Ashland Theological Seminary a Project to Discover Reasons for Pastoral and Parishioner Conflict a Dissertation Submitted to T

ASHLAND THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY

A PROJECT TO DISCOVER REASONS FOR PASTORAL AND PARISHIONER CONFLICT

A DISSERTATION SUBMITTED TO THE FACULTY OF ASHLAND THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY IN CANDIDACY FOR THE DEGREE OF DOCTOR OF MINISTRY

BY RODERICK C. POUNDS, SR.

ASHLAND, OHIO AUGUST 6, 2020

DEDICATION

To my mother, Dorothy Mae Hairston-Crockett

To my wife, Deborah B. Pounds

To my siblings, Deborah M. Pounds, Dorothy Michelle Pounds, and Robert C. Pounds, Jr.

To my children, Roderick C. Pounds, Jr., Shannon T. Pounds, Ryan Clay Pounds and Johnny T. Bumphus

To my pastorates, United Baptist Church, The Refuge Baptist Church, Inc., The Tabernacle of Glory Baptist Church, Inc., and The Second Baptist Church of Akron, Inc.

To my siblings in the Lord, Dave and Beulah McDay, Laureathia Taylor and Gloria Glenn

To my first and most committed Deacon Chairman, Wise Moore, Jr.

To my Uncle, Marvin C. Hairston

To my best friend, Rev. Anthony Wayne Bridges

EPIGRAPH

If the Preacher does not preach through the storm, what options are then left?

Precisely none. There are times, admittedly, when the preacher will want to do anything but preach. There will be those moments of such spiritual barrenness and drought, those endless Saturday nights when the preacher can find nothing to say, much less the will to say it . . . Yet, this is precisely the moment, if one will make oneself available, that God can use both the preacher and the people to

His purposes. In every sermon there is therapy---and there ought to be---for both pulpit and pew. There are no other options, there is no escape. The authentic preacher must preach through the storm.

--H. Beecher Hicks, Jr.

APPROVAL PAGE

Accepted by the faculty and the final demonstration examining committee of Ashland Theological Seminary, Ashland, Ohio, in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Doctor of Ministry degree.

______Academic Advisor Date

______Director of the Doctor of Ministry Program Date

ABSTRACT

This project discovered the reasons for pastoral and parishioner conflict in

Second Baptist Church, Akron, Ohio. Thirty-four participants completed a 5-point

Likert scale questionnaire that was collected and analyzed.

The data revealed that the participants indicated lack of trust, parishioners and personality differences as the main reasons for conflict between the pastor and parishioner at Second Baptist Church, Akron, Ohio.

vi CONTENTS

LIST OF TABLES………………………………………………………. viii

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS………………………………………………. Ix

CHAPTER

1. INTRODUCTION AND PROJECT OVERVIEW…...... 1

2. BIBLICAL, THEOLOGICAL, AND HISTORICAL FOUNDATIONS… 25

3. REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE……………………………… 66

4. DESIGN, PROCEDURE, AND ASSESSMENT……………… 102

5. SUMMARY OF RESULTS…………………………….……….. 111

6. SUMMARY AND REFLECTIONS……………………………… 136

APPENDIX

1. PROPOSAL……………………………………………………….. 153

2. QUESTIONNAIRE……..……………………………………………. 179

REFERENCES………………..…………………………………………… 183

vii

TABLES

Tables Page

1. Table 1- Agreement (Goal #2) 116

2. Table 2- Disagreement (Goal #2) 121

3. Table 3- Open-Ended Question Reponses (Goal #3) 126

4. Table 4- Analysis of the Variety of Reasons for Conflict (Goal #4) 127

5. Table 5- Evaluate the Study 131

viii

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

To God be the Glory who both called and equipped me to preach. The call to preach yet remains a burning desire within me. The words of the Great Apostle

Paul inform me as to my divine purpose, “How shall they hear without a preacher, and how can he preach except he be sent?” This is what I have been called to do and the Black Church is to whom I have been called. Since the age of 23 when I assumed my first pastorate, pastoring the local Black Church has been my sole vocation. I know that God called me to this work and I am presently and precisely where God commissioned me to be. I am the pastor of Second

Baptist Church, Akron, Ohio and I know that God has called me to these people for this time.

To Dr. Sonia Rice, who urged me to complete this project and held me accountable for its completion. She has modeled for me what it means to be a seminarian as I witnessed her commitment to achieving both her Master of

Divinity and Doctorate of Ministry Degrees while oftentimes facing herculean obstacles. I still hear her words, “Pounds, it's time to get busy and you’re running out of time.” She would quibble, “You need to get this done so that your mother can see you graduate.” How fortunate I was to have both her urging and most importantly, her assistance.

To my late pastor and uncle, Rev. Robert F. Hairston, Jr., who taught me everything I know about preaching and pastoring. His son and my first cousin, the Rev. Robert F. Hairston, III remains my favorite preacher. Thank you cuz, for all that you poured into me.

To Dr. William H. Myers, who inspired me to dig deeper into the word of

God. He revolutionized for me what it means to be a black Baptist preacher. He helped me to discover how God’s Word speaks to the black pastor and the Black

Church. He taught me how to think for myself and to see God through the lens of the black Christian experience. He is the single most influential religious personality in my life.

To my uncle Marvin C. Hairston, who akin as a father for me. As a child, he inspired me and instilled confidence within me. He motivated me to grow academically and impressed upon me the importance of intellectual development. His words to me still ring to this day, “Son, always prepare yourself so that God can use you”. Those words I will never forget for they capture the giant of a man of whom I consider him to be to this very day. Ironically, my Uncle

Marvin is both a source of inspiration and a source of deep emotional pain due to the pastoral and parishioner conflict we experienced.

To my mother, Dorothy Mae Crocket, who is everything to me. My mommy loves me and her love remains the driving force of my life. This project is dedicated to her because the drive to make her proud and to please her is behind the completion of this project. When I felt like giving up the thought of her witnessing my commencement compelled me to finish.

Finally, to my wife Deborah B. Pounds, who was the most persistent reminder that I must finish this project. She, like no other, held me accountable as a pastor, husband and student to be a good steward of my time in seminary.

At times when I became lackadaisical and lethargic, she would urge me as well

x as afford me the space to complete this work. I also dedicate this work to her for it could not have been completed apart from her love and support.

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION AND PROJECT OVERVIEW

I know that I am a black Baptist preacher called to the black Baptist church. With regards to my family legacy, I come from a rich line of black Baptist pastors. It is all I have ever wanted to do. After accepting my call at the tender age of eighteen years old, preaching and pastoring is all I have ever done. My grandfather, the Reverend Robert F. Hairston Sr., and my grandmother, Arizona

Hairston, once sat me down in their home and remarked, “Your grandfather’s mantle has fallen on you”. I can recall, from that evening’s chat with my grandparents, how much I cried afterwards. My thoughts regarding my calling are recorded in a book by William H. Myers (1992) entitled: The Irresistible Urge to

Preach: A Collection of African American Call Stories. I remember so vividly and wrote these words regarding my call to ministry:

So that night I just went to bed with those thoughts over and over going over in my mind, and certainly I became flustered and I was in tears. I was profusely crying and smiling at the same time. I immediately began to just pray because I was just so uncomfortable, and I felt so awkward and a little frightened. I couldn’t shake myself from the impulses inside. I just--I was moved. The burden that got placed on my heart revealed the truth. I had not really known my Bible then. I had been in church all of my life. I come from a rich tradition in preaching in my family. My grandfather, uncles and a long line of Hairstons. This is the family that I come from, which is pretty popular nationally. I knew that that’s what I was to do in life is to preach. I also recognized that a part of my fright and anxiety---I realized how limited I was, academically and educationally just in terms of interpreting God’s word. And I felt fear and trepidation from that perspective. But I know this is what I was called to do and therefore I just left school. (Pounds 1992, 287)

How could such a mantle fall on me? After all, through my adolescent eyes, my grandfather was larger than life.

Years later, my uncle, the Reverend Robert F. Hairston Jr. would remark that I had “been chosen to continue the family legacy” as Pastor of the Refuge

Baptist Church in Columbus, Ohio, founded in 1911 by my grandfather. In 1993, during the beginning of my 11th year as Pastor of United Baptist Church in

Akron, Ohio, my maternal uncle, Marvin C. Hairston traveled from Columbus,

Ohio with a portrait of my grandparents in hand. We met that evening in my church office with the intent to convince me of the need to return home to Co-

Pastor with his brother, who was aged and ailing and unable to energetically fulfill his pastoral duties. For me, it was an offer I could not turn down as it represented the chance to step into both my uncle and grandfather’s footsteps. Ironically, it would be my tenure at my home church, founded by my Grandfather in 1919, that I would experience for the first time the utter dread that can result from pastoral and parishioner conflict. It was during my era as pastor of my home church, that I experienced how devastatingly ugly and emotionally wounding pastoral and parishioner conflict in the black Baptist church can be. The conflict was so intense that it resulted in an incident I will never forget. The altercation occurred one early Monday morning, the day after I had been officially installed as Pastor. In a fit of rage my blood uncle of whom we share the same middle name frustratingly hoisted a chair at me with the intent to do me bodily harm.

In a recent phone interview with Reverend Anthony Wayne Bridges, a dear friend, who remarked of that grim day. Bridges recalled witnessing a

2 physical altercation between the pastor and his biological uncle, who happened to be the Chairman of the Administrative Board, my mother's younger brother and my biological uncle, Marvin C. Hairston. Ironically, he was the person that convinced me to assume the pastorate in the first place. Regretfully, my wonderful mother, Dorothy M. Hairston-Crockett was also present at the climax of this altercation. I can still see the look on my mother’s face as she was forced to stand on guard as her son who was also her pastor was physically assaulted by her brother who was also her church Board Chairman. My mother told me some years later that it would be years for her relationship with her brother to ever be the same. Of that awful day Bridges grimly reflects, “I remember receiving a call that the pastor and the Chairman of the Administrative board were physically fighting at the church. I recall the Chairman picking up a chair while the pastor defended himself. I felt total shock and disbelief that the

Chairman would do this to the Pastor, which is his own nephew. I never felt the same after that and I lost respect for that church leader and am angry to this day”

(Bridges 2020). Reverend Bridges recollection is significant and intersects this project in a meaningful way because I was the pastor who was embroiled in the conflict. Bridges' recollection gives witness to the deep hurt and emotional scarring that is etched within me to this very day. It is also necessary to mention my conversation with Bridges, because it captured my passion and desire to discover the reasons for pastoral and parishioner conflict in the local Black

Church, especially since I am a wounded victim of the same. Sadly, my rapport

3 with my uncle who was more than a father to me remains irreparable and unamended.

The purpose of my project is to discover the reasons for conflict between pastor and parishioners at Second Baptist Church Akron, Ohio. Presently, I am in my 13th year as pastor of Second Baptist Church and I am entering into my 39th year of pastoral ministry. The pastor preceding my tenure had experienced pastoral and parishioner conflict in the same congregation which resulted in his ouster in 2005. Subsequently, I have experienced numerous conflicts within the church ranging from issues regarding communication failures, changes to traditional worship liturgy, lack of spiritual formation, personality clashes, lack of trust and pastoral leadership style complaints.

This discovery is quite significant for me seeing that the Black Church is a congregationally led organization. In other words, congregations are afforded meaningful power, generally by a one man-one vote majority rule church voting policy. The black Baptist Churches have the voting right to extend or expel pastoral placement or displacement. It is interesting and conflicting for me that the Black Church congregation can be both blamed for and resolve pastoral and parishioner conflict. It seems to be a contradiction when any single party can resolve a conflict, especially when they themselves bear the blame for starting the conflict in the first place. When pastoral and parishioner conflicts are left unresolved, it may result in the creation of emotional baggage for its pastors and members that may militate against the Black Church’s mission and purpose.

Purpose Statement and Research Question

The purpose of my project is to discover the reasons for conflict between pastor and parishioners at Second Baptist Church, Akron, Ohio. Through various survey questions, interviews and court documents, my research seeks to answer the question: Why does pastoral and parishioner conflict occur at Second Baptist

Church in Akron, Ohio?

Overview

Second Baptist Church is the city of Akron’s second oldest black congregation, founded in 1892. She has enjoyed significant high status, especially among the black community. She was known for her social justice ministry. She was also known to be a church where many of her members have achieved a higher academic and socio-economic class status than most local black citizens. It is not uncommon to have medical doctors, dentists, teachers, principals and politicians as a significant part of her membership. Unfortunately, coupled with her celebrated community significance is a multi-decade history of pastoral and parishioner conflict.

It is widely understood that the Black Church has assumed an essential institutional import among the black community. She is an enduring institution and the chief among all institutions within the community. Lincoln and Mamiya

(1990) in their book, The Black Church in the African American Experience argues, “The assumption that Black Churches constituted the central institutional sector in black communities is common in the American understanding of the black subculture. Reliable investigators have consistently underscored the fact

5 that Black Churches were one of the few stable and coherent institutions to emerge from slavery” (Lincoln and Mamiya 1990, 7). To the present, the Black

Church has remained a very important and powerful institution in the whole of black American life.

She has not been without controversy and schism. Conflicts occur within her own congregations, as well as from her struggle to be uniquely legitimated against the backdrop of the dominant white American religious experience.

Warnock (2014), in his book: The Divided Mind of the Black Church: Theology,

Piety & Public Witness discusses the Black Churches’ internal dilemma.

Accordingly, he describes this internal conflict as spanning across many historical moments. He categorically chronicles those moments as beginning with the nascent formation of a liberationist faith moment, the founding of a liberationist independent Black Church moment, church led civil rights movements, to a final moment that ushered in the development and embrace of a self-conscious black theology of its own.

Division within herself over her own theological identity has resulted in denominational formations and conflicts that have been argued out in church regional conventions and the like. This has led to the formation of 7 major denominations: “The African Methodist Episcopal (A.M.E.) Church; the African

Methodist Episcopal Zion (A.M.E.Z.) Church; the Christian Methodist Episcopal

(C.M.E.) Church; the National Baptist Convention, U.S.A., Incorporated (NBC); the National Baptist of America, unincorporated (NBCA); the Progressive

National Baptist Convention (PNBC); and the Church of God in Christ (COGIC).”

(Lincoln and Mamiya 1990, 1). These 7 groups represent the outgrowth of the tension within the mind of the Black Church, as they each were formed out of differing theological and practical beliefs.

Ironically, these are the same groups whose worship practices, biblical theology and ecclesiastical praxis have led to much conflict within the Black

Church. There are too many Black Churches belonging to the broader denominations that have witnessed at some point in their local histories some internal conflict between its pastors and parishioners. It is my earnest ambition throughout this project to discover some of the reasons as to why these conflicts persist. It is my hope that through the discovery process, congregations can understand and pinpoint why tension persists and what can be done to mend the wounds of division and move toward reconciliation and unity.

To assist me in discovering some of the reasons for pastoral and parishioner conflict in Second Baptist Church Akron, Ohio, I analyzed the responses of 31 questionnaire participants. Each of the participants either directly or indirectly experienced pastoral and parishioner conflict at Second

Baptist Church of Akron.

Foundations

I have been gainfully employed in the local Black Church for the majority of my vocational career, presently totaling 39 years. I began my pastoral career in the city of Akron with United Baptist Church at the age of 23 years old.

Admittingly, I owe nearly all I have earned with regards to personal financial asset worth and academic accomplishment, to the four Black Baptist churches I

7 have pastored. The Black Church has provided the material livelihood from which

I have raised my family. Though I am totally indebted to the Black Church for everything I own and for providing me a sense of personal value and import, my experiences with the church have included many challenges. The Black Church has afforded me my greatest joy and my greatest sorrow. However, pastoral and parishioner conflict have wounded me deeply and have etched a family division whose chasm spans today. I not only want to discover the reasons for such conflict, I also need this discovery for my own personal healing.

Biblical Foundation

And we beseech you, brethren, to know them which labour among you, and are over you in the Lord, and admonish you; And to esteem them very highly in love for their work’s sake. And be a peace among yourselves. Now we exhort you, brethren, warn them that are unruly, comfort the feebleminded, support the weak, be patient toward all men. See that none render evil for evil unto any man; but ever follow that which is good, both among yourselves, and to all men. (1 Thessalonians 5:12-15, KJV)

The biblical foundation for my project is grounded in 1 Thessalonians 5:12-15. I will investigate this text from both traditional and non-traditional perspectives. It is my intention to place these perspectives in dialogue with one another in an effort to provide interpretive summations. I have attempted to show how those summations intersect with my project.

Traditional interpretive perspectives were consulted, and commentary references are provided from F. F. Bruce in Word Biblical Commentary, Robert L.

Thomas in The Expositor’s Bible Commentary and Gilbrant (T.) and Gilbrant (T.I) in The Complete Biblical Library: Study Bible, Galatians-Philemon. These traditional sources will be placed in dialogue with various non-traditional sources

8 including Khiok-khng in the Global Commentary and Cain Hope Felder in True to our Native Land: An African American New Testament Commentary.

From the traditional perspective Bruce (1982) accentuates the leader’s responsibility in maintaining order and squelching conflict. He bases his one- sided emphasis on the leader’s responsibility to maintain peace as required due to the special entitlement afforded him/her from amongst the laity. He says nothing about the leader being at fault in the conflict and presumes that the leader could not be the cause for the tension. He explains, “It will make for the effective life and witness of the church and for peaceful relations among its members if its leaders are recognized and honored and their directions followed”

(Bruce 1982, 120). He goes on to argue that the leaders have been endowed with special administrative gifts and abilities to handle such tensions.

The Gilbrants (1986) also see the leader as bearing the greater responsibility of maintaining order in the midst of conflict. However, they do not absolve the laity of their role in the conflict as well as their responsibility in facilitating a peaceful resolve. The Gilbrants also argue that the presence of the

Holy Spirit is required within both leaders and laity as necessarily contributing and participating in conflict management. They contend that all Christians (laity and leadership) have “a responsibility to warn the unruly including the idle or lazy

… Believers (all) must help the unruly to see they are going in the wrong direction and show them how to get back on the right path” (Gilbrants 1986, 335).

The Gilbrants further postulate that Paul in 1 Thessalonians 5:14 which states,

“Now we exhort you brethren: warn them that are unruly, comfort the

9 feebleminded, support the weak, be patient toward all men” (KJV) is similarly repeated in Galatians 6:1, “Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted” (Galatians 6:1 KJV). The Gilbrants’ view of the work of the Holy Spirit in conflict management is unique to their observation of this text.

Bruce and Thomas do not include the role of the Holy Spirit in their analysis.

The Gilbrants, Bruce and Thomas alike required the leaders themselves to be the individuals who must bear the brunt of the responsibility to engage conflict and work towards peace, even if such work is deemed ardent and difficult. For

Thomas, the leader must admonishingly address the conflict and possess the courage to do so, with vehemence and a sense of urgency. It is clear for Thomas

(1978) that the ones to whom this charge is given are those belonging to an exclusive leadership body. He remarks, “The group whose functions are thus described quite probably correspond to the elders (presbyteroi) and overseers

(episopoi), whose qualifications are described in more detail later in the pastoral

Epistles” (Thomas 1978, 288). Pastors must have the appropriate emotional, spiritual and psychological fortitude that is required when engaged in the hard work of urging those embroiled in conflict.

A non-traditional interpretation is provided by Khiok-khng (2004) who interprets the passage from a socio-economic viewpoint. He encourages the lower class to which he has positioned the entire Thessalonian congregation, including both the laity and leadership, to come together in unity as a non-violent expression of hope and protest aimed toward the outside dominant culture. In

10 many ways, Khiok-khng’s summation intersects this project because it speaks to issues of oppression and social class order. This type of analysis is clearly relative as it speaks to issues of race and class which should be included in any discussion pertaining to the Black Church experience in white America.

Felder (2007) continues this fresh approach to understanding the

Thessalonian passage in a non-traditional perspective. Felder argues that the congregation has a lack of respect for its leaders. Contrary to Bruce and others,

Felder asserts that Paul sees community tension among the ranks of believers.

These lower ranking congregants fail to understand (eidenai) and appreciate the work of those in leadership positions. His perspective opens up the discussion to include, for the first time, the possibility that the congregation could be at fault and may be blameworthy with regards to pastoral and parishioner conflict.

Theological Foundation

The theological foundation for my project is grounded in a black theology of liberation and a theology of pastoral care in the Black Church tradition. It is necessary to fuse these two distinct theological perspectives together as they are intertwined in the preachments and practice throughout the history of the Black

Church in America. Black liberation theology, in particular, and liberationists preaching, in general, have fueled Black Church praxis over the years; while simultaneously creating tension and conflict within those very same congregations where it is espoused and adhered.

The majority of contemporary Black Churches are out of touch with black liberation theology. This chasm can create conflict for the black pastor who

11 attempts to confront social injustices as a primary aim for local church practice.

