narrower parameters elsewhere.<br /><br />On your non-negotiables, what happens if someone comes into the community who, for instance, reads the bible fairly literally or at least takes it pretty much at face value? <br /><br />In our own congregation, we have some variety from right to left. We'd like more diversity ethnically, but that just hasn't happened.Robert Cornwallhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04581876323110725024noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22980286.post-14953953424339888362010-06-11T09:37:55.667-04:002010-06-11T09:37:55.667-04:00I posted a response to James' question on my b...I posted a response to James' question on my blog which essentially notes, in reference at least to your reply, that the liberal church I pastor is mostly but not totally monochrome but is fairly diverse in other ways.<br /><br />I would say that while we are not doctrinal in the traditional sense of the word there are some "non-negotiables" that function in the manner of doctrine. We do not read the Bible literally, we are glbt friendly, we do not teach or believe that Jesus is the only way, etc.<br /><br />I wish there more ethnic and racial diversity in my congregation. But would I be willing to 'water down' our liberal doctrine if that is what it takes to be less monochrome? Is that what it takes to be more racially and ethnically diverse?liberal pastorhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11957506289805625578noreply@blogger.com