In the course of 33 years in Christian college ministry, I have heard my white co-workers say in one way or another that blacks are just not interested in spiritual things. The low numbers of black students in most groups seemed to support the conclusion. I knew George Barna already had done extensive surveys that indicated that blacks in greater percentages than Americans in general and whites in particular are responsive to spiritual things. No study, however, explained why black involvement in Christian groups on college campuses is so small given the greater spiritual interest by blacks in general.
The growing racial plurality of our country coupled with the push for multiracial groups has created more attempts to reach people of other ethnicities than any time in the past. Despite this, there still appears to be as large a divide as ever. Beverly Daniel Tatum’s question, “Why Are All the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria” is still as much a reality today as it was when she penned it in 1997.
Most youth workers I know would love to have a sizeable number of members that represent an array of different cultures. However, upon closer examination even when ministries appear to have a racial mix the group remains culturally white. The cultural lens a youth worker uses must resonate culturally with the group intended to be reached (
I surveyed 1,053 black college students spanning 174 colleges and universities across the nation. I also surveyed 29 Christian campus ministries on five campuses (University of Minnesota, University of Missouri, University of South Carolina, Duke University and the University of Rochester, NY) to determine how they attempted to attract black college students.
As I analyzed what the students and student group leaders reported, I discovered the problem was not a lack of spiritual interest, but having to hurdle the white cultural trappings that have become so intertwined with the white cultural expression of faith. Most white campus ministries count it a tremendous success to have 10 percent of the group be black, yet the survey revealed that only 4.1 percent of blacks actually preferred to compose 10 percent or less of a group’s ethnicity. In fact, 88 percent chose to be involved in a group culturally similar. The motivating desire was to find a group in which they could culturally remain themselves.
Black Leadership and Intentionality
The research showed that there are growing percentages of blacks who are willing to join groups (even though they may be a minority within the group) if some of the leadership is culturally black. Not only do they identify with the leader but having black leadership visibly up front signals to the prospective member that this is a culturally safe place. Black leadership is significant even when they don’t attempt to be intentional to reach black students because they naturally draw on their cultural understanding in ministry strategy decisions.
Unknowingly they attract black students by doing what comes natural culturally. The survey filled out by a leader from a student group at Duke University wrote that they are “not doing anything special to reach ethnic students,” but the leader said, “evidently the programs are more attractive to people who are Asian.” The group was 85 percent Asian, reflecting the culture of its leadership. What they did seemed so natural that they didn’t see it as being intentional. The same reality is for almost all campus groups led by white youth workers. If they are not intentional about reaching other specific cultures, they by default will be intentional about reaching the dominant-cultured (white) people.
It should be noted that black leadership ceases to be a significant factor if the leader is not culturally comfortable and fluent within black culture. There are an increasing number of black leaders who have not been raised in a black environment and/or equipped to do ministry in that context. To expect those leaders just because they are black to attract black people is unrealistic.
The Need for Black Contextualized Ministries
The importance of providing ministry environments that are culturally safe was reflected by an African-American student after she had visited numerous Christian groups at the University of Minnesota. Searching for a group, she came across the “Impact Movement” (a black culturally contextualized ministry) and said, “I finally found a Christian group where I didn’t need to check my culture at the door.” The research validated the significant need for the existence of black contextualized ministries like the Impact Movement (one of few national ministries) that minister solely in the black student community on campuses across the nation.
Few campus ministry groups offer a black contextualized environment in which their culture is the pre-dominant culture of orientation in worship, ministry strategies and organizational structure. Yet, the majority of black students prefer such an environment. Many black students may opt not to be involved in a campus ministry simply because of the cultural hurdles and not because they lack interest in spiritual things. If there is not a predominantly black Christian group on campus, a student will need to leave the convenient campus surroundings and hunt for a local black church. Transportation, convenience and age similarity are just a few obstacles black students face that white students typically do not. White students more often have a plethora of campus group options. White students are in the racial majority with their options, even when choosing multiracial groups. The lack of black contextualized ministries on campus may create enough cultural barriers that hinder many black students from being involved in Christian groups who otherwise might choose to be involved.
How White Fellowships Might Attract Blacks
Unless a ministry changes its leadership’s cultural approach there will not be change in attracting members of another culture. Three possible ways for predominantly white groups to increase black involvement is to provide (1) black cultural entry points into the group. This may take the form of predominantly black Bible studies or fellowships that will have connection with the larger group; (2) launch a sister ministry (black focused); (3) partner with existing churches or groups that are predominantly black. This type of partnership helps to keep the fellowship from being in-grown and to enhance the appreciation of another culture.
I have come to realize that when ministries begin to form partnerships that are meeting real needs that cross racial lines then unity in the body of Christ is experienced. People will stop and take notice when a mono- or multiracial group reaches out to meet real needs within the black community without expectation to join groups or publicly promote their racial reconciliation efforts. Genuine partnerships occur when real problems are tackled and real needs are met.
The survey revealed that social justice and community service projects were attractive to people in the black community. Outreaches in these venues would communicate that the group values reaching outside of its pre-dominant culture. Such experiences prove immeasurable for whites as they enter partnerships as learners. The group will only benefit and become more welcoming and knowledgeable as they partner with those from other cultural perspectives. Although my research study focused in the black student community, the principles are equally relevant for ministry to any non-white ethnic community.
God has so constructed the world that life cannot be lived independently from either Himself or from one another. We need each other to make a difference in our world for the glory of God and the expansion of His kingdom. We need each other because each cultural expression is its own reflection of the redemptive power of Jesus Christ. To the degree we lack one cultural expression; we lack a complete picture of our marvelous, unfathomable and majestic creator God. May God increase our knowledge of the breadth, length, height and depth of His great love for every person and every cultural expression of faith in Him!