Black liberation theology is primarily an academic discipline. As such, it is, for the most part, foreign to the Black Church. Harris (1991) notes this chasm and suggests that, “Theology is both an academic discipline and a practical responsibility of the church. In its pure seminary form, it is generally foreign to the church. After completing theology school, young ministers have to struggle to make their newfound knowledge relevant to churchgoers” (Harris 1991, 56). This disconnect with regards to relevancy between black theology and Black Church practice becomes apparent when social ills such as crime, drugs, mass incarceration, health care disparities and a host of other black urbanite concerns are not addressed. Harris accurately articulates this conflict and remarks,

This does not mean that these questions, debated by philosophers and theologians, are unimportant. However, persons in the church, struggling to practice Christian faith, are interested in what God has done and can do to help them with their particular concerns and problems. These problems are often related to sickness, hunger, death, family, housing, crime, and education. Black Churchgoers expect the preacher to have the knowledge and faith to assure them of God’s power, not to question or doubt it. (Harris, 1991, 56)

This issue is convincingly one of the many nascent foundational conflicts that may spawn a host of additional reasons for pastoral and parishioner conflict within the Black Church.

Baker (1983) also addresses this complication for the black pastor when he/or she is postulated as a healer, prophet, priest, teacher and servant to the black community. All of these roles are embodied in an exalted, yet singular personality. It is clearly difficult for the black pastor to navigate betwixt and between so many roles and responsibilities. Yet, Baker expounds that “the black

12 pastor is called upon to be all things to all his people at all times. There are even times when it seems that he is to be more and do more than even the Good

Shepherd” (Baker 1983, 16). This expectation that has been hoisted upon the black pastor is historically rooted in the black community and church.

Unfortunately, for many black pastors they have overwhelmingly embraced this celebrated and exalted role and infused it into their own personal identity. Conflict emerges when the individual personality identity of the black pastor, along with the power and influence it inherently wields, is met by congregational resistance and/or apathy.

Accordingly, Baker argues that, “In most black communities if the local pastors are not united in dealing with specific issues, usually not much is being done. The depth of how involved the community believes the black pastor ought to be can be seen in the criticism and attacks that are thrown at the black pastor for not addressing himself to particular issues” (Baker 1983, 17). Congregational and community frustration emerges when the community believes the black pastor is not doing enough to address matters of injustice; or as in the case of those congregations who reject black theological liberative preaching, he or she is placing too much of an emphasis upon social justice concerns. Either way, pastor and parishioner conflict is probable as the black pastor may be damned if he does and damned if he does not.

The black pastor must replicate a model of ministry for his congregants that is holistic and aimed at meeting the needs of the entire community. On the other hand, the church community must also sense the importance of social

13 justice ministry in light of the centuries long struggle of the black community with the oppressive and systemic forces concomitant with white American oppressive ideology. Both pastor and church must work with the body, mind, soul, will, emotion and interest of an oppressed people. This is the task of the Black

Church and the black pastor. The Black Church cannot afford to be dichotomized between the needs of the people and the ministry purpose of the church. Such dichotomization is a recipe for conflict as Baker dangerously warns, “He (black pastor) cannot afford to dichotomize his people or their needs” (Baker 1983,

119).

Moreover, tensions and church battles may erupt between the pastor and parishioner particularly when the theology of a given local church is rooted in a pastoral care tradition that has been especially confronted by a black liberationist homily. In other words, it is possible that black liberationist pulpit preaching may be met with blatant congregational resistance. Ralph Warnock (2014), Paula

McGee (2017) and McMickle (2000) speak to the aforementioned potential conflict.

For Warnock, Black Churches must evaluate their own distinctive witness and history regarding church faithfulness to the work of divine liberation and social justice praxis. Warnock accuses the Black Church of wrestling with “a double consciousness”, that is, a dilemma is manifested and resides in the heart of black Christian faith. As early as the 1970s, Warnock avers,

The clergy who were involved with the early development of black theology as a public theology tended, like Wilmore, to be well-educated; most were members of white denominations, and most were active in the NCBC. But with the decline of the black power movement, as the

institutional embodiment of black theology shifted from the activist National Conference of Black Churchmen (founded 1966) to the academic Society for the Study of Black Religion (founded 1970), and with the short life span of the Black Theology Project, active clerical leadership ceased to be a significant part of the black theology movement, pastors became marginal to the dialogue, and over several years the paucity of sustained conversation between black theologians and black pastors regarding the future of the Black Church’s community has been a continuing problem. (Warnock 2014, 120)

This problem persists today within black local congregations. At the same time, the community continues to languish and display the symptoms associated with institutionalized white American systemic racism. Para social black community activists, such as the Black Lives Matter movement, function as the voice of the community; whereas the Black Church remains obviously silent. This ecclesiastical silence from the black pulpit and the frivolous ineffective ministries of most black congregations bespeak the internal pastoral and parishioner conflict that most certainly percolate throughout local Black Churches.

Paula McGee (2017) submits that the mission of the church has drastically changed. She accuses what she terms a New Black Church to have adopted a modus operandi more reflective of huge American corporations like Wal-Mart and similar others; rather than the mission of the historic Black Church. As she theologically critiqued the model of the new Black Church, she has coined the term Wal-Martization as a metaphor that describes how the new Black Church operates today. She remarks,

Wal–Martization is a fitting term for describing the capitalistic dynamics of the New Black Church reality, namely, the social construction of identities expressed in the representations of the institution, the preacher as CEO, and the parishioner as consumer. Furthermore, the branding and storytelling at each level of the New Black Church is important for understanding the social construction of identity for African American

women, especially for African American churchwomen in the twenty–first century. Ultimately, to understand the crucial differences between the New Black Church and the Black Church we first must understand how the super megachurches in the New Black Church function as institutions, and the television and conference ministries as revival style crusades. (McGee 2017, 9)

McGee’s analysis is critical to my investigation because the new and contemporary Black Church is at a crossroads and faces an identity crisis. She suggests that the new Black Church is out of touch with the real needs of the black community and its yearning for true liberation.

Offering the ministry and preaching of T.D. Jakes as a case study, McGee argues that the supposed liberation presumed by prosperity preaching yields a false liberation that only impacts the individual as opposed to the community.

Prosperity theology affects individual wealth and financial freedom but falls short in facilitating community transformation. The new Black Church and its prosperity preachers like Jakes have adopted a new contemporary kind of liberation. This new liberation includes the urban poor but again fails to include the suffering of the entire community. She successfully argues that, “Although prosperity preachers like Jakes offer a contemporary form of liberation, it is at its best only a pseudo-liberation theology. It is true that they place women and the poor in the center of their discourse. However, the hope that prosperity preachers offer is only for change in the individual and is not for systemic or communal change”

(McGee 2017, 94). An additional cause for pastoral and parishioner conflict may rest with the failure of the new Black Church to speak to black community social uplift. Erecting magnificent and palatial structures for megachurch worship

16 experiences does not jibe with the decay and blight experienced in majority of black inner-city communities.

Finally, McMickle, who predates McGee by more than a decade, discusses the conflict between prosperity versus poverty within the black community. He argues that poverty for many in the black community has risen just as fast and alongside an emerging black middle class. He admits that these parallel economic indices raise questions for the Black Church and pastor to address. Accordingly, McMickle avers,

This raises difficult questions about how to do ministry. What are the spiritual needs of the middle-class people inside those churches? What has upward mobility and migration out of the inner city created for them in terms of stress, new forms of racism, and new associations and organizational ties that rival the church for people’s time and financial support? . . . What can and should be the interplay between the transient and the resident members of the community where these churches are located? (McMickle 2000, 11)

The answers to these questions present many ministry challenges for Black

Churches today and their pastors.

Furthermore, McMickle questions whether or not material prosperity is true prosperity. He draws a line of demarcation between the “good life” promoted by

American capitalism and the “abundant life” offered as a gift through Jesus Christ

(McMickle 2000, 88). Similar to McGee, McMickle sees prosperity preaching as a false liberation. The Black Church should be called to a new vision of what is truly prosperous. As the Black Church wrestles with her priorities and identity, she will resultantly be plagued by pastoral and parishioner conflict.

Historical Foundation

The Black Church in the 18th century has nascently formed an enduring institution that remains important to the black community. She has evolved over the years and remains in a state of flux. The black pastor has also endured and remains a celebrated and highly exalted personality among the community and among black congregants. These high expectations for both the black pastor and

Black Church require both to lead the community as it addresses varied causes and concerns that affect the same. It is difficult to lead the community from a distance. The Black Church and pastor must demonstrate that they are one with the community in order to avoid conflict and resistance. Baker laments, “For the

Black pastor to be effective as a healing minister, seeking to make the entire person whole, he must touch persons where they are” (Baker 1983, 120). The

Black Church and pastor have assumed such a role.

According to Raboteau (1978), historically, the Black Church was invisible and existed as a surrogate organization within slave cabins and hush harbors.

She was an invisible institution that necessarily syncretized west African traditions with those of the new western world. She was an “invisible church”

(Raboteau 1978, x). Though invisible, she was also liberative and exhibited a longing for freedom from the chains of chattel slavery. Liberationists longings and hopefulness have been a hallmark feature of Black Church theology and practice since its inception.

By the 19th century the Black Church transformed from an invisible institution to a more visible organization. She began to visibly organize.

According to Lincoln and Mamiya “In the early nineteenth century organized black Baptist activity became a distinguishing feature of the northern churches”

(Lincoln and Mamiya 1991, 25). This is also the period where hints of liberative concerns resurfaced in the theology of northern Baptist churches, in particular. In reaction to the discriminatory and exclusionary praxis embodied amongst southern white Baptists and the paternalistic heierarchy exhibited in northern white Baptist churches, the independent black Baptists movement intensified and spread. Moreover, black Baptists departed in mass numbers from white local churches in the south. Independent black Baptist churches, as well as regional associations, will began to emerge during this time and the proceeding century.

By the 20th century, the black local organized church would evolve into national and regional organizations. The National Baptist Convention of America emerged and represented a complete organizational outgrowth of the Black

Church. By 1961, The Progressive National Baptist Convention, U.S.A. came into existence adopting its liberative motto “Unity, Service, Fellowship, Peace”

(Lincoln and Mamiya 1991, 37). This convention demonstrated its commitment to social justice as it was supportive of the black power movement and the civil rights movement in the 1960s.

Since the Progressive National Baptist Convention, there appears to be no nationally organized voice to speak truth to power and address the many injustices presently victimizing black lives in America. According to Jacqueline

Trussell, “The Full Gospel Church Fellowship International (FGBCFI) founded in

1992 is a charismatic Baptist fellowship. It advocates the operations of spiritual

19 gifts in church, in reaction to the teachings of many black Baptist bodies. By

1997, she claimed nearly 1 million members and 5,000 churches throughout the

United States” (Trussell 2020).

The Black Church has vacillated between two theoretical theological motivations. The historical Black Church has exhibited both: compensatory and political motifs. Peter J. Paris (1985) classifies the Black Church in these terms and contends,

Scholarly opinion regarding the Black Church to the American society can be classified as compensatory and political. The former contends that black religion is basically an otherworldly preoccupation seeking relief from the cruel realities of historical existence, while the latter views it as a dynamic agency for social change. The one implies a passive disposition toward social injustice, while the other infers an attitude of vigorous resistance. (Paris 1985, 1)

In other words, the Black Church has historically and actively resisted the social order that oppresses them; and at other times, she has passively adopted an eschatological posture that posits freedom and equality as an experience reserved for the hereafter.

I contend that the dilemma that persists within the Black Church with regards to a passive/active response to oppression contributes toward silencing the voice of the Black Church in matters pertaining to social uplift and liberation.

Furthermore, as black congregants and the broader black community witness the church’s double mindedness and as black pastors vacillate regarding the mission of the church, pastoral and parishioner conflict will continue, perhaps, in an alarming and dismantling manner. Given the utter significance of the Black

Church and her importance to the black community, my effort to discover some

20 of the reasons for pastoral and parishioner conflict in the local church becomes even more relevant.

Context

Second Baptist Church in Akron, Ohio was founded in 1892. She is also the second oldest black congregation in the city, second only to Wesley Temple

A.M.E. Zion. The first pastor was Reverend James Cheatham. He served for just one year. In February 1893, the Reverend Royal Allen Jones was called to pastor this small, but growing congregation.

Reverend Jones pastored Second Baptist Church for nearly 50 years. His quest for social justice led him to co-found the Equal Rights Club of Wadsworth where he served as secretary. As a civil rights leader, he advocated for better relations between races. As a community leader, he nudged Akron officials for systemic and systematic changes that would better the lives of African

Americans.

However, accross the last four decades, Second Baptist Church began to focus more on elitism and classism. The congregation evolved to consist of more members who have achieved a higher academic and socio-economic class status than most local black citizens. Many of the congregants held positions such as medical doctors, dentists, teachers, principals and politicians.

Unfortunately, coupled with her celebrated community significance is a reputation of pastoral and parishioner conflict.

Project Goals

The purpose of my project is to discover the reasons for conflict between pastor and parishioners at Second Baptist Church Akron, Ohio. My project goals are as follows:

1. To evaluate the secondary literature on the subject.

2. To discover the reasons for pastor and parishioner conflict at Second Baptist Church in Akron, Ohio.

3. To catalogue the variety of reasons for the conflict at Second Baptist Church in Akron, Ohio.

4. To analyze the variety of reasons for the conflict at Second Baptist Church in Akron, Ohio.

5. To make recommendations for the study.

6. To evaluate the study.

Design, Procedure, and Assessment

This project seeks to discover the reasons for pastoral and parishioner conflict at Second Baptist Church in Akron, Ohio. To complete my first goal, I researched various primary and secondary sources. In addition, I reviewed court documents and newspaper articles regarding my local context; as well as pastoral and parishioner conflicts in the Black Baptist Church. Finally, I interviewed a former pastor and his wife and several parishioners to gain personal insight or the causes of pastoral and parishioner conflict.

To complete goal 2, I reviewed various survey tools and created a 5-point

Likert scale questionnaire for distribution. To complete goals 3 and 4, I distributed

22 the questionnaire to willing participants who chose to remain after a Sunday morning worship service. I encouraged them to either take the time to finish the questionnaire during this time or return on the following week. A total of 25 participants completed the questionnaire at that moment, and 6 provided their responses and the following week. I was assisted in both the distribution and collection of completed responses by church ushers. To complete goal 5, I compiled the survey results, catalogued, and analyzed the findings to make recommendations of the study. Finally, I conducted an evaluation of the study.

Personal Goals

This project is very important to me for a variety of reasons. First and most significantly, I am admittedly wounded from my various encounters with pastoral and parishioner conflict. It is my hope that my own emotional and spiritual wounds may find healing through this discovery project. In addition, I look forward to sharing my project with the Second Baptist Church in Akron, Ohio with the desire to aid them in their own spiritual formation and healing. Finally, it is my hope to share this information with other Black Baptist Churches and pastors in the Akron area to assist with their own embroilment and entanglement in pastoral and parishioners conflict. My personal goals are as follows:

1. To grow spiritually and to become more concerned with members in my congregation.

2. To provide opportunities for harmonious dialog during times of conflict.

3. To share all discovered information with leaders and parishioners in my personal ministry context.

Plan of the Paper

This chapter has given an overview of my personal conviction and life ministerial journey that stems from this topic. Chapter Two will include the biblical, historical, and theological foundations; Chapter Three will review various sources of literature; Chapter Four will provide a detailed description of the method, procedures, and design of the project; Chapter Five will unpack my findings and make recommendations; and Chapter Six will reflect on the findings as it apply to ministry.

CHAPTER TWO

BIBLICAL, THEOLOGICAL AND HISTORICAL FOUNDATIONS

The Black Church is undoubtedly the most significant institution in the black community. This significance spans from the historical period widely known as the invisible institution into the present. It assumes an enduring and long- standing presence within the black community. The importance and centrality to the community are unquestioned and widely accepted. Occurrences of internal church fighting, and pastor and parishioner conflict have a widespread impact within the black community because of the vital role that the church assumes.

Subsequently, nothing is more devastating to the black community than conflict within its most viable institution. Church fights and bickering have tremendous repercussions and have the potential to spread aggressively throughout the entire community. Tales of church battles and wars are dinner table discussions in almost every black community. The negative social ramifications of such conflicts are far-reaching.

Arguably, the black pastor over the years has amassed a significant measure of community influence. He is perhaps the most celebrated personality and leader within the church and the broader community. The iconization of the pastor’s position along with his influential leadership status within both the church and community, are compromised when church conflicts arise. Parishioners and community members have afforded the pastor a healthy dose of power,

25 reverence and value. Because of the high social significance ascribed to the pastor--the church’s most important representative--church conflict is intensified.

Foundations

This project is meaningful because of my first-hand experience with the devastating effects caused by internal church conflict. This project will also improve the author's present ministry context, as well as that of other churches; with the minimization of future conflicts. This project is further inspired by an appreciation for the critical role the church has assumed in relation to the black community. Pastor and parishioner conflicts are detrimental to the black community in a myriad of ways. As our ongoing struggle against the racist and oppressive institutional structures inherent in America persist, the black community can ill afford conflict in the church--this community's most cherished institution.

I know first-hand the impact conflict can have on the Black Church, having spent time in jail and years confined to house arrest as the result of direct involvement in such conflict. It negatively affects the Black Church, the family, and the community. Squelching or minimizing these conflicts will assist the black community in regaining the collective socio-political power and synergized community voice that is so desperately needed today. A church and community that works together in harmony can accomplish a great deal.

Chapter two provides the biblical, historical and theological foundation for my project which is to discover the reasons for conflict between the pastor and parishioners at Second Baptist Church in Akron, Ohio. The Biblical Foundation

26 section will set the biblical framework for this project. The passage that grounds this research and project is 1Thessalonians 5:12-15. The Theological Foundation section addresses black theology of liberation and a theology of pastoral care in the Black Church tradition. Within this context, a framework for pastoral care in the midst of conflict is outlined. Lastly, the Historical Foundation section gives an historical overview of the Black Church, pastoral leadership and church conflicts.

This section provide the framework for how the Black Church has operated in the past in regards to church conflict and how that has shaped the present.

Biblical Foundation

The biblical foundation for this project is grounded in 1Thessalonians 5:12-

15. In this passage, the Apostle Paul addresses the conflict between the leaders of the Thessalonian congregation and its members. This scriptural context provides a clear biblical foundation for discussing Paul’s experience, understanding and admonishment of congregational conflict amongst laity and leadership. Generally speaking, this text involves an admonishment to the church in Thessalonica aimed at peacefully quelling an unharmonious conflict that was festering between church leadership and laity. The conflict within this church of whom the Apostle Paul is addressing provides an appropriate case study and biblical foundation for my project.

As is true regarding the history of Western biblical thought, most traditional perspectives and commentaries of this text and the Bible in general tend to reflect Eurocentric hermeneutical thoughts, interpretations and conclusions. Cain

Hope Felder strongly argues this point in his book Troubling Biblical Waters. He

27 argues there is an utter dominance of Eurocentric biblical interpretation, and the reliance upon their cultural, racial and gender presuppositions while ignoring other racial and ethnic groups (Felder 1989, xi). The dominance and myopic vision inherent in Eurocentric biblical interpretive thought devalues the biblical commentary of other races. Eurocentric thought and hermeneutics has dominated the history of biblical interpretation. The interpretive lens of the black

American experience is missing as most traditional biblical commentaries present the European perspective, exclusively. Consideration must be given when referencing traditional commentary conclusions.

As a result of this historically dominant one-sided reflection, traditional commentators exclude the rich Black Church tradition that is centermost within black American culture. Traditional European biblical interpretation has clearly ignored the relevance of the Black Church experience and this trend continues when examining many contemporary commentaries. These one-sided perspectives do not include the unique nuances, traditions and beliefs held within the black religious experience. One of those beliefs is the unquestionable significance of the Black Church, her leaders and pastor. The centrality of the

Black Church to the community and the importance of her pastor are values that are ignored by Europeanized traditional interpretations. Consequently, traditional biblical commentaries universally ignore the black American church experience and have no valuation regarding the relevance of the Bible, the church and pastor within the community.

One such traditional interpretation of 1 Thessalonians 5:12-15 is found in the Word Biblical Commentary. In this popular commentary set, F. F. Bruce highlights the following textual themes: the role of leadership in maintaining order and peace; the role of laity with regard to conflict, and the overall attitude and treatment that should be appropriated toward those who tend toward anarchy and strife. Though he sees this text as one that clearly speaks to the issue of church conflict, he argues that it is a matter that must be delicately addressed because of the potential for strife (Bruce 1982, 120).

With regards to the role of leadership, Bruce narrows his comments almost exclusively on the responsibility of the leader or pastor. He notes the affinity deeply held by the laity toward its leaders. Consequently, the character of the leader is important because of such affinity. He puts forward the notion that the character of the leaders are critical toward maintaining congregational peace and order. According to Bruce, the leaders and especially the pastor have entitlement and roles that are the primary benchmark for appropriating upon them such high regard. Their entitlement is bestowed upon them because they are held in high regards by the laity. Consequently, It is the leader who should demonstrate kindness, humility, level headedness and other necessary virtues required for negotiating and managing conflict.

Moreover, leaders should demonstrate meritorious character through acts of love, civility and concern for other members. His conclusions shift to the leader’s shoulders the brunt of the responsibility and initial contribution toward the maintenance of peace. He comments that “such leaders did not do the

29 appropriate work because they had been appointed as leaders; they were recognized as leaders because they were seen to be doing the work” (Bruce

1982, 120). In other words, it is the leaders responsibility to be proactive in engaging conflict. It is a necessary requirement for leadership. Clear attempts to engage and confront conflict in an effort to move towards peaceful resolution is just the type of effort that defines one’s leadership. Docile and timid leaders who are unwilling to engage conflict operate marginally at best. When this harmonious service is absent, the fuels of contention begin to flow. In his comments, very little emphasis is placed upon those who are non-leaders and their important role in maintaining peace. For Bruce, the burden of conflict management is disproportionately placed upon the pastor, a placement that for me seems grossly unfair and one-sided. Such an unfair singling out of the leader’s exclusive responsibility alone, clearly diminishes the role of the laity and resolves them of any measurable responsibility in managing conflict.

Bruce reaches his conclusions by the exegetical analysis of significant

Greek words in the text. In particular, he explores the specific Greek phrase, ho proistamenos. He states that it “cannot be regarded as an official designation”

(Bruce 1982, 118). The verbal form of the above Greek word proisitasthai can be interpreted in a variety of ways. The word connotes many ideas connected to leadership, such as protecting and caring. Derivatives of the word are found in the pastoral epistles of both Timothy and Titus. In those instances (I Timothy

3:4,5,12), it refers to caring for one’s household; while in (Titus 3:8,14) it centers around the general promotion of good works. Again, in I Timothy 3:15, Bruce

30 concludes that the word is used to denote the elders of the church who rule well.

This narrow exclusionary exegetical conclusion leads Bruce to overtly single out the leader as the sole bearer of the responsibility for conflict management.

Bruce also parallels the Thessalonian passage to that echoed by the house of Stephanas in Corinth (1 Corinthian 16:15,16). In this case, he again explores the Greek word diakonia and designates them as a unique group of members whose service and work warranted them and earned position in the church. He states that “its members had devoted themselves to the service

(diakonia) of the saints and therefore, with others who did similar work, were to be given their due position in the church” (Bruce 1982, 119).

As for the role of laity, Bruce suggests that there is a willingness to recognize leadership and to do so with reverence and respect. Conflict and angst amongst the Thessalonian congregation can be managed when there is a healthy respect for leadership. It is the laity’s responsibility to hold and maintain such respect for their leaders. This respect should be maintained not only when conflicts arise from one lay member to the other, but also from laity to leadership.

It is the leader’s responsibility to labor in love, but it is the laity’s responsibility to both remember and honor such labor.

Bruce implies in his summation that the ability of the laity to recognize those who lead will serve as a sort of check and balance against any potential conflict. He writes when commenting on the phrase “be at peace among yourselves” which appears in verse 13, that “It may be asked why this injunction should come here, immediately after the call to recognize those who cared for

31 the church. It may be that the recognition of such people and deference to their judgment would check any tendency to anarchy, with consequent strife, that might manifest itself among them” (Bruce 1982, 120). It is clear that he places a greater responsibility, if not all the responsibility of conflict management upon the leaders.

With regards to the matter of addressing conflict, Bruce contends that conflict can be addressed through warnings and exhortations. He highlights the notion that those who are unruly should be recognized and warned for their contentious behavior. These warnings should proceed from those who are at the top of the leadership hierarchy down to the laity with an emphasis upon the sinful and destructive nature of congregational conflict. Addressing and managing conflict is an administrative concern that should be handled by those leaders who have been administratively gifted. Conflict and tension between believers and such behavior is counterproductive to the peace and harmony, which should characterize Christian fellowship (Bruce 1982, 120-121).

An additional traditional perspective can be found in Robert L. Thomas.

Robert L. Thomas argued similarly to Bruce and laid a heavy emphasis upon the leader. He argues in The Expositor’s Bible Commentary that one of the areas in which the leader’s hard labor is evidenced is in one’s ability to “stand over” and admonish the laity. Admonishment is generally perceived as corrective either by word, deed or some other type of action. For the one being admonished, it is not uncommon to feel either resentment or embarrassment. Thomas concludes that it is quite natural for one to resist and perhaps even rebel against the one doing

32 the admonishing. This is the scenario he postulates in this passage and associates the leader's hard work of admonishment as a reason for the laity to resent the leader. Though the admonition is necessary, it cannot be received by the admonished without an esteemed respect for the leader. He considers this as one of the phases of leadership. Thomas contends,

A second phase of the leaders’ hard work was “admonishing '' the rest of the assembly. Admonishing is correction administered either by word or deed. It implies blame on the part of the one admonished. Naturally, it arouses resentment, since discipline is never pleasant. Still the apostle presents admonition as necessary for the congregation and requires respect for those who exercise it. (Thomas 1978, 288)

The last traditional perspective is tendered by Thoralf and Tor Inge

Gilbrant in their multi-volume New Testament commentary entitled The Complete

Biblical Library: Study Bible, Galatians-Philemon. Accordingly, the Gilbrants see deacons, elders, and pastors as inclusive in the leadership group. The Gilbrants emphasize the importance of the laity in bestowing honor upon leaders. They further stress that such esteem be earned as a result of loving service. Leaders should be honored for their work even though one’s title does have importance

(Gilbrant and Gilbrant 1986, 335).

33 offer 1 Corinthians 14:40 as Paul’s emphatic call for the superiority of moderation over the importance of a moderator. Paul writes, “But all things must be done properly and in an orderly manner”(NASB). Harmonious self-control and cooperation as required by the Holy Spirit is the reason that the unruly should experience both warning and rebuke. This responsibility lies on both the leader and the laity.

The Gilbrants affirm Bruce’s conclusions regarding the responsibility and value of leaders and their roles in maintaining harmony. The title leader is explicitly mentioned and accentuated by both traditional commentators. However,

Bruce dismisses titles as insignificant. For Bruce, the leader’s character is more important than the title one may bear (Bruce 1982, 119).

A non-traditional, Chinese interpretation of this text is offered by Khiok- khng. Khiok-khng is also known as Harry R. Kendall, and is an Associate

Professor of New Testament at Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary. He argues that 1 Thessalonians necessitates that oppressed Chinese Christians assume a peaceful ethic that grows out of hope (Khiok-khng 2004, 500). Khiok- khng grounds his hermeneutical foundation in the social and historical milieu of the first century. He argues the first epistle to the Thessalonians was a document forged in response to the dominance of Rome and the Pax Romana.

Therefore, the Thessalonian congregation was faced with tremendous suffering, oppression, and affliction. Conversion for the Thessalonians also included breaking away from the social environment that was the source of their oppression.

Moreover, Khiok-khng places emphasis on 1 Thessalonians 5:15, “See that no repays anyone evil for evil, but always seeks to do good to one another and to everyone”(ESV). This scripture addresses the manner in which the congregation should not only lovingly treat their leaders and each other, but also requires dispensing that same love to those outside of the church. Paul, according to this view, encourages harmony among believers as a precursor to peaceful coexistence with the outside community regardless of their imposed oppression. Retaliation toward outsiders is discouraged opting rather for respectful cooperation. Such respectful cooperation from within and growing outward will provide an opportunity for mutual transformation.

Khiok-khng’s conclusions are similar to the non-aggressive and peaceful philosophy espoused by Martin Luther King, Jr. and others during the civil rights movement. For instance, he urged mainland China and Taiwan, whose people originated from the same ethnicity to peacefully coexist together. Such peaceful coexistence will buttress against mutual destruction (Khiok-khng 2004, 502). As

Chinese Christians interpret this section to embody eschatological hope exhibited through the practices of love and harmony, the seeds for national and international reconciliation are sown. Paul’s concern is “ . . . with the survival, meaningfulness, and holiness of a Thessalonian congregation in the midst of suffering, ambiguity, and impurity” (Khiok-khng 2004, 502).

Cain Hope Felder presents an African American perspective in True to

Our Native Land: An African American New Testament Commentary. Felder first notes that Paul is aware of the unrest within the Thessalonian congregation.

Secondly, he notes that Paul forcefully exhorts the congregation several times within this section of scripture. Felder observes, “There are no fewer than fifteen exhortations with imperative force within this brief section” (Felder 2007, 399).

Felder further argues that Paul is deeply concerned that the Thessalonian congregation “pay proper respect” (Felder 2007, 399) toward the leaders as befitting the many sacrifices they make. Some of the unrest detected by Paul within this group was undoubtedly connected to their lack of respect and reverence for those very leaders.

Hence, the idea of ‘knowing’ is attributed to the congregation's understanding of the tedious labor, sacrifice and selfless commitment assumed by their leaders

(Felder 2007, 399). Leadership's work must be respected and held in high esteem. When it is not, such disrespect can result in conflict between leaders and laity. Felder convincingly retorts that Paul’s warning to be at peace among yourselves is a clear implication that unrest within the congregation and especially amongst the lay members was existing. As a concerned father, Paul exhorts numerous times within this section of scripture. Felder puts forth Paul’s concern thusly, “In v. 13b, the admonition to “be at peace among yourselves” seems to imply that Paul has some knowledge of community unrest with the ranks of the believers” (Felder 2007, 399). It is this precise unrest and tension for which this project addresses.

In summary, the traditional perspective informs my project in the following manner. Bruce’s comments highlight the various tensions that existed among the

Thessalonians. He emphasizes the responsibilities of the leader rather than hierarchical titles and accolades. The Gilbrants build upon Bruce’s thought; however, they include the importance of the leader’s title and its importance to the maintenance of order. According to the Gilbrants, pastors, elders and deacons are divinely granted positions of authority that should be regarded by the laity. His added emphasis upon inclusion of the role of the Holy Spirit and its quelling contention and conflict is also helpful to my project.

Moreover, Thomas is closely aligned to my project because unlike Bruce and the Gilbrants, he clarifies the conflict as one between leader and laity; along with providing a possible reason for the tension. He blames the admonished

(laity) for the conflict due to feelings of embarrassment and anger in response to the rebuke. He implicitly argues that because of the layperson’s lack of respect for the leader and his exalted and highly esteemed official role, it is natural for the admonished to lash back. Anarchy is counterproductive to harmony and peace; and the presence of authentic and mutual respect between pastor and member is absolutely necessary. My own history with similar conflicts makes Thomas’ insight both academically helpful and personally comforting. Many of the emotional wounds of such tension are longstanding. Thomas seeds the urgency of resolving such conflict and pleadingly urges that, “Anarchy is always wrong, particularly among Christians. If any tendency to it existed in Thessalonica, it must be rooted out” (Thomas 1978, 288).

However, my project will rely heavily upon a non-traditional perspective.

Khng’s interpretation closely mirrors the social and ministry context of my proposal. The social and ministry context of my congregation is predominantly black and rank among the socio-economically oppressed. The emphasis upon those who are oppressed is tremendously helpful to my project. Khiok-khng’s conclusion informs my project because of its emphasis upon the social context of the Thessalonians. By depositing the Thessalonian Christians into a social environment of oppression, urging them toward liberation and encouraging a non-violent passivism has a direct correlation to my project. His interpretation of the text mirrors the socio-economic realities of my congregation and community.

My congregation is composed of lower class, poor and marginalized black

Americans. The challenges that confronted the Thessalonian congregation were forged, according to Khiok-khng, out of a broader context of suffering and oppression, one similarly to my current context. Khiok-khng’s conclusions mirror the context of the Black Church in America. Moreover, I am attracted to Khiok- khng’s insight because it grows out of the context of hope and freedom--a longing for freedom from oppression. This interpretation intersects my project with profound implications.

Finally, Felder’s comments directly inform my project because of its emphasis upon the disrespect of congregational leadership. Felder's arguments, unlike the traditional commentators, identify possible reasons for the conflict within the Thessalonian congregation. One clear reason for a congregation’ ill respect for her pastors centers around a low appreciation and a vague

38 understanding of the pastor's work and administrative privilege. Many pastors embroiled in congregational unrest identify disrespect of leadership as a basis for local church conflict.

Theological Foundation

The purpose of my project is grounded in a black theology of liberation and a theology of pastoral care in the Black Church tradition. In this section, I will unpack a black theology of liberation and how utilizing this paradigm has caused conflict with the pastors and congregants of the Black Church. In addition, I will interface with McMickle, Baker, Harris, and Wimberly who help contribute a framework for discussing a theology of pastoral care in the Black Church tradition.

Black Theology of Liberation

Tension and conflict will exist within churches where a theology of the pastor conflicts with the theological notions of the congregation. The question could be asked with regards to the present state of the Black Church, who is at fault? Is it the church? Or, is it a failed theology, which has neglected to rightly inform her practice? Additionally, what is the current state of black theology?

One cannot discuss the black church without also indicting the theology of which she is informed.

The inception of black theology as a theological discipline occurred during the late 1960s. A single pioneer, James Cone is credited as being the father of black theology. His publications Black Theology and Black Power and A Black

Theology of Liberation (1969) are considered the foundational text for black liberation theology. The original edition of the former was published in 1969, just about one year after the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Cone defines black theology as,

a theology of liberation because it is a theology which arises from an identification with the oppressed blacks of America, seeking to interpret the Gospel of Jesus in light of the black condition. It believes that the liberation of the black community is God’s liberation...the task of black theology is to analyze the nature of the Gospel of Jesus Christ in light of oppressed black so [blacks] can see the Gospel inseparable from their humiliated condition. (Wilmore 2007, 5)

Unfortunately, black theology did not reach its full potential during the last half of the twentieth century. Some would blame its general acknowledgement upon the white academy as the reason for distracting black theologians from directly dealing with the urgent problems of the poor and disinherited. Middle- class blacks who were satisfied with their own status and unwilling to commit to radicalism are also to blame. Wilmore makes this charge and states, “… black theology, it seems, was not destined to become a mass movement in any of these senses. It involved too many middle-class blacks who, at the time, were self-satisfied with their own circumstances to be sincerely committed to a radically new body of theological doctrine that would break with orthodoxy”

(Wilmore 2007, 237). Black theology is unquestionably important to the Black

Church.

The current divided state of the Black Church is directly related to her interpretation or misinterpretation of black theology and its inclusion into church practice and polity. I contend that the Black Church is divided as does Warnock

40 in his book, The Divided Mind of the Black Church: Theology, Piety and Public

Witness (2104). For Warnock, there exists within the mindset of the contemporary Black Church a sort of double consciousness. In the ongoing process of seeking to clarify her mission, the Black Church theologically oscillates between adapting black liberation and traditional conformists theological ideology. A traditional conformist ideology which uses Eurocentric theological categorizations has been broadly entreated by the Black Church. For

Warnock, this dilemma is described in different terms, but replicates the same basic tension. The Black Church has a dilemma. Warnock further argues that,

However, the double-consciousness of black Christianity -- that is, a faith profoundly shaped by white evangelicalism’s focus on individual salvation (piety) yet conscious of the contradictions of slavery and therefore focused also on sociopolitical freedom (protest) -- provides a meaningful angle and a conceptual framework through which to inquire into the Black Church’s sense of vocation and a basis for teasing out the nuances of a meaningful theology of the church. (Warnock 2014, 2)

Warnock’s summation of the Black Church's dilemma can places black pastors who preach liberation and social justice in a precarious position. Pastors and preachers that include black theology as a part of his or her preaching and ecclesiastical mission are subject to being misunderstood by the laity and subject to pastoral and parishioner tension.

An additional area that can cause conflict as pastors employ black theology is looking at the Bible from a black perspective. This perspective has become widely known as an African American biblical hermeneutic. By employing standard hermeneutical skills for biblical interpretation, African

American biblical teachers and theologians are discovering unique exclusive

41 truths. I use the term ‘exclusive’ in order to characterize these discoveries as pertaining to a specific ethnicity. Hopkins suggests that “these African American biblical teachers use standard skills for interpreting the Bible. But the answers they get from Holy Scripture are different from those white Bible teachers get”

(Hopkins 2005, 99). William H. Myers (1991) commented on this dilemma nearly two decades prior in the groundbreaking book, Stony the Road We Trod: African

American Biblical Interpretation. While asserting the dominance of the

Eurocentric approach to scripture, Myers warns that “the dilemma may manifest itself in the ministerial context of the African American believing community when students observe that the Eurocentric approach does not help them address the questions raised in an African American context” (Myers 1991, 42). Myers’ observation still rings true today. Furthermore, the difficulty of re-expressing this hermeneutical privilege into the non-academic language of the black religious community, yet remain a great challenge for the black theologian, pastor or bible student.

Black theology and the Black Church are at opposite ends of the pole. As a whole the Black Church does not understand the God of liberation that is put forth in black theology. The God discussed and observed through the lens of the black theologian has not shown up in today’s Black Church. Some churches have entered into dialogue with black theology and their prospective ministries yield the fruit of such engagement. Pillars inherent in black theological thought such as racism, liberation, oppression, suffering and community are emphasized in some African American religious bodies. However, the number of these kinds

42 of churches are miniscule when compared to the total number of African

American houses of worship. Furthermore, the decline and overall poor health of the African American community is further indication of the distance between black theology and the Black Church.

As it relates to the Black Church’s call to progressive and liberative ministry, which are the themes upheld in black theology, The Black Church has for the most part ignored. Many believe with regards to liberation and prophetic ministry she is dead and silent. Unfortunately, her death has come at an inopportune time. Eddie Glaude Jr., in an online article entitled “The Black

Church is Dead” concludes that when it comes to social and civic action the

Black Church is silent. In his opening paragraph he makes the following indictment “The Black Church, as we’ve known it or imagined it, is dead”

(Glaude, Jr. 2010). He remarks that even though 87% of African Americans attend church or identify with some religious group, the church is no longer a repository for social conscience. According to Glaude, “the idea of the venerable institution as central to black life and as a repository for the social and moral conscience of the nation has all but disappeared” (Glaude, Jr. 2010). Glaude concludes that the Black Church has failed in the areas of being progressive and prophetic. He argues that she is conservative and socially removed from the real problems that face her community. This ill concerned voice of the black church no longer echoes the cries of social injustice. As opposed to being central within the community, the church is marginalized. Glaude believes that the cause for

43 this marginalization is attributed to the conservative and materialistic worldviews embraced by the church.

There is no clarion call from either the Black Church or the pulpit. The black community is at a precipice, while the Black Church is simultaneously failing to connect her message in such a way that provides social uplift for the black community. Currently, black unemployment remains twice as high as that of whites. In 2019, a report by Valerie Wilson concluded that “While there have been state-by-state improvements in prospects for black and Hispanic workers, their unemployment rates remain high relative to those of white workers” (Wilson

2019). The current worldwide coronavirus pandemic exacerbates long standing socio-economic issues within the black community due to systemic racism. In another report by Laura Artani and Dominic Rushe in “The Guardian”, conclude that “Even before Covid-19 hit the US in full force and as the overall unemployment rate hit record lows, black Americans had an unemployment rate that was almost twice the national rate. In February 2020 when the overall unemployment rate was 3.5%, a 50-year-low, the black unemployment rate was

5.8%. The white unemployment rate was 3.1%” (Artani and Rushe 2020). Black theology and its failure to express itself through the praxis of the church must assume its share of the blame. In some way, the black theologian is challenged to rearticulate his or her message in the practical language of the common Black

Church.

In summary, black theology of liberation is critical to my project because it provides a biblical interpretation that allows for the addressing of the many socio-

44 economic issues that confront our community. However, it is critical that pastors reinterpret its message in the language of the community to whom it seeks to transform, liberate and socially uplift. Failing to overcome this communication barrier will continue to rear itself through pastoral and parishioner conflict.

Cone succeeded in clearly defining black theology, but the problem is that its language is still laced with the genre and esoteric terminology of the theological academy. Such esoteric language continues to fail to reach the ears and hearts of the average black layperson thereby inhibiting the Black Churches wholehearted embrace and acceptance.

Unfortunately, I am forced to agree with Glaude in regards to preaching and praxis. The prophetic witness espoused by black theology has been routinized away from the ears of black congregants. Glaude remarks,

Sentences like, “The Black Church has always stood for...” “The Black Church was our rock...” “Without the Black Church, we would have not...” In each instance, a backward glance defines the content of the church’s stance in the present — justifying its continued relevance and authorizing its voice. Its task, because it has become alienated from the moment in which it lives, is to make us venerate and conform to it. (Glaude, Jr. 2010)

Finally, my project hinges upon Warnock’ assessment because it clearly and succinctly argues for the double consciousness that persists within the mind of the Black Church. This double consciousness creates ripe conditions for the fertilization and outgrowth of conflict within the church.

Pastoral Care in the Black Tradition

In Caring Pastors, Caring People, McMickle defines pastoral care as “a general conception or overarching vision for how all ministry tasks can and

45 should be conducted within the context of local churches” (McMickle 2011, 3).

Although the black pastor takes the lead, McMickle presents a model of pastoral care where both the congregation and pastor play an intricate role. Thus, pastoral care is the “overarching premise that encompasses, permeates, informs and inspires all ministry tasks performed by the pastor” (McMickle 2011, 3-4).

This model for pastoral care is based on three concentric circles of care.

As such, a healthy church is described as one where all three concentric circles are operating at the same time with the same emphasis. This type of model requires proper teaching and preparation from a caring pastor.

The first concentric circle of pastoral care involves a caring and committed pastor who ministers to the various needs of the congregation. As such, McMickle contends that pastors must prioritize their work and efforts in order to equip, empower and encourage the congregants or laity to do the work of the ministry and to build up the body of Christ. Under this model, pastoral care is not solely the pastor’s responsibility, but should be shared with the congregation. As pastor/leader, he or she is equipping the leadership and laity to care for one another.

The second concentric circle of pastoral care involves the congregation caring for one another. This care should be fueled by Christian love for one another. Ephesians 4: 11-13 is the primary focus on developing and equipping congregants to do the work of the ministry. This concentric circle of pastoral care involves ministering and caring for each other.

The third and final concentric circle of pastoral care is one “that pushes the ministry concerns of the church outward beyond its own walls and membership” (McMickle 2011, 5-6). McMickle contends that this circle of pastoral care can be the most difficult task for many pastors and congregations to make.

This circle can only be employed if the pastor has equipped the congregation to extend its care, concern and compassion beyond church membership to impact the people and problems that exist [right outside their doors]” (McMickle 2011,

34). Herein lies a potential conflict. The congregation may choose to embrace a

“gospel of personal benefit” (McMickle 2011, 15). This personal benefit, also known as “consumer Christianity”, is a Christianity that is fixated on ‘What’s in it for me?” The focus is on meeting the personal needs of the congregation as opposed to doing the work of the ministry. When the Black Church has a focus on consumer Christianity, congregants are waiting on material blessings from

God instead of focusing on doing the work of the ministry, i.e. social justice ministry, feeding the poor, caring for the widow and the orphaned. This paradigm is contrary to the theology of pastoral care approach and implications will follow.

These conditions generally blossom conflict and tension within the church; and especially between pastor and parishioner. It has been my experience that the latent dislike for pastors’ preaching and perhaps even the pastor himself may rear itself in tributary issues regarding building projects, worship practice and similar issues. These issues are raised in church business meetings etc., however, the underlying latent concerns are actually the root of the conflict. The pastor may be dismissed for botching the building plans or mismanaging

47 finances, but the real underlying issue may well be the pastor’s theological or homiletical disjointedness with the laity.

I agree with McMickle’s concentric circles and his model is meritorious.

Sadly though, the very same pastor that seeks to exhibit those qualities, especially in matters related to real social justice concerns, will find herself or himself the recipient of congregational hostility and disdain. This is because most black congregants are no longer interested in prophetic concerns and matters of racial liberation.

Additionally, McMickle further explores the tension of pastoral care in the black tradition in his book, Preaching to the Middle Class. He explores how pastoral care can cause tension between middle and upper class congregants.

This class disparity can present challenges when attempting to conduct pastoral care within the church and broader community. He represents the tension in the following statement:

Increasingly, these churches have two separate congregations. One church is the membership that drives into the inner city each Sunday for worship and fellowship. The other church is the people who live in the neighborhood that surrounds the church building, who turn to the church in search of hot meals, Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) support groups, day- care services, and even temporary shelter. In many instances, the first church is composed of people in the middle class, and the second church is composed of people in the underclass. How should the one relate to the other? (McMickle 2000, xi)

Another perspective for pastoral care in the black tradition can be found in

Edward P. Wimberly’s book, African American Pastoral Care. Wimberly’s theology for pastor care involves a narrative methodological approach paralleling the stories of black congregants with the stories inherent in the Bible. As such, he

48 utilizes various case studies that demonstrate the plausibility of using his approach in pastoral care and ministry. Wimberly defines pastoral care in the black tradition as, “ the use of stories by pastors in ways that help persons and families to visualize how and where God is at work in their lives and thereby receive healing and wholeness” (Wimberly 1991, 9).

Moreover, the stories of black congregants in America are the ways in which pastors communicate their life experiences. These instances are dramatized through story formation and capture the whole of life's vicissitudes.

From life to death the crisis of black life lends itself to the formation of stories.

Borrowing from Henry Mitchell and Nicholas Lewter, Wimberly likens his approach to their idea of soul theology, and posits that theory as the core manner in which black folk meaningfully form their worldview. He states, “These core beliefs are embodied in narratives and stories that permeate the church life of

African Americans, and black pastors and congregations draw on this narrative reservoir when caring for their members” (Wimberly 1991, 12).

Besides, Wimberly presumes that African Americans embrace a sort of eschatological plot to negotiate and understand how God is acting through their lives in the face of oppression. God is presumed to be working things out. Hope and assurance are fostered because the individual and community believes that in spite of the difficult challenges that life presents, God is in control and working things out for the ultimate good. This faith and hope undergird the faith story of all black Christians. Wimberly concludes that these faith stories assist in buffering and minimizing the pain imbued though immense suffering and oppression. By

49 linking the story of black life with God’s story of redemption, the Black Church can assist her congregants with managing and surviving the dehumanizing effects wrought through systemic racism.

Wimberly’s pastoral care practice informs my project in many ways. I agree with his assessment and concur that the use of the intertwined stories of both God and the black life enable congregants to express and cope with existential realities of despair. Storytelling, testimonials and expressions are ongoing features in the black worship experience. However, pastoral and parishioner conflict may occur when the stories of past black life are no longer relevant to current black life in America. This disconnect is clearly seen in the life of the Black Church today as droves of black Millennials are making a mass exit away from the traditional Black Church. In essence, many black youth and post- civil rights Millennials are not connecting the stories of the past with their present day predicament. As is the case among black Millennials, there is the belief that there is no testament to their story in the worship and ministry of the present day traditional Black Church. Consequently, they are migrating away from the church in droves.

As the contemporary black pastor attempts to reach and include disenchanted black youth, conflict may result as those efforts are met with resistance. This conflict is clearly voiced by Brianna Parker, an African American

Millennial. In her book, What Google Can’t Give: The Relevancy of the Church for Black Millennials in the Tech Age, describes this tension in the following manner, “While my early years in the church were positive and encouraging, the

50 more I grew as a believer with a relationship independent of traditional thoughts and hand-me-down beliefs, the more my relationship with the Black Church fractured” (Parker 2018, 14). It is clear from her comment that though Wimberly’s narrative approach to pastoral care in the black tradition is commonplace, for black Millennials, the story has changed, and the Black Church is failing in connecting the narrative of the present with that of the present. This poses a clear pastor to parishioner tension in today’s Black Church experience.

Contrarily, Harris’ pastoral care model adopts an adherence black theology as its theoretical basis. In his book Pastoral Theology: A Black-Church

Perspective, Harris (1991) argues that pastoral care in the black tradition must permeate every facet of the life of the Black Church. This includes church administration, worship and preaching, Christian education and pastoral counseling. Harris further contends that the practice of pastoral care must be aimed at embracing the black socio-political and socio-economic reality with the goal of confronting systemic oppression and social uplift. Finally, he argues that black pastoral care and black theology are essentially one in the same and all care in the Black Church must be done from the confluence of each. For Harris, it is the pastor’s responsibility to familiarize oneself with black liberation theology and to then inculcate this care practice into one’s ministry model. Harris asserts,

“the pastor can challenge the church to deal with the issues of injustice and oppression by using black theology as a method of teaching and preaching liberation” (Harris 1991, 56). He does admit that for many black pastors who are not academically inclined, their knowledge and familiarity with black liberation is

51 limited, if not non-existent. This problem he sees is in dire need of correction. He exclaims “Unfortunately, black theology tends to be a concern only of academically oriented preachers. This certainly needs to change (Harris, 1991,

57).

Harris’ theology of pastoral care intersects pastoral and parishioner conflict because it assumes both the presence and potential absence of black liberation theology as an ecclesiological foundation for the Black Church.

Because many black pastors remain detached from black liberational thought, a majority of Black Churches fail in providing programs and ministries geared at addressing social justice concerns. Conflicts almost always emerge within Black

Churches whose ministries do not confront the social, economic and political realities of the broader community. Churches that do not confront the issues that black communities contend with pose an obvious contradiction.

For example, many black youth today refuse to attend and support Black

Churches that do not speak to the daily issues they are facing. As the church grapples with outreach techniques and efforts aimed at addressing the needs of the community, conflict will most certainly emerge when changes to both worship and practice reflect such attempts. Such conflict does not persist among churches that do not attempt to address social justice concerns, nor does any numerical growth and influence.

The last paradigm for pastoral care in the black tradition can be found in

Baker’s book, Shepherding the Sheep (1983). Baker views pastoral care in the

Black Church tradition as a care process that exclusively highlights the role of the

52 pastor. He views his or her role as multi-faceted. Baker argues that, “the pastor is one who is called upon to be ‘all things to all people at all times’” (Baker 1983,

16). He speaks of the role and position as equivalent to Jesus himself. Similarly, the black congregation views the pastor from a patriarchal perspective. Like a father, the black pastor is required to be a multi-dimensional leader capable of leading both the church and the broader black community. He remarks that, “[the pastor] is seen as father or daddy. As such, he is respected and reciprocates that respect by caring for the congregation. There is no area of their lives that is considered off limits to the black pastor” (Baker 1983, 17). This exalted view of the pastor can lend itself to demagoguery and lead the pastor towards serving himself rather than others.

The Black Church’ expectations of the pastor are the mold from which the pastoral privilege is shaped. Baker contends that the black pastor must know who he is and why he is in the light of the multi-faceted roles that he must assume. Because of so many varied, yet exalted roles, it is easy for a pastor to lose sight of himself. Seeing one’s members as more than just bodies, but as

God’s sheep is a necessary vision that a pastor must possess. Church members are often dependent sheep not pawns to be moved or mere clay to be molded

(Baker 1983, 19). Tending to the needs of the sheep with the sensitivity and compassion of a good shepherd is critical to maintaining and garnering respect, as well as keeping peace. However, how the black pastor reimagines his role as

Shepherd is critical in pastor and parishioner conflict. I believe contrary to Baker,

53 that the more the pastor glorifies his status the greater the potential for combustive conflict.

Baker’s pastoral care theology seems to emerge from ministerial context that reflects a higher rather than lower class. Hence, his pastoral practicum is related more to the inner workings of well-solidified, congregation of the middle- class, well-educated congregants. His pastoral care combines a traditional pastor-centered reverence coupled with a Eurocentric theological foundation.

Consequently, his view of the church as evangelical, educational and edifying seems to come out of white Eurocentric ecclesiology.

Without clearly mentioning pastoral and parishioner conflict, Baker does hint at the possibility of its emergence. He cautions the pastor-supervisor to remain aware of potential frustration within the flock. Again, he employs the metaphor contrasting members to docile sheep in need of constant care and supervision. He remarks,

With the congregation (the flock), the pastor-supervisor will have to keep constantly in mind that he is working with sheep, God’s sheep, and not a group of little shepherds. Frustration can intensify when the pastor- supervisor sees what needs to be done and then looks to see what appears to be such limited resources to do the job. You must keep in mind, brother pastor, that if the people could do what needs to be done without you, they would not need you as a shepherd. (Baker 1983, 25)

From this statement one can deduce that Baker clearly sees the potential for conflict within a congregation. Baker assumes and reduces sheep to possessing a nature and proclivity that bends toward conflict. I see his understanding of congregants as disparaging at best.

In summarizing Baker, Harris, Wimberly and McMickle, I see the views of

McMickle and Harris as intersecting my project. These two paradigms especially speak to how black theology of pastoral care can contribute if not foster pastoral and parishioner conflict. Baker’s view of pastoral care is more traditional and reflects more of a Eurocentric understanding of pastoral care. Wimberly’s storytelling approach to pastoral care falls short as does Baker because it assumes that black congregants are familiar with the Bible story. This is certainly not the case today. Wimberly admits this shortcoming in his approach. Wimberly contends, “Another limitation of the storytelling approach is that it may assume that the people in need have Bible knowledge. But what about those who are unchurched? (Wimberly 1991, 20).

On the other hand, McMickle’s theory of having two separate churches within one organization composed of higher and lower socio-economic classes is a kind of class division that germinates conflict. Harris follows McMickle in that potential conflict can emerge when a black theology of pastoral care, with an emphasis on black liberation, clashes with widely assumed Eurocentric ecclesiastical theology widely assumed and embraced by many black pastors and parishioners.

It is clear that pastor and parishioner conflict exist in many Black Churches today. The rise of the black megachurch phenomenon, individual pietistic dogma and continued civil unrest in black underclass communities remain conflicts that the Black Church must manage and resolve. Mark Whitlock in an article entitled,

“When A Pastor Shows Up at a Black Lives Matter Protest”, believes that many

55 black pastors and churches have little regard for the black lives matter movement. He comments, “Many of my fellow Black clergy members have no interest in BLM. Some don’t like the strong LGBTQ focus. Some don’t like their aggressive tactics, which often devolve into confrontation” (Whitlock 2018). I believe that Whitlock’s assessment of black pastors and churches today is veritable. As this detachment by the Black Church from current movements and sentiments held within the black community persists, the church will continue to be plagued by pastor and parishioner conflict.

Historical Foundation

The historical foundation of this project rests upon the rich traditions of

African religion and the Black Church in American. This section will unpack primary readings regarding African American religious history, the emergence of pastoral parishioner conflict during the 19th and 20th centuries, and the social context of blacks in America both past and present. It is my contention that the present day tension that exists between pastors and parishioners is nestled within the history of the Black Church.

The enduring Black Church in America is facing a crisis. The social condition of black America coupled with the lack of social involvement characteristic of the Black Church is the source of such tension. Issues regarding social justice are not heralded from black pulpits, nor seen as important by the congregation. Pastoral and parishioner conflicts are ever increasing especially within congregations where the pastor urges his/her congregation to confront issues of social injustice. This general congregational

56 apathy does not mesh well with the vision of enthusiastic black pastors who are especially interested in liberation theology and the development of social justice ministries.

The causes for tension between black religious leaders and laity during the 19th and early 20th centuries are varied. Historical African American leaders such as David Walker, Henry Garnett and Denmark Vesey are a few of the voices found in primary readings that shed light on the early tension between advocates of social justice and the apathetic masses of African Americans.

An early example of tension reflecting pastoral parishioner conflict is seen in the revolt of Denmark Vesey. As the charismatic pastor of the African Church of Charleston, he experienced the frustrating result of tension between himself and a member of his congregation. Bolstered by biblical inspiration to revolt against the segregationists of his day, his plans to revolt were sabotaged by an internal informant. Vesey’s plot resulted in his execution, the razing of the

African Church building and new laws strictly proscribing reading, writing and assembling.

Henry Garnett’s speech accentuates the internal conflict between leaders and parishioners. He encouraged fellow black citizens to choose liberty or death.

He expressed the need to change the social milieu of his day into a more equitable societal system. In an address to black folk whom he classified as the

“Slaves of the United States of America”, Garnett implores his audience to choose freedom: “Fellow men! Patient sufferers! Behold your dearest rights crushed to the earth! See your sons murdered, and your wives, mothers and

57 sisters doomed to prostitution. In the name of the merciful God, and by all that life is worth, let it no longer be a debatable question whether it is better to choose

Liberty or Death” (Mullane 1993, 114). Garnett discovered that not only was his call met with hostility from whites, but even his fellow black citizens were not eager to both hear and act with any sense of urgency.

Another reason for apathy and tension against leadership has been described by David Walker. Walker spoke against the widespread educational ignorance of the majority of colored men. In Walker’s Appeal in Four Articles;

Together with a Preamble, to the Coloured Citizens of the World, But in

Particular, Very Expressly, to Those of the United States of America, Walker

(1829) states in Article Two, that many blacks were merely brutish and ignorant.

He states,

There is a great work for you to do, as trifling as some of you may think of it. You have to prove to the Americans and the world, that we are men, and not brutes, as we have been represented, and by millions treated. Remember, to let the aim of your labours among your brethren, and particularly the youths, be the dissemination of education and religion. Never mind what the ignorant ones among us may say, many of whom when you speak to them for their good, and try to enlighten their minds, laugh at you, and perhaps tell you plump to your face, that they want no instruction from you or any other Niger, and all such aggravating language. Now if you are a man of understanding and sound sense, I conjure you in the name of the Lord, and of all that is good, to imputer their actions to ignorance, and wink at their follies., and do your best to get around them some way or other, for remember they are your brethren; and I declare to you that it is for your interests to teach and enlighten them. (Walker 1829, 35)

Walker admonishes coloured people who are eager to learn to avoid the ignorant. He appeals to those who are intelligent and advocates eschewing the ignorant in the name of pure religion and reasonable intelligence. Similar to

Garnett, he was met with both internal and external resistance and conflict. In the above comments he is urging his own kind to wake up and react.

Milton Sernett, in his book, Afro-American Religious History: A

Documentary Witness, describes how the apathetic tenor of the black congregation is directly connected to a desire for entertainment and emotional ecstasy rather than focusing on the need for social uplift. He particularly notes this attitude in the post-Civil War Black Churches of the south. He categorizes these churches in the following manner,

The relation of black religiosity to black political activism or militancy ... cannot be approached simplistically. In the 1960s the names of Nat Turner, Denmark Vesey, and David Walker were celebrated. Their militant use of religion served to inspire; their radicalism squared with the mood of the times and helped to correct the notion that the Black Churches had been altogether passive in the face of oppression. Some, however, failed the heroic criteria. The post-Civil War Black Churches, especially those of the South, were said to be too infected with “Uncle Tomism,” too concerned with providing an emotional safety valve in ecstatic worship, and too preoccupied with chicken suppers and debates over who the next bishop might be. (Sernett 1985, 7)

It is precisely this disposition held by the church in the mid 1800s that fueled tension and conflict with leaders and ministers anxious to improve the condition of its people. Oftentimes that tension would sprout from within one’s own race or congregational body.

The readings in early African American religious history reveal the tension experienced by religious leaders of that time period. Many of them were not supported by their very own to whom they sought to inspire. Immorality, lack of both religious and secular education, and lethargy emerge as fundamental causes for tension between leaders and potential followers. The challenges

59 faced by Henry Garnett, Denmark Vesey and David Walker, along with others during the period directly intersect my present. Critiquing their past struggles with regards to garnering support from those to whom they ministered has assisted me to analyze the issues related to pastoral-parishioner conflict and offering solutions to minimize the tension. In many respects those very same causes help explain present day tension between black pastors and congregants. In particular, it is the ignorance and exposure to the liberative aspects inherent in African American religious history and its prophetic emphasis upon social justice that causes stagnation and conflict within our churches to this very day. Presently, there exist in the majority of Black Churches an overemphasis upon emotionalism, pietism, and praise and worship along with a deemphasis social justice ministration. The obvious absence of social justice ministries aid in accentuating leaders who are concerned with the everyday plight of black America forcing them to become the victims of conflict and tension.

As for the post-civil rights era, one reason for the perennial tension within many congregations is the lack of understanding and appreciation for the rich historic legacy of the Black Church. While interviewing clergy with regards to challenges facing the Black Church, Lincoln and Mamiya note the remarks of a pastor who spoke about the constant need to be reminded about the rich legacy of the Black Church. The pastor retorted,

The church has many critics but no revivals in what it has meant in the life of the people—in saving and developing them. Without the Black Church, black leadership and black organizations would hardly have developed. Especially as a positive influence in the black experience, black

consciousness would have been devoid of real hope and black life would have been completely dehumanized. The Black Church is the biggest happening in the black experience in the United States of America. (Lincoln and Mamiya 1990, 396)

It is my contention that the lack of appreciation for the rich heritage of the Black

Church is the main culprit for present day tension in congregations today. These tensions are seen in a number of conflicts that often lead to congregational rifts and clergy firings. Issues such as the relativity of contemporary and traditional worship music, socio-political preaching versus individual circumstantial preaching, and smaller versus larger congregations are a few of the many concerns debated in today’s Black Churches.

Floyd-Thomas et. al. capture the spirit of the Black Church’s significance to the community and comments, “In that spirit, the Black Church functioned as the center of Black life, culture, and heritage for much of the history of the African

American experience in North America” (Floyd-Thomas, et al. 2007, xxiii).

Conflict between the pastor and members militate against the effectiveness of the church to lead the black community through its most troubled times since the

Jim Crow era. Mass incarceration, poverty, drug abuse, black on black crime, poor education, police brutality and the erosion of the family unit are a few of the many societal problems that plague our community. Once again the Black

Church is needed to provide leadership through these perilous times.

It is my belief that as Dr. James Cone so eloquently expresses, “the Black

Church in America was founded on the belief that God condemned slavery and that Christian freedom meant political emancipation” (Cone 2008, 35). During the

Civil Rights Movement, the Black Church held firmly to Cone’s view, which gave

61 content and motivation to her prophetic voice. The successful role that the Black

Church played during the Civil Rights era is an example of what the church can accomplish when unified toward a common goal. Unfortunately, today's Black

Church is stagnant, ineffective and voiceless with regards to confronting social justice issues. Furthermore, many pastors who have a desire to do social justice ministry find themselves embroiled in conflict with disinterested congregants.

Many black congregations no longer participate in social justice ministries even though they themselves are the victims of American social injustices. This lack of membership participation is a new phenomenon in the local Black Church and does not reflect the historical role she has played within the community.

Andrew Edwards, in his book, Human Services and Social Change: An African

American Church Perspective, comments on the pivotal role the Black Church has assumed throughout the years. He remarks that “In the African-American community, the church has historically been the key support system for those facing political, economic, social and/or emotional crisis” (Edwards 1992 ,1).

Steve Cole in his book, The Black Church: The Root of the Problems of the Black Community, underscores the need for the Black Church to address the present problems and social injustices facing black life in the post-civil rights era.

In his estimation, the Black Church and religion in general is failing in its responsibility and declining in its influence. He remarks:

Because our religion is failing us, our spirituality is diminishing. Because our spirituality is low, our culture is deteriorating. The deterioration of our culture is leading to the problems that exist in Black society today. We very much need the church, but we need the church to be effective. We need the church to be a place where we can ask questions and get answers that make a difference in our everyday lives. (Cole 2006, 14)

In conclusion, the majority of present day African American church goers, particularly those who were born after the civil rights era, are simply ignorantly unaware of the relationship that has existed between the historical Black Church and the social condition and political plight of black America. The Black Church has traditionally operated out of both a priestly and prophetic ministry emphasis when confronting matters of social reform. The priestly role of ministry emphasizes healing, succoring and comforting. The prophetic stream highlights social justice and social transformation. Ignorance regarding the significance and importance of the prophetic stream is a clear cause for pastoral and parishioner conflict. Generally speaking, enlightened pastors desiring to do prophetic preaching and ministry are dismissed as being out of touch and irrelevant.

Present day worship in the African American Church is the creative, adaptive outgrowth of traditional African religion. Understanding this relationship helps one to appreciate and respect the varied worship practices across black denominations. The more we respect from where we have come, the greater we will appreciate where we are and where we are going. Tensions and conflicts over worship practices can be eased by an enlightened understanding of the richness of African traditional religion and its many adaptations into the worship and practices seen in the Black Church today.

The unique relationship between the black pastor and the congregation is part of a long-standing tradition that predates the invisible institution. This type of combustive relationship has been at the root of many modern day church fights

63 and schisms. These conflicts impact the broader community in many ways given the significance that both the church and the pastor hold within that community.

The church as the backbone of the community, can ill afford such discord, especially in light of the many structural strongholds that inhibit black progress.

Unity within the Black Church is important in the twenty-first century.

Lincoln and Mamiya explore the notion that there is evidence of an erosion of the central importance of the church in the community. Segregation, neo-

Pentecostalism and the nation of Islam were a few of the challenges they mentioned as potential factors that threaten Black Church centrality (Lincoln and

The Black Church has been recently plagued with many problems. She is failing to meet the critical needs of her community. The plethora of problems within the black community are varied and wide scaled. Rather than identifying and attending to those needs, many local churches are more involved with congregational fighting and church rifts. Pastors are being put out by their membership, enrollment is declining among traditional churches and financial support is dwindling. It is my conviction that these tensions within our congregations can be addressed by enriching one’s understanding of the rich heritage of the Black Church. This will lead to assuring them that God is on the side of those who are oppressed.

CHAPTER THREE

REVIEW OF LITERATURE

Ralph Warnock’s book entitled, The Divided Mind of the Black Church:

Theology, Piety & Public Witness identifies the historical roots of the long standing contradictions that persists within the Black Church and black preaching. He argues that these contradictions help to understand the many conflicts that occur between the Black Church, parishioner and community

(2104). James Harris (1991), in his book, Pastoral Theology: A Black-Church

Perspective echoes Warnock’s discussion and narrows the root cause of the tension within black Christianity to a single identifier. He argues that black liberation theology and its assimilation or rejection into theology and praxis of the

Black Church act as a main cause for perpetual pastoral and parishioner conflict.

As the Black Church struggles with the relevance of black liberation theology, it is no wonder she has been plagued by conflict from within and without. H. Beecher

Hicks, Jr., in his book, Preaching through a Storm (1987), will follow with a real life contemporary portrayal of what conflict and tension looks like and how it plays itself out between the pastor and laity within a specific predominantly black congregation. Plainly speaking, Hicks will demonstrate what a black congregational church infighting and disagreement both looks and feels like.

In this chapter, I will dialogue with these sources as they intersect with my project in an effort to discover the possible reasons for pastoral and parishioner conflict. Prophetic preaching and social justice concerns are a clear part of the

Black Church dilemma. For the purpose of my project, I plan to investigate the tension that is created when the black preacher/pastor dares to prophetically preach social justice concerns and the pastoral and parishioner conflict that may result.

Double Consciousness: The Black Church

Raphael Warnock (2014), in his book, The Divided Mind of the Black

Church, grapples with the nature and mission of the church. He theorizes that the

Black Church has a divided mind. The term, double-consciousness as it relates to black Americans, was coined by Dubois during the dawning of the 20th

Century. Dubois argued that the Negro lives in a world which garners him/or her no true self-consciousness or identity, but only one to see him/or herself through the lens of the world. He contends, “It is a peculiar sensation, this double- consciousness, this sense of always looking at oneself through the eyes of others ... One ever feels his twoness, -- an American, a Negro; two souls, two thoughts, two reconciled strivings; two warring ideals in one dark body whose dogged strength alone keep it from being torn asunder” (Dubois 1965, 215).

Warnock transplants Dubois tension terminology into his understanding of the theological dilemma within the Black Church tradition. He reapplies and restates double-consciousness as double mindedness within black Christianity revealing itself as, “a faith profoundly shaped by white evangelism’s focus on individual salvation (piety) yet conscious of the contradictions of slavery and therefore focused also on sociopolitical freedom (protest)” (Warnock 2014, 3).

From the beginning, the Black Church was built by slaves, and often at the center of “an oppressed community’s fight for personhood and freedom”

(Warnock 2014,1). From her inception and prior to the emergence of black theology, the Black Church was shaped by both revivalism and radicalism. These two sensibilities were both complementary and conflicting. For Warnock, they set up a tension that reveals itself within the mind of the Black Church. He opines that,

In the North American context, both have been present from the beginning, and it is the dialogue and differences between the two that constitute the central tension in African American Christian faith. Moreover, it is this tension, more than anything else, that plays itself out in the divided mind of the Black Church and in the dialogue between black pastors and black theologians regarding the church’s essential mission. (Warnock 2014, 13)

Black pastors overwhelmingly emphasize and favor the pietistic side of the conflict which highlights the soul over the body; and freedom in the world to come. This trajectory has contributed to the Black Church’s wholehearted embrace of an eschatological theology that posits freedom in the hereafter, rather than the present. Warnock proffers the other worldly themes inherent in slave songs as proof of the historic dominance of pietistic aspiration in the pre- black liberation church.

Warnock unpacks the rise of black theology and how it intersects with the mission of the Black Church. He identifies four distinct moments in the history of the Black Church that have helped to define her mission. The four moments are as follows: The formation of a liberationist faith (invisible institution); The founding of a liberationist church (independent Black Church movement); the fomenting of

68 a church-led liberationist movement (civil rights movement); and the forging of a self-conscious liberationist theology (black theology) (Warnock 2014, 20).

The first moment, liberationist faith, was considered a self-conscious effort of enslaved black Christians to theologically resist and react to the dehumanizing cruelty of slavery. It stands as the initial resistance and protest against racism

(Warnock 2014, 25). It challenged and highlighted the incompatibility of slavery and the Christian faith. This moment also represented the breaking away from the theology of white missionary churches. Christian slavocracy espoused by white missionaries in their spaces of worship yield the alternative and retaliatory worship space of black slaves known as the invisible institution. From remote plantations and hush harbors, black slaves reveled in a dichotomous relationship between both personal conversion, pietism, political revolt, and radicalism. This first moment engages my project by providing meaning and purpose to black preaching and the black pulpit. The black pastor-preacher emerges as the dominant voice amidst black congregations. This primary moment also provides the homiletical groundwork for liberative preaching. Examining this era helps explain the historical roots of the black pastor’s fiery liberative preaching and his or her enhanced status in both the Black Church and community.

The second moment, the liberationist church-led movement, started during the late 18th and 19th centuries. This critical moment gave rise to the Black

Church institution as the place and space for visible resistance and protests against racism. Warnock acknowledges Gayraud Wilmore’s designations of the period as the “Black Church Freedom Movement” (Warnock 2014, 27). This is

69 the moment where Black Church resistance would move from the invisible and masked space experienced in the hush harbor to the more visible individually institutionalized black resistant church. Referencing Lucreatia Alexander’s terminology, Warnock contends that institutionalized spaces were created that could be characterized as a place where “a real meeting, with some real preaching,” would happen. These were the first vestiges of independent Black

Churches that were founded by southern slaves and northern blacks.

As independent Black Churches, this era functioned as safehouses and bastions of refuge from the terrors of white supremacy. Warnock particularly highlights the many black Baptist churches that functioned both locally and nationally. He again borrows from Cone and characterizes these churches as performing threefold tasks. First, they allowed for a forum for boldly preaching of divine liberation. Men and women, such as Bishop Henry McNeal Turner,

Nathaniel Paul, Harvey Johnson, Jarena Lee, Sophie Murray, Elizabeth Cole and

Amanda Berry Smith powerfully proclaimed their understandings of divine liberation. Many did so without obtaining formal licensing or ordination (Warnock

2014, 27). Secondarily, these churches were tasked to create participation in varied abolitionists movements. The Underground Railroad and the organizations of both freedmen and freedwomen coalesced participation in providing a unified voice, for as Warnock describes as “the other voiceless peoples around the world” (Warnock 2014, 28). Lastly, they “provided a visible manifestation that the gospel is a reality” (Warnock 2017, 28). Warnock underscores this visible reality as the Black Church’s embodiment of God’s plan of salvation. It includes the idea

70 that God was on the side of the subjugated Black Church and through their actions a holistic salvation was being manifested. Consequently, God is on the side of Black Churchmen and churchwomen who exclusively are the people of

God.

Warnock is joined by others in labeling this period as an era metaphorically described as a visible church. Furthermore, this visible church would become a separate and distinct anti-racial alternative to the white church.

In the book, Black Church Studies: An Introduction, Floyd-Thomas et. al precede

Warnock in describing the same era in the aforementioned manner. Floyd-

Thomas et.al summarize the same moment in the following manner:

The ability for Africans and African Americans to openly identify and voluntarily assemble as Christian communities of faith in the antebellum North gave rise to Black Churches as visible institutions in the United States. Without question, this was a momentous advance for the Black Church tradition, While the invisible institution was the central means available to enslaved Black in the plantation South to express their Christian faith and their aspirations for freedom, the majority of free Blacks of the time had specific reasons to identify themselves with the Methodist tradition. Most Black Methodist congregations were typically Northern and Urban. (Floyd-Thomas et al. 2007, 13)

As the Black Church during this era became highly visible it allowed subjugated blacks access into a antiracial separate institution free from racialized white churches and theology.

The liberationist moment (era) intersects my project because it establishes and cements the significant role and influence the black pastor assumes within the Black Church. As independent Black Churches are founded, the import, power and centermost authority of the pastor is heightened. Baker puts forward the notion that, “The black pastor’s pastoral model is formulated by historical

71 roots, congregational expectations, community expectations, and personal identity” (Baker 1983, 16). The liberationist era is assuredly an historical era where, as independent churches were formed, the black pastor’s dominant role was crystallized. This exalted role is pivotal to the emergence of pastoral and parishioner conflict.

The third moment, the church-led Liberationist Movement, is highlighted by Martin Luther King, Jr., as the main contributor with regards to the elevation of a political consciousness among black Americans. Warnock remarks that King’s ministry stands as the most pivotal moment in what he terms the long “saga of black struggle and the cultural history of the Black Church” (Warnock 2014, 31).

King’s ministry would challenge conservative accommodationists who were embraced by many Black Churches during that era. The posture of his movement would cement the Black Church as the single most important black institution for social transformation.

In The Social Teaching of the Black Church, Peter Paris discusses the centermost role the Black Church assumes with regards to effecting social change (1985). He aptly concludes, “The black Christian tradition has always been the source of inspiration for Black Churches in their persistent attempts to reveal the fundamental depths of racism -- that racial segregation and discrimination (not to mention slavery) differ from many other social issues in that they are rooted in a world-view that is both morally and religiously false” (Paris,

1985, 11). Paris rightly states that the Black Church has been instrumental in

72 pointing out the self-contradictory nature of the race problem institutionalized in western Christian tradition, and particularly in white American churches.

Reginald F. Davis, in his book entitled, The Black Church: Relevant or

Irrelevant in the 21st Century? questions the contemporary relevance of the

Black Church as an instrument of social transformation. Davis points out the danger of currently assuming that the church today has the same influence it wielded in the past. Regardless of the fact that he questions the Black Church’s influence, he does so only after postulating the church as the most influential black organization for confronting oppression. He agrees with Warnock, King and

Paris by stating his observation of the Black Church as, “the one undisputed dominant institution in the black community that meet the needs of the oppressed, helping them stay afloat on the restless sea of life” (Davis, 2010, 18).

As King’s movement provided the church with a clear black consciousness and awareness self-worth and value, a process Warnock’s terms conscientization, it will be left to black theologians, activist and nationalists to assume the task of systematizing a new and relevant black theology separate and distinct from Eurocentric theological thought.

Warnock’s third moment intersects my project because of its emphasis upon the establishment of a nationally galvanized Black Church movement.

Understanding the significance of the Black Church through this lens is helpful in identifying how the role the church laity play in pastoral and parishioner conflict.

More importantly, to understand the national import of the Black Church aids in empowering not only the voice of the pastor, but laity and lay leadership. Most

73 black pastors have complained that the root of internal conflict between pastor and local congregational infighting have their root in the power struggle between pastors and lay leadership, particularly lay deacons and trustees.

Chief among these influencers of Warnock’s fourth and final moment is none other than James Cone, the acclaimed father of black theology. Warnock defines the 4th movement “as the forging of a self-conscious liberation theology

(black theology)” (Warnock 2014, 20). He clearly describes its separate formation by theorizing that

Yet it was nascent black theologians---conscientized by the activist ministry of Martin King, challenged by the critique of King by the Muslim eclectic Malcom X and the young black power activists whom he had politically influenced, informed by the claims of a rising back consciousness, and led primarily by the constructive theological wor of James Cone -- who would begin to develop a self-conscious and systematic understanding of the Black Church as an instrument of liberation. This was a mission that, in their view and contrary to that of King, demanded a radical separation from the theological assumptions of white Christianity. (Warnock 2014, 33)

The formation of the 4th moment, Black Theology, led to a significant era in the history of black religious resistance to racism. Interlocking with the earlier past moments, black theology is ensconced within that history and is particularly indebted to the preceding public ministry of Martin Luther King. James Cone, having been conscientized by King’s public ministry and preaching, launched an earnest critique and powerful confrontation of the entire America white church.

Cone’s confrontation was so thoroughly offensive that it forced him to label the white church, its theology and praxis as apostates. Cone was joined by other nascent theologians as they reasoned that since the white church could not live

74 out their faith then it follows that they cannot know their faith. Warnock presents this contradiction as

The inextricable relationship between knowing the faith and living the faith. White Christians debased view of black humanity informs their incorrect view of God. Black faith and white faith are different and it is possible the white faith equates with no faith at all. Black theology would for the first time present a group of theologians who would forge a separate, exclusive, self-alienated and competing theological corpus. As black pastors as well, these theologians will take root in the Black Church, black conferences and caucuses within some white churches. Of these new voices “none was more creative or influential than James Cone. (Warnock 2014, 61)

This moment contributes to my project because it establishes black liberation preaching as a legitimate and distinct homiletical genre. To preach as

Cone suggests may result in conflict. Such preaching style is embraced within congregations that are more inclined to receive social justice preaching and concerns.

In contrast to the historical pastors of the Black Church tradition, new and preferred black pastors have substituted racial identity for a branded consumerism emphasizing their own celebrity identity. According to Paula

McGee, in her book entitled, Brand New Theology: The Wal-Martization of T.D.

Jakes and the New Black Church, the argument is presented that

Unlike the pastors of the Black Church, New Black Church pastors have substituted a racial identity with a branded consumer, or more precisely, a celebrity identity. New Black Church pastors with majority African American leadership and congregants seldom identify their churches as black. Instead, they prefer the moniker of multiculturalism, which provides a broader base for the many brands and products. (McGee 2017, 45)

I concur with McGee’s theory and would further contend that pastors who identify with the black American plight will subject themselves to pastoral and

75 parishioner conflict. Moreover, this conflict occurs when pastors are partnered with congregations that function from the newer and preferred Wal-Martized branding of ideological framework. Churches of this type have abandoned their own blackness and subsequently would consider matters of social justice to be moot and irrelevant. Conflict on various levels will most always surface.

Warnock provides a fifth moment that represents the “flowering of a self- critical liberationist community … [whereby] a more intentional collaboration between black theologians and pastors [are] committed to a new, risk taking dialogue with each” (Warnock 2014, 20-21). This is where I have a point of departure. I suggest an alternative fifth movement which occurred during the election of Barack Obama in 2008. This was a defining moment (turning point) for the Black Church that further entrenched her level of double-consciousness.

Barack Obama’s campaign for the presidency which resulted in dual elections in both 2008 and 2012 marked what many sociologists and observers termed America’s Post Racial Age. Warnock postulates,

Ironically, the urgent need for the Black Church to engage in serious and sustained self-examination, so as to clarify the theological content of its own message, was brought into sharp focus during Barack Obama’s run for the presidency in 2008 and in the wake of his public statements in support of gay marriage while running for reelection in 2012. A new age had emerged. To be sure, this was no post racial America, as some had claimed. (Warnock 2014, 144)

This apparent post racial America has since been proven to be a misnomer as the election of Donald Trump has demonstrated. However, the critique that the

Obama years cast upon the Black Church has warranted and exposed many of her conflicts. Questions such as, was Barack Obama typical of all black

Christians? Was his church a prototype of Black American churches in general?

Is all black preaching characterized as seen and heard in the sermons trumpeted by Obama’s pastor, Jeremiah Wright. What is Black Theology and does it threaten the so called American way of life? These are just a few of the types of questions that floated around the Obama era while simultaneously narrowing a spotlight on the identity of the Black Church. This identity, heretofore, relatively unknown by white America came under vicious scrutiny.

The Jeremiah Wright scrutiny in 2008 and Obama’s support for gay marriages in 2012 brought the issue of race and sexual orientation to the forefront. Because both of these matters are entrenched in the long standing of social justice concerns, the meaning of liberationists thought and preaching espoused through the Black Church experience came under scrutiny. Warnock opines at this juncture that,

If during the former, the Black Church was scrutinized and attacked for the liberationist content of its message, during the latter, that same community was force to wrestle with the implications of its liberationist message for gays, lesbians, and transgendered persons sitting in its own pews and already active in its ministries. Both require deep soul searching and honest dialogue among black pastors and theologians and between black pastors and theologians. (Warnock 2014, 144)

I would argue, however, that the soul searching to which Warnock is alluding should stretch beyond black pastors and theologians. The Obama era pulls not only Black Church leadership into account, but also the Black Church laity and overall community. The Obama era and its implications has so impacted the

Black Church and community that a new era in black religious history has been clearly defined and bracketed.

Jeremiah Wright’s “God damn America” comment in a thirty-second clip that was viewed by millions around the world brought the meaning of fiery black social justice preaching under laser-like criticism. Accused of preaching a hate- filled message, Wright’s short sermon clip solicited all kinds of racists labeling and public disdain for contemporary black christianity. The merits of the Black

Church and her place in white American society were questioned; and Wright himself was labeled a home grown domestic terrorist. In a Doctor of Ministry in

Black Church Studies class at Ashland Theological Seminary entitled, Prophetic

Proclamation, Dr. Jeremiah Wright shared the public debate around his nearly twenty year membership with Barack Obama in his church. This revealed the misunderstanding that white Americans held with regards to the Black Church.

Wright revealed the harm and disruption to his personal life that right wing conservatism had rained down upon him. Death threats to both him and his family were commonplace.

Jeremiah Wright’s passion for prophetic proclamation brought into question for black activists, Millennials and the unchurched, the relevance of the

Black Church. Yet, if Trinity United’s mission centered around social justice and liberation, and what the Black Church should be doing; then what are these other

Black Churches, some who have reached mega status, really all about? It begs the question, Is the Black Church unapologetically Christian, but ashamedly black? This is precisely the tension reflective in pastoral to parishioner conflict as well as Black Church to black community relations. Warnock summarizes and I concur,

In that regard, it is quite ironic that in recent years, the Black Church’s public voice has not been heard on the government’s treatment of the poor or the devastating impact of America’s growing prison-industrial complex on its own community, but it was heard loud and clear in opposition to gay marriage, as if that been the threat to black people’s survival. Moreover, too many preachers and their churches have embraced a distorted theology of prosperity that is disengaged from the needs of the poor who are often surrounding the church and is disconnected from any theological vision of communal liberation. (Warnock 2014, 152).

I am convinced that the present day mass migration of back Millennials and youth away from the Black Church can be directly related to the Obama era and its impact upon the contemporary meaning of black religion and the Black

Church. Suddenly, many black traditional pastors woke up to empty pews and those pastors who dared to remedy the dire situation through social justice outreach soon found themselves embroiled in pastoral and parishioner conflict.

In summary, Warnock convincingly argues on behalf of the double consciousness that persists in both the theology and praxis of the Black Church.

Warnock’ conclusion provides the very ingredient necessary for the eruption of pastoral and parishioner conflict. In other words, because the Black Church is conflicted within herself; the tension can and does result. This is especially seen in the Obama era of the Black Church debacle with Dr. Jeremiah Wright and the

Trinity United Christian Church in Chicago. Not only did this widely scrutinized news media event reveal how the Black Church is misunderstood by white

America, but it also exposed black social justice preachers to the tension that such preaching reveals within its own congregation. It demonstrated that not only is white America oblivious to the tenants of black theology, but similarly, the black laity is equally ignorant of the same. The black pastor who presents a gospel

79 message emphasizing the importance of social justice, as does Jeremiah Wright, subjects himself to pastoral and parishioner conflict from within; and pastoral and community conflict from without. This I see as an origin of conflict and it still percolates in the present Black Church.

Preaching Liberation: A Pastor’s Dilemma

It is undeniable that the Black Church has fallen short in her commitment to liberation and social change. James Harris, in his book, Pastoral Theology: A

Black-Church Perspective (1991), argues that “the religion of the Black Church, although historically different in expression, needs to be radically different in its ability to foster a transformation of the condition of black urban life. This means that the black preacher has a responsibility to reexamine the gospel message in light of the enigmatic social reality that constantly stresses blacks and the poor in the face” (Harris 1991, 4). I contend that most black pastor’s divorce their ministry praxis and pulpit preaching from issues of social justice. Instead, the

Black Church spends most of her emphasis on praising God and soul transformation. Supported by white evangelical conservatism, the Black Church for the most part, demonstrates little concern for the social condition of its own people. Harris avers, “Moreover, the Black Church has fallen short in its commitment to liberation and social change, reflecting the conservatism of the modern white evangelical movement” (Harris, 1991 4). In order to understand the chasm that spans between the current Black Church and the urban community, it is important to briefly discuss the history of evangelicalism in America.

The roots of the word ‘evangelical’ dates back to the 16th century

Protestant Reformation. During this time, Roman Catholicism placed more emphasis upon sacramental salvation; whereas Protestantism emphasized individual soul salvation. Two centuries later, the American colonies were swept by an Evangelical Revivalist movement that would give new meaning to the term evangelicalism.

Individual conversion as based in scripture, is entrenched in evangelical thought. Personal salvation is centermost in its biblical rationale and practice; while socio-political issues are marginalized. Their interpretive failure with regards to scripture surfaces by the lack of acknowledgement that scripture also undergirds black liberation theology, as Cone as scripturally demonstrated.

Harris buttresses this indictment and suggests, “in addition, the belief in Sola

Scriptura fails to acknowledge that the Scripture overwhelmingly supports the position of liberation theology regarding God taking sides with the poor and oppressed rather than with rich oppressors” (Harris 1991, 5). Although the white

American brand of evangelicalism is dominant on American soil, there are other non-American evangelicals that clearly align their interpretation with liberation. Of particular note, Harris puts forward the radical evangelicalism espoused in the

Soweto Model in its fight against South African apartheid as an example of a more radicalized brand of evangelicalism. The framers of the Soweto evangelical model conclude that “salvation and social change cannot be separated from one another” (Harris 1991, 9). For the Black Church in America, the Soweto

Evangelical Model provides the best alternative in aiding black Americans from

81 transitioning from merely participating in the status quo to changing the social system that continues to oppress them. The black preacher in America needs exposure to radical liberation theology and to be equipped to withstand the conflict that such exposure may invoke.

Harris challenges the preacher to avoid empty religion, that is “religion with form and only form” (Harris 1991, 16) without power. In other words, messages without substance lack transformational power. Unfortunately, there persists among black congregants a swelling appetite for the shallow, yet mesmerizing enthusiasm of black pastors and preachers. Form rather than content has become a normative feature of black preaching. Harris implores that empty religion is marginal at best and lacks the power to transform both the individual and society. This is observed particularly in the black pastor. He claims

“The Black Church is not exempt from this criticism because there is a tendency among clergy and laity to be superficial and flamboyant” (Harris 1991, 16). If this indictment is veritable and I believe it is, then it helps explain the laissez faire disposition that exists among black pastors and parishioners. This notion intersects my project at this juncture. Lackadaisicalness and lack of urgency within Black Churches almost certainly fuel pastoral and parishioner conflict. This is significantly the case when one group is more disengaged than the other. The question can be asked at this juncture, What is the experience of the pastor who refuses to accommodate such congregational complacency?

Harris intimates at the potential for pastoral and parishioner conflict when the black pastor chooses to become a non-accommodationist. Moreover, Harris

82 challenges the preacher to avoid being an accommodationist; that is the preacher “tends to do what he or she perceives to the the expectation of the laity, rather than [developing] the laity to a new understanding regarding liberation practices” (Harris 1991, 27). This I see as the challenge that the Black pastor faces in the contemporary Black Church. We have clearly moved away from our nascent and historical connection to liberationists preaching. The black preacher/pastor must bear the brunt of the blame due to his/her reliance on empty religious praxis. Too many sermons have been disproportionately preached emphasizing soul salvation and other worldliness. None of these sermons, songs and prayers have aided in tearing down the structures of oppression that are institutionalized in American society. Cone is correct when he isolates the blame on the black preacher. Wilmore joins Cone in expanding this criticism to both pastors and leaders who have assimilated their practices more in accord with white evangelism. Cone echoes Wilmore, heralding

It is not because black theology is obscure, unbiblical, or has no doctrine of the church but because the majority of back preachers confuse themselves with Billy Graham and the most unenlightened versions of white evangelicalism. Because they do not know the rock from which they were hewn, they and their people do not know who they are and the inheritance that was passed on to them by men like Benjamin Tucker Tanner, William W. Conley, and Alexander W. Walters. Because they have an understanding of redemption that cannot admit the sanctification of secular conflict and struggle. (Cone 1985, 115)

It is interesting to note that Wilmore asserts that the reason that the laity do not know is directly traced to the preacher who, unfortunately, does not know as well. In other words, the black pastor passes his own ignorance on to others.

As the black pastor and church lengthen their distance away for liberationist

83 ideology, a present and new Black Church has emerged. Presently, these new black pastors are peddling a prosperity gospel that centers around market branding and American capitalism rather than social uplift.

Paula McGee, in her book, Brand New Theology: The Wal-Martization of

T.D Jakes and the New Black Church, has coined and described the “New Black

Church”. Influenced by mega-church pastors such as T.D. Jakes, Creflo Dollar and Fred Price and a host of new black pastors, this new Black Church has forged a brand new theology grossly separated from traditional black theology.

“The Gospel of Prosperity” as she names it, emphasizes individual salvation and prosperity with no allegiance to community. McGee believes,

The New Black Church, however, stresses prosperity for the individual over community. The Pastors promote economic and material liberation in the here and now--not through the transformation of social structures but by encouraging middle-class aspirations and wealth as a goal in itself. The parishioners of the New Black Church are very comfortable with America and its dream. With a sense of entitlement, the claim a God-given right to pursue the dream and to reap all of its financial and material benefits. (McGee 2017, 54)

This brand new theology akin to the theological traditions of the past are passed down from the top to the bottom, from the pastor to parishioner. Since the sermon is the most important theological moment in the black worship experience, the new black pastor uses his rhetorical influence to gain more adherents. These same pastors are the leading critics of traditional Black

Churches.

Furthermore, Harris recommends that justice and righteousness should be the prevailing themes for pulpits of Black Churches. He contends,

In order for black preachers to make a difference in the condition of life in [black] Americans, their message needs to be laden with themes of freedom and justice. However, many black preachers today are following the white evangelical model of preaching redemption from personal sin, while ignoring the fact that people need to be “saved” from political and economic oppression and injustice. (Harris 1991. 91)

I am in agreement with both Harris and McGee’s assessment. Moreover, McGee expands upon Harris by suggesting that not only has the Black Church followed the white evangelical model, but have opted for a new theology, a new church and a new black preacher. Both Harris and McGee intersect my project because they each cement even more deeply the volatile duplicity in the Black Church. As the traditional Black Church continues to shrink in membership and importance, pastoral and parishioner conflict is in the wings waiting to explode.

Likewise, Marvin McMickle, in his book, Where have all the prophets gone?: Reclaiming Prophetic Preaching in America, argues for the need for prophetic preaching. McMickle acknowledges, “the need to restore prophetic preaching to a place of urgency in the life of the American church” (McMickle

2006, vii). It is clear from the outset that he presumes that prophetic preaching is absent otherwise there would be no need for its reclamation. He characterizes prophetic ministry as assuming the roles of various Old Testament prophets, namely, Micah, Amos, Jeremiah and others. He offers their preaching and context as a backdrop for understanding the dynamics of prophetic preaching.

His description and characterization of prophetic preaching is wholly consistent with concerns and issues confronted by the adherents to black theology and liberation preaching. As a matter of fact, I would suggest that prophetic preaching is a necessary expression of any liberative theology.

McMickle accuses prosperity preachers of being inaccurate in their exegesis of many biblical texts. Similar to McGee, he associates prosperity preaching with the pursuit of material wealth among other meaningless aspirations. He blames not only the church and the preacher, but the entire nation for this hapless theology. For McMickle, “The pursuit of happiness has almost been presented as the pursuit of prosperity or wealth, and that pursuit has consumed this nation from its inception” (McMickle 2006, 101). Unique to

McMickle is his bridging of America’s aspiration, wealth and human suffering.

Moreover, he sees aspirational wealth as a “driving force in most human suffering” (McMickle 2006, 102). It is rather obvious that much wealth has been accumulated by exploiting poor minority communities. Brilliantly, McMickle argues that the good life espoused by America itself was a good life forged atop the criminal enterprise of slavery. Suffice it to say, that the illusion put forward by prosperity preaching is nothing short of a damnable heresy.

McMickle intersects my project particularly as he offers up as case studies some familiar and popular black television evangelists and pastors as examples of how far some black pastors have veered away from social justice preaching.

Celebrity pastors such as I.V. Hilliard, Creflo Dollar, Fred Price and Rev. Ike have had much more influence on pastoral theology and Black Church practice than the writings of James Cone. Most black megachurches and celebrity pastors are free of the kinds of tensions and conflicts that are being waged between more traditional pastors and parishioners who are struggling to remain viable amidst such momentous competition.

Finally, Lenora Tubbs Tisdale, in her book, Prophetic Preaching: A

Pastoral Approach (2010), offers seven characteristics that make proclamation

“prophetic”. The seven hallmarks of prophetic preaching are as follows:

1. Prophetic preaching is rooted in the biblical witness: both in the testimony of the Hebrew prophets of old and in the words and deeds of the prophet Jesus of Nazareth.

2. Prophetic preaching is countercultural and challenges the status quo.

3. Prophetic preaching is concerned with the evils and shortcomings of the present social order and is often more focused on corporate and public issues than on individual and personal concerns.

4. Prophetic preaching requires the preacher to name both what is not of God in the world (criticizing) and the new reality God will bring to pass in the future (energizing).

5. Prophetic preaching offers hope of a new day to come and the promise of liberation to God’s oppressed people.

6. Prophetic preaching incites courage in its hearers and empowers them to work to change the order.

7. Prophetic proclamation requires of the preacher a heart that breaks with the things that break God’s heart; a passion for justice in the world; the imagination, conviction and courage to speak words from God; humility and honesty in the preaching moment; and a strong reliance on the presence and power of the Holy Spirit. (Tisdale 2010, 10)

Tisdale’s hallmarks have resulted from a variety of other broadly respected contributors who have proffered their own definition of prophetic preaching. Each also discusses the potential for conflict that prophetic preaching may arouse. She proceeds to explain why so many pastor’s avoid preaching in such a controversial manner. After honestly admitting her own anxiety to preach

87 prophetic sermons, as a black female preacher, she explores some possible reasons as to why many preachers shun the task. She painstakingly admits,

I suspect that I am not alone in threat anxiety. Indeed, as I talk with pastors around the country, I find many who believe that prophetic ministry is a part of their calling, but that doesn’t mean they relish or look forward to it. And frankly, if they do look forward to it, that, too, is worrisome, for prophetic ministry--as best I can tell--is not one that the biblical prophets took on because they relished doing it; they did so only because God called them to it. (Tisdale 2010, 10)

Hopeful of creating curiosity in her readers to examine their own fear of preaching prophetically she list 7 possible reasons (Tisdale 2010, 11-17):

1. An inherited Model of Biblical Interpretation that marginalizes the prophetic dimensions of scripture

2. Pastoral concern for Parishioners

3. Fear of conflict

4. Fear of dividing a congregation

5. Fear of being disliked, rejected, or made to pay a price for prophetic witness

6. Feelings of Inadequacy in addressing prophetic concerns

7. Discouragement that our own prophetic witness is not making a difference

Each of her proposed reasons directly interface with my project because they present some plausible starting points for investigating the reasons behind pastoral and parishioner conflict. Though each of her possibilities are meritorious--the fear of being disliked, rejected, or made to pay a price for prophetic witness, and the inheritance of a biblical model that marginalizes the prophetic dimensions of scripture, provide a point of intersection with my project in clear ways.

With regards to the latter reason, I would like to paraphrase and restate it as, the inheritance of a biblical tradition and preaching praxis that marginalizes the prophetic dimensions of preaching. For Tisdale, the preaching practice of marginalizing the Old Testament prophets and deemphasizing the prophetic aspect of Jesus in the gospels, was experienced in her childhood church. She confesses that the recent Black Church tradition concluded that politics has no place in worship. In addition, the churches of our upbringings accentuated evangelism over social justice. Soul transformation and personal salvation was the heart of black preaching; and church teaching, while prophetic, lingered in the periphery. After being exposed to prophetic preaching at a state university, coming to life during the Vietnam era, and experiencing the Watergate political scandal, Tisdale curiously muses, “And I remember wondering, Why is it that this whole, huge chunk of Scriptures was underemphasized in my upbringing as a

Christian in the church?” (Tisdale 2010, 11) Perhaps, this helps explain why some post-civil rights era black preachers subconsciously avoid prophetic preaching all together--they lack childhood exposure and illumination as to its import.

With regards to the fear of being disliked or being made to pay a price for preaching to matters concerned with justice, one must only consider the assassinations of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. or Malcolm X and their obvious impact upon the black preachers. One could surmise that his death is the clear manifestation of the conflict and threat solicited by truth telling and prophetic preaching. Much has been written of the impact of King’s death on the Black

Church, however, it also aided in squelching the prophetic voice in the black pulpit. McMickle’s question, as also echoed by Tisdale, thunders loud and clear, where have all the black prophets gone?

Tisdale captures the latent fear of many black pastors to preach prophetically. When discussing the issue with a seasoned preacher participating in one of her lectures, she remembers,

At the midday break one of the participants came up to me--a man who had been in ministry for many years and was nearing retirement--and spoke with me about his own fears. “I want to be honest here and say that I am afraid to be a prophetic preacher. I need my job. I am the sole support of my family, and I need my income to support us. When I read what happened to the prophets of old, and the price they often paid for their witness, it terrifies me. I simply cannot afford to pay such a price. (Tisdale 2010, 16)

Conversely, it is quite probable that at the center of pastoral and parishioner conflict in the Black Church today is an empowered and eager laity waiting to dismiss the pastor and make him pay for preaching in this manner. After all, it is well known that most church folk resist change.

In summary, Harris adequately establishes the historical romanticizing that the Black Church and preaching tradition has experienced with prophetic preaching. He intersects my project by suggesting that the internal conflict between evangelicalism and liberation is still latent within the Black Church. He thoroughly argues that the black congregation is by her very nature, divided.

McMickle and Tisdale suggest the same however, they explore the black pastor’s contribution to the conflict especially when he/she has chosen to preach and minister prophetically.

In the Face of Conflict and Mayhem

Pastoring is a difficult task in and of itself; however, how does one pastor and preach in the midst of a storm. To pastor under a cloud of conflict and controversy makes the task daunting. In the book, Preaching through the Storm,

H. Beecher Hicks poses this question: “How does one minister to the enemies of his soul? When a person’s theological training has provided no answers, and the preacher himself describes the pastorate as ‘the worst job you will ever love,’ how does he cope with an inevitable crisis? (Hicks 1987, 10). Hick’s observation illustrates the emotional intensity and conflict that often percolates within the psyche of the pastor his/herself when embroiled in pastor and parishioner conflict. Within my congregational context, a legendary local history is abuzz regarding the church’s history and its tendency to be at war with pastors. Second

Baptist Church of Akron, Ohio was known as a high-minded church that always fights with her pastors. Throughout the recent history of the church, she had been known for conducting a litany of explosive church business meetings.

During these times church worship services were often interrupted by outbursts from within the congregation demanding accountability from the pastor or his all- out removal from office.

One such period occurred around the Christmas holiday in 2005 and is well documented in the Summit County Court of Common Pleas Court Case No.:

CV-205-01-0670: Rev. Jeffrey A. Thomas versus Second Baptist Church, et. al.

After months of business meetings and explosive tension, a court settlement was reached. Jeffrey Thomas, the outgoing pastor, was awarded a $55,000.00 dollar

91 settlement. Ironically, the pastor was hauled into court under the vague and subjective charge that he violated his church constitutional authority by modifying the order of worship service without consulting with the church Board of

Deacons. Furthermore, he was alleged to have neglected to consult with church leadership regarding the church’s caring ministry. After being called as pastor to the church on March 23, 2004, approximately 2 years later, on December 6,

2005, both parties were summoned into the Summit County courthouse for mediation.

Some 15 years later, in a phone interview with Jeffrey Thomas, he discussed the lingering, deep hurt and troubling of soul he was experiencing. He remarks, “It’s been 15 years since my conflict with the members of Second

Baptist Church Akron, Ohio and the scars and wounds are still in my mind to this very day. I will always remember what they did to myself and family. It was a terrible experience, one that still hurts me to this day” (Thomas 2020) His wife also remarked just how devastating was the experience and how she would never ever forget how the church in her words, “turned on them”. This is a real life testament as to the harmful and disconcerting emotional wounds that may result through the actual experience of pastoral and parishioner conflict in the local Black Church. In the case of Pastor Thomas, the courts ruled in his favor, but the lingering effects of the tension still lives on.

This lingering emotional wound not only persisted within the pastor, but also amongst the laity. In another phone interview with Ms. Ladonna Hunter, a long standing member, she recalls the emotional impact that the controversy had

92 upon her and various other church members. She vividly recalls the deep sorrow and empathy that she felt for the pastor and his family. She recounts the emotional pain and conflict that it caused within her. She states, “I will never forget how mean those church members were to Pastor Thomas. I especially remember how hypocritical they were as they smile in his face while stabbing him in his back. I will never forget what they did” (Hunter 2020). To this present day, she is the secretary/clerk of the same church and one can only imagine the effect that her recollection has upon her in her current leadership role within the church.

Are there signs ... can you predict mayhem? Conflict? Can a pastor predict when a storm is brewing? Did you ignore the signs? Hicks argues that storms are unavoidable. Conflict will come. However, what is the preacher’ response? Hicks contends,

the preacher-pastor ... must become adept at the art of storm prediction. This does not mean that the preacher-pastor must be constantly looking for trouble, always searching for a rumor to squelch, and suspicious of a storm at every wisp of the wind. It does mean, however, that with proper diagnostic (and even detective) devices the pastor-preacher may be forewarned of the brewing disturbance, warn others of its potential impact, and while saving others, save himself as well. (Hicks 1987, 35).

In other words, before the storm, there were several unmistakable signs or smaller clouds that arose. These smaller clouds represented signs of the coming storm. These smaller clouds or signs of a coming storm can include: leadership disagreements, fiscal integrity, church programming or organizational structure

(constitution) of the congregation. When a church has had a history of conflicts with pastors in the past, one can successfully prognosticate that those tensions will persist in the future. It is clear from Hicks, McMickle, Warnock and other like-

93 minded pastoral scholars that the Black Church, with pre-described internal conflicts, is ripe for these kinds of altercations and conflict. A conflicted church that is already divided in her theological foundation will necessarily experience conflict in her praxis.

Moreover, Hicks opines that storms do not just happen. There are identifiable causes and specific reasons for pastor-parishioner conflict. Thus,

Hicks unpacks four danger signs for the pastor-preacher to be aware of to avoid or reduce the impact, if at all possible, conflict. The following are characteristics or undertakings that a church is heading into a storm or conflict:

1. Churches which do not invest in a serious, responsible, systematic program of Bible study ... Any church which spends more time developing the rules of man than it does developing the spiritual mindset, that is, controlled and committed to biblical principles may already be in a storm and not even know it.

2. Churches which adopt the standards of corporate America as a tool of administration and governance … [If so,] the use of these professional instruments must always be governed and guided by the positive principles clearly enunciated by the Word of God.

3. Pastors who tailor their preaching to suit their audience are courting disaster.

4. Churches which do not insist on a compassionate but firm basis of church discipline and decorum are storm-bound. Unless pastors- preachers and church boards have the moral courage and conviction to consistently maintain a Bible-based system of church discipline, even to the development of a consistent statement of church decorum and behavior, who knows what hurricanes of hate and hailstorms of hell are on the horizon? (Hicks 1987, 101-103)

In essence, one of the main reasons for pastoral and parishioner conflict is the authority of the pastor-preacher. He or she becomes a threat and this has immediate consequences. Hicks contends that the main reason for pastor-

94 parishioner conflict is the nature and the power of pastoral leadership. There are often formal and informal power structures within the Black Church. He argues,

There is within the Black Church a whole layer of leadership which is unseen and never casts a ballot in the meeting of the board, but which has influence and power and is always completely informed of every action taken by the board or the pastor. This informal level of leadership runs on the hind’s feet of rumor, in hallway exchanges of information, and through downright gossip. In all too many churches the real decisions are made through this informal “grapevine” rather than by the formal structures of church administration. (Hicks 1987, 161)

The four aforementioned components and their potential for conflict often appear in church constitutions and bylaws that especially provide in their wording the conditions for obvious dispute between pastor and parishioner. This is apparent when one investigates the language recorded in the former bylaws of

Second Baptist Church of Akron. Pastor Jeffrey Thomas confided that he was “in the process of changing the bylaws when all hell broke out between him and the church leadership” (Thomas 2020). In a document labeled: Agreement: The

Second Baptist Church of Akron Ohio and Pastor Jeffrey Thomas, it states

“Authority Of the Pastor: All decisions regarding the SBC (Second Baptist

Church) by the Pastor will be made prayerfully and in consultation with appropriate boards. He may modify the order of service as appropriate with consultation from the Boards of Deacons” (Agreement SBC 2005, 6). In addition, various other items limited and constrained the authority of the pastor while broadening and empowering the authority of the laity. These included items, such as limiting the pastors influence over the pulpit, guest preachers, general work of ministry, and financial decision making. The moment Pastor Thomas signed that agreement, the seeds for pastoral and parishioner conflict were germinated. It

95 soon blossomed into conflict that would eventually oust him from the church and city.

As it relates to the congregates, Hicks asserts that there are three elements that make up contemporary black congregations that have led to pastoral and parishioner conflict:

First, congregations are better educated. The preacher is no longer the most highly educated person. Second, congregations have within them persons knowledgeable about and skilled in the use of management systems. Third, congregations have within them people who seek power in the church to compensate for their inability to exercise it in their places of employment. (Hicks 1987, 56)

This is especially true in black congregations that are composed of higher educated suburban blacks. Hicks is supported by McMickle in his book,

Preaching to the Black Middle Class, who underscores this problem. Churches who are composed of members who drive in from the outlying suburbs and possess a higher level of education are placed in conflict with black urban dwellers who are a part of the local membership. Quite often church buildings remain in the heart of the inner city while a significant portion of its membership no longer reside in that community. McMickle raises the following questions,

What are the spiritual needs of the middle-class people inside those churches? What has upward mobility and migration out of the inner city created for them in terms of stress, new forms of racism, and new associations and organizational ties that rival the church for people’s time and financial support? At the same time, what are the outreach responsibilities of those black middle-class churches to the people in the surrounding neighborhood who very likely relate to that church more as clients than as congregants? (McMickle 2000, 11)

He admits later that these problems pose significant challenges for congregations that “must reach out into the wounded blacks sitting in its pews

96 and reach out to the wounded souls standing on the nearby corners” (McMickle

2000, 11). This challenge is precisely the kind of tension that may erupt within the congregation as it attempts to carry out her care ministries, building expansion efforts and social justice practices and teaching.

Another reason for pastoral-parishioner conflict centers around the churches ability to adjust to changes and adjustments in worship and practice.

Hicks opines that “while we want to believe that the church is separate from the world, the reality is that the church is dramatically and forcefully affected by the social dynamics of contemporary life. And wherever there is change, you have an

[ensuing conflict] ... [Storms] may come in the form of resistance to change or of insistence on change” (Hicks 1987, 184). As it relates to Pastor Thomas and his contest with the leaders and parishioners at Second Baptist Church Akron Ohio, his pastoral desire to change the bylaws and constitution resulted in having to appear in court.

Additionally, Thomas’ desire to bring the church’s antiquated financial record keeping system away from pencil and paper toward a more modernized computer based system was met with vehement rejection. During this conflict, church records reflect that even though the church’s own paid attorney recommended the same change be put into place, it was met with opposition. In a letter dated November 4, 2005 from the accounting firm hired by church leaders the following request was made,

One of the biggest concerns that I have is that the present system is very time consuming and somewhat burdensome. The same numbers are posted into many different records. It requires a high level of skill; patience and knowledge of the bookkeeping system like that of Mrs. Pryear. It

would be difficult to find a replacement if she was unable to continue those duties since more and more people are used to working with computers and don’t necessarily have the skills to handle large amounts of calculator work. Much of the time could be reduced by a computerized accounting system. (Sullivan & Lipkin CPA’s 2005)

It was not until 2008, when Mrs. Pryear resigned that a new computerized system was adapted to replace the old prioritized pen, paper and pencil system.

Unfortunately, the new Pastor who happened to be this author, was also met with resistance from the laity in order to efficiently complete the requested task. This conflict between myself and the administrative board at Second Baptist Church,

Akron, Ohio was my earliest confrontation. Fortunately, Sis. Pryear gracefully resigned from her financial clerical duties and remains a very supportive member of the church. She has remained a vocal and loving supporter of her Pastor and often likens him to her own surrogate son.

One positive result of pastoral and parishioner conflict for the pastor- preacher is the development of humility. Hicks further contends that when a pastor-preacher is caught in a storm, he or she must ask the question: “What is my purpose? What am I really trying to achieve with God’s people? Are we as pastors guilty of an iniquitous arrogance to presume that because we say it, it ought to be done--without question, without reservation?...Such storms can have positive value if they serve to ‘depedestalize’ the preacher and keep him humble”

(Hicks 1987, 57). In essence, these kinds of conflicts have the potential to contribute toward the pastor’s own spiritual formation and to do so in a positive way. This is true particularly when the pastor chooses to fight it out and remain steadfast. Carla Thomas, the wife of Pastor Jeffrey Thomas, testified that “even

98 though he was booted out of the church, his exiting served to strengthen his spiritual resolve and taught him a lot with regards to who could be trusted, and his ability to spiritually discern has been enhanced” (C. Thomas 2020).

Finally Hicks suggests that an outcome for pastor-parishioner conflict is grounded in the biblical insistence that “God still has a remnant. Within every congregational community there is a remnant who will not be deceived or deterred” (Hicks 1987, 131). At Second Baptist Church, Akron, Ohio, a small group of faithful members persevered through the troubling conflict and are still faithful and allegiant to the mission of the church and her work for the greater good. These members are still actively engaged in the work of the church and are loyal and supportive of the present pastor. Though wounded and scarred, this remnant demonstrates through their present resolve their commitment to the higher cause and mission of the church. This remnant cannot be deterred by pastoral and parishioner conflict. Unlike the many that left the church amidst the era of conflict, they remained steadfast.

In summary, in 2007 I was elected as pastor of the Second Baptist Church in Akron, Ohio. I can recall during those first 4 years of pastoring, I preached an unusual amount of funerals. Many of those deaths were individuals that assumed influential roles and key leadership positions throughout the previous pastor’s tenure. Most of them were listed as key players in the pastoral and parishioner conflict at Second Baptist Church during the years of 2004-2006. I recall being provided a list of their names from the church's records and I kept this list in my personal Bible. I had no ill intent in doing so, but was merely carrying them

99 around as an aid to assist me, at remembering their names. After a few years it abruptly dawned on me that I had funeralized the greater majority of them. Those who were not eulogized, eventually left the church and only a handful are alive at the time of the writing and research for this project. It saddens me to acknowledge that the majority of the leaders involved in the recent pastoral- parishioner conflicts at Second Baptist Church Akron have never once apologized for the obvious emotional and spiritual trauma suffered by the congregation during those times of dispute. From the original list, only a few are alive and only one remains an active member of the church. Of the one that remains, he is no longer chairman of the board and does not engage in any meaningful way in the current work of the church. Moreover, it should be noted that one key player eventually repented to both the former and present pastor.

He has since gone on to heaven.

To summarize, based on the aforementioned literature and sources, the following is a list of major causes of parishioner and pastoral conflict:

1. The influence of informal (unseen) leaders. This group of influencers may or may not hold positions of leadership, however, their influence is far reaching throughout the lay membership.

2. The church’s financial administration policies, procedures and accountability.

3. The church’s ability to adjust to changes and adjustments in worship and practice.

4. The location of the church can cause conflict. Too often church buildings remain in the heart of the inner city; while a significant portion of her membership no longer reside in that community.

5. Pastors who tailor their preaching to suit their audience are courting with disaster.

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6. The church’s constitution and bylaws can especially provide in their wording the conditions for obvious dispute between pastor and parishioners. Unclear and ambiguous language contained in these important documents may foster conflict as pastors and parishioners grapple to understand their various authorities and privileges.

7. The church’s care ministry and her ability to reach out to the wounded congregants sitting in her pews can cause conflict.

8. Prophetic Preaching may be resisted in many black congregations which has the potential to fuel pastoral and parishioner conflict.

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CHAPTER FOUR

DESIGN, PROCEDURE, AND ASSESSMENT

This chapter will describe the design and procedures utilized to complete this project. I will also discuss context, participants, design, assessment, overview and goals. Finally, I will explore the local reputation that Second Baptist church has garnered as both a liberative institution as well as a church entangled with pastoral and parishioner controversy and conflict.

Purpose

The purpose of my project is to discover the reasons for conflict between the pastor and parishioner at Second Baptist Church in Akron, Ohio.

Context

Second Baptist Church in Akron, Ohio was founded in 1892. She is also the second oldest black congregation in the city, second only to Wesley Temple

A.M.E. Zion. A group of eighteen individuals claiming themselves to be Baptist

Christians occupied a small church on the corner of James and Hill Street.

Second Baptist was organized, and the Rev. James Cheatham was the first pastor. He served for just one year.

In February 1893, Reverend Royal Allen Jones was called to pastor this small, but growing congregation. The Akron Beacon Journal featured a story about the history of Second Baptist Church and its connection to liberative preaching. According to the article, “In search of a better life, Reverend Royal

Allen Jones moved to Ohio in 1880 at age 21, and found work at coal mines near

Doylestown and Wadsworth, digging toward a dream of becoming a minister. His

102 quest for social justice led him to co-found the Equal Rights Club of Wadsworth and served as secretary” (Akron Beacon Journal 2019). In the same year, the city of Akron had approximately 27,061 residents, and included only a few hundred blacks.

This event, along with his liberative mindset, served as the founding of

Second Baptist Church as a Black Church steeped in liberational thought and social justice praxis. The same article records that “Jones was ordained a minister in 1893 and served as pastor of Akron’s Second Baptist Church for nearly 50 years. As a civil rights leader, he advocated for better relations between races. As a community leader, he nudged Akron officials to do the right thing” (Akron Beacon Journal 2019).

As the rubber industry expanded in Akron, workers flooded the area. Over the next few decades Second Baptist’s congregation grew from her 18 member origin into the low hundreds. The newspaper recorded on March 6,1983 that the ministry of Rev. Jones and Second Baptist Church marked a season of revival in

Akron.

In the 1920s Akron’s population exploded from 42,728 in 1900 (with 525 blacks) to 208,435 (with 5,580 blacks). Christianity for Jones and Second Baptist church was believed to be a great equalizer for black people. Jones preached that nothing remains but to give the Negro a Christian education, and teach him to make it practical. He said, “This will put him into a strong moral platform, a cultivated mind and means of bettering his condition financially. With these things at universal possession, the last traces of race difference and difficulty will

103 forever disappear; for the Christ spirit will rule and teach to all that year brethren”

(Akron Beacon Journal 2019). From this theological and ecclesiological framework, Jones did not hesitate to speak out to the issues of his day thus cementing the church, as a liberative Christian organization concerned with freedom and equality for all blacks. From this group, three additional local congregations were organized: Mount Olive Baptist Church, Bethel Baptist

Church and St. Paul Baptist Church. In February, 1920, Reverend Jones and the increased membership purchased a larger building from the United Brethren

Church at 188 East Center St.

In 1941, Rev. Stanley Linton became pastor. During this time, the church became widely known as a church nestled in liberative practice, particularly with regards to women’s rights. In a phone interview with Francine Blake, who was born into the church and baptized at 7 years old in 1964, she fondly recounts how the Boy Scouts of America and the Council of Negro Women were two of many organizations in which the church was involved. She recalls how “the social mission of the church occurred on a daily basis” (Francine Blake 2020). Civil

Rights national personalities would frequent the church. She expressly remembers the visit of Mary Bethune Cookman. The church’s social justice motto was “if you know about him, talk about him”(Francine Blake 2020). The church was very popular.

In 1975, Second Baptist Church purchased the present site, 690 South

Main St. In 1978, Reverend Stanley Lynton retired after 37 years (1941-1978).

He was succeeded by Reverend Isaiah Paul (1980-1983), Reverend William

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Roberts (1983-1985), Reverend Frank Hearns (1987-1990), Reverend Irece T.

Bradley (1990-2002), Reverend Jeffrey Thomas, (2002-2007) and Roderick C.

Pounds, Sr. (2007-present).

Second Baptist Church in Akron, Ohio experienced nine pastors in her

122-year existence. Reverend Royal Allen Jones pastored the longest, nearly 50 years; followed by Reverend Stanley E. Lynton who pastored for 36 years. After the decades-long pastorates of Jones and Lynton, Dr. I.T. Bradley, who pastored for 15 years is the only other pastor that lasted more than ten years. The ministries of Paul, Roberts, Hearns and Thomas were marred by pastor and parishioner conflict. These battles resulted in court appearances, public embarrassment, causing Second Baptist Church to garner the reputation of a church that fights its pastors.

Two of the more recent pastoral and parishioner conflicts are recorded in the court dockets of The Court of Common Pleas Summit County, Ohio Civil

Division (Case No. CV 05 01 0670, The United States Bankruptcy Court Northern

District of Ohio Eastern Division (Case No. 10-40494), and The Summit County

Civil Court (case TV-19997-08-4860); and span across a ten year period (2006-

2017). It is sufficient to conclude that not only did these shameful conflicts between the pastor and parishioner make it to the courthouse, but also were embarrassingly played out within the church’s walls.

Participants

Presently, Second Baptist Church is comprised of approximately 400 active members, including: ninety percent (90%) female, ten percent (10%) male,

105 twenty percent (20%) under age 25, fifty-five percent (55%) between the ages of twenty-five and fifty-nine, and twenty-five percent (25%) age sixty and above.

The participants were those members who were directly or indirectly involved in pastoral and parishioner conflict throughout their history with Second Baptist

Church. The participants were informed that the information collected from the questionnaire would be used to determine why pastor and parishioner conflict occurred at Second Baptist Church in Akron, Ohio.

Design

The purpose of this project was to discover the reasons for pastoral and parishioner conflict in Second Baptist Church, Akron, Ohio. I consulted with other resources for the development of my survey. The survey was designed to discover the various reasons for pastoral and parishioner conflict at Second

Baptist Church. I also included a section that allowed the participant to write in reasons that were not included in the various questions.

I informed the congregation both during Sunday morning Worship Service and Bible Study regarding the nature of my research and that I was seeking volunteer participants to complete a survey regarding pastoral and parishioner conflict. I targeted those congregants who were members directly or indirectly involved in church conflict. A total of 70 questionnaires were distributed. I allowed each participant one week to complete the survey. I also designated the church clerk to collect all completed questionnaires. Out of the 70 questionnaires, 31 were completed.

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Surveys

A five-point Likert scale questionnaire with three sections was used during the completion of the project. A five-point Likert scale is “used to allow the individual to express how much they agree or disagree with a particular statement, i.e. on a continuum from strongly agree to strongly disagree and makes the assumption that [reasons] or attitudes can be measured” (McLeod

2019).

Section One of the questionnaire determined the demographics of the participants age and gender. Section Two contained 15 questions to determine reasons for pastoral and parishioner conflict; and one open-ended question requesting participants to indicate other reasons not captured that are reasons for conflict between the pastor, and members. Section Three of the questionnaire evaluated the study. The questionnaire was administered to 70 participants. Upon receipt of the completed surveys from the participants, they were secured until turned over to a field advisor for calculation. The data was compiled and analyzed from each of the three sections of the questionnaire. The data provided useful information concerning the reasons why pastoral and parishioner conflict occurs at Second Baptist Church in Akron, Ohio.

Assessment

To evaluate the study, a 5-point Likert scale with four questions was included in Section three of the questionnaire. Participants were asked to evaluate the study. The findings of this study will be evaluated and reported.

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Overview

The Black Church is undoubtedly the most significant institution in the black community. The Black Baptist Church in particular has equally been steeped in conflict from within and without. In spite of such conflict she remains central to the black community. Occurrences of internal/external church conflicts have widespread impact upon both the black community and church. Black urban myths abound regarding noteworthy church battles that have stained various local churches and regional church convocations. The societal ramifications of these conflicts are troubling. The focus of my project is to discover the reasons for pastoral and parishioner conflicts within the Black Church by investigating the conflicts that have emerged from within Second Baptist Church.

Furthermore, the black pastor mirrors the Black Church with regards to societal significance amongst the broader community. No other personality is as celebrated and iconized as is the black pastor. His/or her influence spans across and throughout the sphere of black community life. With that influence is a considerable amount of political power in matters related to black life and social uplift. Parishioners also have joined the extended community if affording the pastors significant value and worth

My motivation and interest in this project come from having been a pastor, for well over thirty years, and from witnessing the devastating social ripples that evolve from pastor and parishioner conflict. My involvement in numerous church disputes resulted in church splits, community embarrassment, and personal humiliation. Legal battles, multiple court appearances, and even jail time also

108 resulted from pastor and parishioner skirmishes. Church conflicts have impacted my family, my finances, my health and almost every aspect of my life.

Discovering some of the reasons for pastor and parishioner conflict within

Second Baptist Church in Akron, Ohio will benefit this congregation in particular, and other Black Churches and pastors in general.

Second Baptist Church has experienced nine different pastors. Some of their tenures were characterized by pastor and parishioner conflict. Court documents reveal some of the details of the battles and the ongoing community gossip. Second Baptist Church--the oldest Baptist church in Akron, Ohio-- developed a history throughout the African American community for contentious church fights, splits, and court appearances. This discovery project is an unbiased effort to determine and later discuss the reasons behind past and present conflicts. Currently, no attempt has been made to facilitate and explore such reasons.

In order to discover the reasons for pastoral and parishioner conflict I surveyed thirty-one (31) parishioners of Second Baptist Church. Each participant completed a 5-point Likert scale questionnaire, a single open-ended question; as well as an evaluation of the study. The responses given by the participants were collected and analyzed and the findings are presented in this study. The goals of this project were as follows:

1. To evaluate the secondary literature on the subject.

2. To discover the reasons for pastor and parishioner conflict at Second Baptist Church in Akron, Ohio

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3. To catalogue the variety of reasons for the conflict at Second Baptist Church in Akron, Ohio.

4. To analyze the variety of reasons for the conflict at Second Baptist Church in Akron, Ohio.

5. To make recommendations for the study. 6. To evaluate the study.

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CHAPTER FIVE

SUMMARY OF RESULTS

The Black Church is the most important and enduring institution in the black community. Forged on American soil, she has survived from the era known as the invisible institution, through reconstruction, through the Jim Crow Era, through Civil Rights Era, through the New Jim Crow era, to the present. Though she has survived and remains relevant today, she is not without controversy and conflict.

The Black Church remains enigmatic and is plagued by a double mindedness; that is, she has failed to rid herself of the dominant Eurocentric interpretation that blinds her from interpreting the bible through her own cultural lens. Rather than adopting a black biblical hermeneutical process, she has allowed her preaching and praxis to be dominantly expressed from a western

(white) perspective. Furthermore, the difficulty of re-expressing this hermeneutical privilege into the non-academic language of the black community remains a great challenge for the black theologian, pastor and parishioner.

This hermeneutical dilemma is foundational to my project because it helps one to grapple with the conflict within, without, and amongst the Black Church and community. It is crucially pivotal to acknowledge this perennial issue because pastoral and parishioner conflict cannot be thoroughly investigated apart from the aforementioned complexities. Again, It is critical for this project to understand this interconnectedness because it is probable that pastoral and

111 parishioner conflict are the outgrowth of these latent contradictions that have always persisted within the Black Church.

After nearly 40 years in pastoral ministry, I am deeply concerned about this dilemma. Furthermore, my project is driven by my own entrenchment in pastoral and parishioner conflicts. The purpose of my project is to discover the reasons for pastoral and parishioner conflict at Second Baptist Church in Akron,

Ohio. This process was accomplished by examining five goals: to evaluate the secondary literature, to discover the reasons for pastoral and parishioner conflict, to catalogue the reasons for conflict, to analyze the various reasons for the conflict, and to make recommendations for the study.

To begin this discovery investigation, I designed a five-point Likert-scale questionnaire with three sections. Section One contained the demographics of each participant; Section Two contained fifteen (15) discovery questions and one open-ended question for participants to indicate reasons why pastoral and parishioner conflict occur at Second Baptist Church; and Section Three contained the evaluation of the study. The five-point Likert scale was used to compile the averages of the participants' responses recorded in the aforementioned three sections.

There were thirty-one (31) congregants of Second Baptist Church participated in the study. From the averages that were compiled by the five-point

Likert scale, along with the various secondary sources that inform my project, I was able to identify reasons and recommendations why pastoral and parishioner conflict occur at Second Baptist Church in Akron, Ohio. In this chapter, I will

112 discuss the findings from the questionnaire, address my five goals, and the evaluation of my project.

Goal #1: To Evaluate the Secondary Literature on the Subject

The purpose of this goal is to gain insight into the possible reasons for pastoral and parishioner conflict at Second Baptist Church, Akron, Ohio.

Secondary literature contributed toward my understanding of the history of the

Black Church, black preaching and congregational politics. This is important because each of these dynamics are integral components of pastoral and parishioner conflicts.

Black Church history afforded me the opportunity to understand the theological and hermeneutical foundations that inform the Black Church’s practice and doctrine. Sources that contributed to my understanding of the influence Black Church history has had in shaping Black Church policy and practice were as follows: The Black Church in The African American Experience by C. Eric Lincoln and Lawrence H. Mamiya (1990), The Black Church in the

Post-Civil Rights Era by Anthony Pinn (2009), and Slave Religion: the Invisible

Institution in the Antebellum South by Albert Raboteau (1978).

As it relates to prophetic preaching, the following sources enlightened me regarding the significance of black prophetic preaching and its acceptance/rejection as a specific black preaching genre: The Making of a

Preacher: 5 Essentials for Minister’s Today by Marvin McMickle (2018), Where

Have All the Prophets Gone? Reclaiming Prophetic Preaching in America by

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Marvin McMickle (2006), The Heart of Black Preaching by Cleophus Larue

(2011), God’s Yes Was Louder Than My No: Rethinking the African American

Call to Ministry by William H. Myers (1994) and Black Prophetic Fire by Cornel

West and Christa Buschendorf (2014).

Secondary sources that aided me in understanding the Black Church congregational politics and the role it plays in pastoral and parishioner conflict were as follows: Black Faith and Public Talk: Critical Essays on James H. Cone’s

Black Theology and Black Power edited by Dwight N. Hopkins (2007), God’s

Transforming Spirit: Black Church Renewal by Preston Robert Washington

(1988), The Hip-Hop Church: Connecting With The Movement Shaping Our

Culture by Efrem Smith and Phil Jackson (2005), and Preaching Through the A

Storm by H. Beecher Hicks, Jr. (1987) were very informative. Moreover, articles such as Eddie Glaude’s The Black Church is Dead (2010) and When a Pastor shows up at a Black Lives Matter Meeting by Mark Whitlock (2018) both contributed to my understanding of the modus operandi spurring many Black

Church congregants who embroil themselves in church conflict.

Finally, there were several significant terms that were relevant to my project; such as, the Black Church, liberation preaching, liberation theology, social justice ministry, urban church ministry, black middle class, pastoral theology in the black tradition and Black Church praxis. These aforementioned notions and ideas were necessary for me to clearly investigate pastoral and parishioner conflict. In this case, the following secondary sources included: A

Black Theology: a documentary history volume two: 1980-1992 by James H.

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Cone and Gayraud S (2008). Wilmore, New Day Begun: African American

Churches and Civic Culture in Post-Civil Rights America, edited by R. Drew

Smith (2003), and Troubling Biblical Waters: Race, Class, and Family by Cain

Hope Felder (1989).

Goal # 2. To Discover the Reasons for Pastoral and Parishioner Conflict

The second goal of this project is to discover the reasons for pastoral and parishioner conflict at Second Baptist Church, Akron, Ohio. Section One of the survey contained the demographics of each participant. There were thirty-one

(31) congregants of Second Baptist Church who participated in the study. Out of the thirty-one (31) participants, seventy-five percent (75%) were female and twenty-five percent (25%) were male. Likewise, out of the thirty-one (31) participants, nineteen percent (19%) were between the ages of 40-49, twenty-five percent (25%) were between the ages of 50-59, thirty-one percent (31%) were between the ages of 60-69 and twenty-two percent (22%) were seventy years of age or older. Each participants’ score was calculated to determine the ratings and averages.

Section Two of the questionnaire consisted of fifteen (15) questions using a five-point Likert scale which was designed to discover the reasons for pastoral and parishioner conflict at Second Baptist Church. Table 1 illustrates the average rating and percentage of participants responses ranging from Agree to Strongly

Agree.

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Table 1. Agreement (Goal #2) Percentage of Questions Average Participants Rating (Agree-Strongly Agree)

3- Parishioners are the reason for conflict... 3.78 75%

5- Lack of trust is the reason for conflict... 3.78 75%

4- Personality differences are the reason for 3.72 75% conflict...

10- Leadership style is the reason for conflict... 3.66 72%

11- Administrative decisions are the reasons 3.56 66% for conflict...

12- Financial decisions are the reasons for 3.53 59% conflict...

2- Officers are the reason for conflict... 3.44 62%

14- Ministerial decisions are the reasons for 3.28 56% conflict...

15- Lack of shared ministry is the reason for 3.28 53% conflict...

9- Theological beliefs are the reasons for 3.13 47% conflict...

Note: The scores are averages based on a total of 31 participants. They responded using a Likert scale of 1-5 (5=strongly agree; 4=agree; 3=not sure; 2=disagree; and 1=strongly disagree).

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On question 3, “Parishioners are the reason for conflict,” the average rating was 3.78 out of a possible 5.0. This finding suggests a moderate agreement and this was the highest average score. In addition, seventy-five percent (75%) of the participants agree to strongly agree that parishioners are the reason for the conflict. This finding suggests that more often than not most parishioners will blame the congregation for the conflict rather than the pastor.

On question 5, “Lack of trust is the reason for conflict,” the average rating was 3.78 out of a possible 5.0. This finding suggests a moderate agreement and this was the highest average score. In addition, seventy-five percent (75%) of the participants agree to strongly agree that trust is the reason for pastoral and parishioner conflict. Apparently, the lack of trust is a factor between pastor and parishioners, which in turn may create conflict.

On question 4, “Personality differences are the reason for conflict,” the average rating was 3.72 out of a possible 5.0. This finding suggests a moderate agreement. In addition, seventy-five percent (75%) of the participants agree to strongly agree that personality differences are the reason for conflict. The impact of personalities can be a factor for either the pastor or parishioners. Perhaps, whether or not one is liked or disliked by the other may create conflict.

On question 10, “Leadership style is the reason for conflict,” the average rating was 3.66 out of a possible 5.0. This finding suggests a moderate agreement. In addition, seventy- two percent (72%) of the participants agree to strongly agree that the style of leadership is the reason for conflict. From this we can conclude that a majority of parishioners view leadership style as a factor in

117 pastoral and parishioners conflict. The leadership style of the pastor and other leaders were at times acceptable to the parishioners; yet at other times offensive.

As those leadership styles fluctuated, conflict could potentially erupt. This could also be true when Second Baptist Church changed from one pastor to another.

On question 11, “Administrative decisions are the reasons for conflict,” the average rating was 3.56 out of a possible 5.0. This finding suggests a moderate agreement. In addition, sixty-six percent (66%) of the participants agree to strongly agree that administrative decisions are the reasons for conflict.

However, eighteen percent (18%) of the participants responded not sure, and sixteen percent (16%) disagree to strongly disagree that administrative decisions are the reasons for conflict. Perhaps, administrative decisions, whether made by administrative board members or the pastor him/herself, such as changing the order of worship services, dates for annual programs and musical staff, may cause conflict. This observation warrants further investigation.

On question 12, “Financial decisions are the reasons for conflict,” the average rating was 3.53 out of a possible 5.0. This finding suggests a moderate agreement. In addition, fifty-nine percent (59%) of the participants agree to strongly agree that financial decisions are the reasons for conflict. However, nineteen percent (19%) are not sure and sixteen percent (16%) disagree to strongly disagree that financial decisions are the reasons for conflict. Many conclusions can be made from this data. Majority of the participants who agree to strongly agree clearly suggest that money related issues are capable of dividing a church into equal fractioning halves. This clear, yet nearly equal divide, makes

118 the nineteen percent (19%) who are unsure vulnerable for siding with one of the halves. The sixteen percent (16%) who disagree or strongly disagree might not concerned with financial matters and may become disaffected. This could explain why members move their membership during times of conflict over money matters.

On question 2, “Officers are the reason for conflict,” the average rating was 3.44 out of a possible 5.0. This finding suggests a moderate agreement. In addition, sixty-two percent (62%) agree to strongly agree that officers are the reason for conflict. However, twenty-two percent (22%) responded not sure and sixteen percent (16%) disagree to strongly disagree that officers are the reason for conflict. This is striking. Perhaps, the officers were in agreement with the vision of the pastor or among themselves; yet at other times they were not.

During these times of officer agreement/disagreement, the congregation could lean to either side of the conflict, remain indifferent or not concerned at all.

Further examination is required.

On question 14, “Ministerial decisions are the reasons for conflict,” and the average was 3.28 out of a possible 5.0. This finding suggests a moderate agreement. In addition, fifty-six percent (56%) agree to strongly agree that ministerial decisions are the reasons for conflict. Moreover, sixteen percent

(16%) responded not sure and twenty-eight percent (28%) disagree to strongly disagree that ministerial decisions are the reasons for conflict. The pastor as the chief ministerial decision maker, along with other associate ministers, may influence conflict during moments of agreement/disagreement, especially at

119 points of sharp disagreement. The respondents who are unsure to strongly disagree are almost half of the polled participants, suggesting that ministerial decisions are appropriate and acceptable. However, tensions among the ministerial body may especially spawn into broader pastoral and parishioner conflict. This warrant further inquiry.

On question 15, “Lack of shared ministry is the reason for conflict,” and the average rating was 3.28 out of a possible 5.0. This finding suggests a moderate agreement. In addition, fifty-three percent (53%) agree to strongly agree that the lack of shared ministry is the reason for conflict. However, twenty- two percent (22%) responded not sure and twenty-two percent (22%) disagree to strongly disagree that lack of shared ministry is the reason for conflict. More than half of the participants indicate that ministry auxiliary bodies, such as ushers, choirs and various other committees may cause conflict. From my observation, the more congregants become involved in shared ministries, the less likely they are to blame said ministry for conflict. The parishioner protects oneself and the shared ministry of which they belong.

On question 9, “Theological beliefs are the reason for conflict,” and the average rating was 3.13 out of a possible 5.0. This finding suggests a moderate agreement. In addition, forty-seven percent (47%) agree to strongly agree that theological beliefs are the reasons for conflict. Furthermore, twelve percent

(12%) responded not sure and forty-one percent (41%) disagree to strongly disagree that theological beliefs are the reasons for conflict. Less than half of the participants agree to strongly agree that theological beliefs are the reason for

120 conflict. One possible reason is that participants have/have not developed significant theological beliefs for themselves, yet deem it important. This is not the case for twelve percent (12%) who are unsure, and the forty-one percent

(41%) who disagree to strongly agree that theological beliefs are a factor in pastoral and parishioner conflict. Further investigation is required.

Table 2 illustrates the average rating and percentage of participants responses ranging from disagree or strongly disagree with the various reasons why pastoral and parishioner conflict occurs at Second Baptist Church Akron,

Ohio.

Table 2. Disagreement (Goal #2) Percentage of Questions Average Participants Rating (Disagree-Strongly Disagree)

13- Morality concerns are the reasons for 2.91 47% conflict...

6- Gender differences are the reasons for 2.59 50% conflict...

7- Age differences are the reasons for conflict... 2.56 56%

8- Class differences are the reasons for 2.53 62% conflict...

1- The Pastor is the reason for conflict... 1.97 88%

Note: The scores are averages based on a total of 31 participants. They responded using a Likert scale of 1-5 (5=strongly agree; 4=agree; 3=not sure; 2=disagree; and 1=strongly disagree).

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On question 13, “Morality concerns are the reasons for conflict,” the average rating is 2.91 out of a possible 5.0. This finding suggests a slight agreement. In addition, forty-seven percent (47%) of the participants disagree to strongly disagree that morality concerns are reasons for conflict. However, nine percent (9%) of the participants are not sure and forty-four percent (44%) of the participants agree or strongly agree that morality concerns are reasons for conflict. I find these results striking. More than fifty percent (50%) of the participants are not sure or agree to strongly agree that morality circumstances are reasons for conflict. One possible explanation is that many of the participants may believe that the pastor and or leadership have morality issues. These concerns could be morally categorized as sexual, ethical, fiduciary and addictive problems.

On question 6, “Gender differences are the reasons for conflict,” the average rating is 2.59 out of a possible 5.0. This finding suggests a slight agreement. In addition, fifty percent (50%) of the participants disagree to strongly disagree that gender differences are the reasons for conflict. However, thirty-one percent (31%) of the participants are not sure and nineteen percent (19%) of the participants agree to strongly agree that gender differences are the reasons for conflict. This is very striking. One observation is that most of the leadership positions are occupied by men. Perhaps, allowing women to become ordained as ministers and deacons contributed to their decision. Yet, the lack of ordained women ministers and deacons may be the reason for conflict for the fifty percent

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(50%) of participants who are unsure to strongly agree. This requires further investigation.

On question 7, “Age differences are the reasons for conflict,” the average rating is 2.56 out of a possible 5.0. This finding suggests a slight agreement. In addition, fifty-six percent (56%) of the participants disagree to strongly disagree that age differences are the reasons for conflict. However, 13% of the participants are not sure and 31% of the participants agree to strongly agree that age differences are the reasons for conflict. There are many possible reasons that can be deduced from this data. One observation is that the majority of the leadership roles are held by members who are 65 years of age and older.

Perhaps, the younger generation who represents a majority in the demographic breakdown, but a minority in the leadership representation desire a greater voice.

This requires further investigation.

On question 8, “Class differences are the reasons for conflict,” the average rating is 2.53 out of a possible 5.0. This finding suggests a slight agreement. In addition, sixty-two (62%) of the participants disagree to strongly disagree that class differences are the reasons for conflict. However, sixteen percent (16%) of the participants are not sure and twenty-two percent (22%) agree to strongly agree that class differences are the reasons for conflict. From my observation, the majority of the congregants are working class citizens.

Perhaps, the majority of the participants, who are in the category of ‘working class’, do not believe that the differences in class cause conflict. However, the minority of participants, thirty-eight percent (38%) believe that higher education

123 and greater income disparities can cause conflict. It could be that those who fall within the higher class have a greater voice than those of the lower ranks. This could be the reason for pastoral and parishioner conflict in Second Baptist church.

On question 1, “The Pastor is the reason for conflict,” the average rating is 1.97 out of a possible 5.0. This finding suggests an unimportant agreement. In addition, 88%of the participants disagree to strongly disagree that the pastor is the reason for conflict. An overwhelming percentage of the participants disagree to strongly disagree that the pastor is the reason for the conflict. Perchance, the popular affinity amongst the membership to which the pastor has been afforded, is also the same reason that makes him the object of rebellion and conflict. This can often be initiated by the minority who hold a lesser affinity for the pastor. It is quite conceivable that a small minority of members who dislike the pastor are the very reason for pastoral and parishioner conflict.

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Goal #3. To Catalogue the Variety of Reasons for the Conflict

The third goal involves Section Two of the questionnaire, The open-ended question, states: “What other reasons not captured in the questions above do you believe are reasons for conflict between the pastor and members”? Out of thirty-one (31) completed surveys, sixteen (16) answered the open- ended question. The sixteen statements were placed into 5 categories:

Inclusivity/Communication, Change/Tradition, Respect, Pastoral Leadership and

Spiritual Formation. It should be noted that two of the responses were categorized as Trust and Personality. These items were captured in the itemized questions and thus not reflected in Table 3. Table 3 illustrates the identified categories for the various reasons for conflict as indicated in the open-ended question.

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Table 3. Open-Ended Question Responses (Goal #3)

Open-Ended Reasons for Conflict Category

“…communication is bad, and the pastor needs to be Communication confronted personally and directly”

“Lack of respect…” Respect

“Inclusion in the operation/process of the ministry and fear of Inclusivity/ retaliation and public humiliation if in disagreement” Communication

“Parishioners … have difficulty accepting change within the Change/ Tradition church. …When Pastor removes programming that is traditional to the church …”

“When members know nothing about the word of God, but Spiritual Formation yet still come to church because its Sunday”

“Not knowing the history of the church, not listening to the Change/ Tradition & ones who are there, breaking up the foundation of the Pastoral Leadership church, making changes you said you would not make, breaking your promises, making false promises”

“Pastoral and staff authoritarian leadership. I would like to Pastoral Leadership see more democracy or at least more communication of the & Inclusivity/ reasons for decisions and more openness...” Communication

“Some aren’t saved and are there on behalf of Satan” Spiritual Formation

“Inconsistency in decision making on a regular basis. Lack of Pastoral Leadership follow through”

“… not open to others ideas and suggestions. … praying first Spiritual Formation & and making sure it is of God.” Pastoral Leadership

“Everybody want to be the boss” Inclusivity/ Communication

“…. the roles/responsibility of the Pastor and his sheep Spiritual Formation (us)…”

“Gossip, Jealousy, Misunderstanding, Shared Visions, Spiritual Formation Hearsay”

“Lack of communication” Inclusivity/ Communication Note: Sixteen (16) of the participants gave responses to the open-ended questions providing reasons for pastoral and parishioner conflict.

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Goal #4. To Analyze the Variety of Reasons for the Conflict

The content analysis of the open-ended questions provide critical insights.

Each open-ended question was documented and arranged into 5 categories:

Lack of Respect or Inclusivity, Change/Tradition, Spiritual Formation, Pastoral

Leadership and Communication. These categories were selected by grouping together responses that were deemed to be similar in their concerns. The numbers in the parenthesis indicate the number of responses that were included in that category. Table 4 below illustrates the percentage of participants who provided a response to the open-ended question in that grouping.

Table 4. Analysis of the Variety of Reasons for Conflict (Goal #4)

Percentage Listing Reasons for Conflict each Category

Spiritual Formation (5) 38%

Pastoral Leadership (4) 31%

Communication (4) 31% Lack of Respect/Inclusivity (4) 31% Change/Tradition (2) 15% Note: Sixteen (16) of the participants gave responses to the open-ended questions providing reasons for pastoral and parishioner conflict. The total of the percentages exceed 100% because most participants gave more than one response.

In the category labeled Spiritual Formation, which was the largest category, thirty-eight percent (38%) of the participants provided a response.

Under this category, one participant indicated that “Not knowing and/or believing 127 the roles/responsibility of the Pastor and his sheep” may cause conflict. Perhaps many congregants have not taken advantage of various biblical teachings that help one to spiritual grow and mature. This gap in learning creates a spiritually immature group that may clash with the spiritually mature. The lack of spiritual formation is a possible reason for pastoral and parishioner conflict.

In the category Pastoral Leadership, thirty-one percent (31%) of the participants provided a response. Under this category, one participant indicated that “Inconsistency in decision making on a regular basis. Lack of follow through” as the reason for pastoral and parishioner conflict. Feasibly, the participants’ responses suggest that they have issues with the pastor’s work ethic, commitment and reliability. Seeing the pastor as inconsistent and fickle may lead to pastoral and parishioner conflict.

In the category labeled Communication, thirty-one percent (31%) of the participants provided a response. Under this category, one participant indicated that “Some members need to have their questions answered publicly or privately, directly to the Pastor or through an intermediary. Mainly because they are getting the wrong information from other members. Because communication is bad, and the pastor needs to be confronted personally and directly” as the reason for pastoral and parishioner conflict. Perhaps, the respondents feel that the church, in general, fails to effectively communicate her vision, pursuits and various other activities. It is possible that misinformation and not being on the same page may contribute to pastoral and parishioner conflict.

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In the category labeled Lack of Respect/Inclusivity, thirty-one percent

(31%) of the participants provided a response. One participant indicated that

“Everybody wants to be the boss” as the reason for pastoral and parishioner conflict. There are many explanations for this statement. Perhaps, the respondents feel that there is not a clear designation for the roles or responsibilities of leaders. This lack of clarity may possibly lead to pastoral and parishioner conflict.

In the category labeled Change/Tradition, fifteen percent (15%) of the participants provided a response. One participant indicated that “Not knowing the history of the church, not listening to the ones who are there, breaking up the foundation of the church, making changes you said you would not make, breaking your promises, making false promises” are the reasons for pastoral and parishioner conflict. This may be a common occurrence in a traditional Baptist church. Change can be difficult! When change is made abruptly without clear communication, conflict may occur.

Goal #5. To Make Recommendations for the Study

Based on the goals identified in this study, I am making the following recommendations: The top 3 reasons identified by the respondents to the survey were trust, personality differences and the parishioners themselves rather than the pastor as the main reasons for conflict. The top reason for conflict identified in the open-ended question was a lack of spiritual formation. I would recommend the commencement of workshops, lectures and teaching opportunities aimed at

129 building congregational trust in the church’s polity and practice. Church polity concerns may include financial transparency and fairness in leadership selection processes should be reestablished and embraced with an emphasis upon expanding greater congregational influence/inclusion. Church practice should also be enhanced to include all members' engagement in the overall mission of the church.

Based on the analysis of the open ended questions, spiritual formation was identified as a dominant cause for conflict. I would recommend that the church began a series of bible teachings and preaching homilies aimed at promoting the development of spiritual maturity. This may also include exercises designed to pinpoint spiritual giftedness and recognition. Such activities and learning opportunities are hoped to encourage personal introspection, along with embracing one’s personality strengths and weakness. This will certainly facilitate more peaceful interpersonal interaction amongst both congregants and pastoral leadership.

Finally, I would recommend the sharing of the results of this project with the congregants of Second Baptist Church and with other local Black Churches within the City of Akron. This sharing may be accomplished during Sunday morning worship activities, mid-week services or through mass email attachments and announcements. This will enable local congregations to learn and to be made aware of the reasons for pastoral and parishioner conflict. At the same time, having gained an awareness of the possible reasons for conflict, those informed congregations may pursue opportunities for conflict management

130 and the maintenance of mutual peace. Expanding the sharing of the findings of this project may also be expanded throughout the broader region, always, with the hope of helping the local Black Church to peaceably navigate the oft time turbulent waters of pastoral and parishioner conflict.

Goal #6. To Evaluate the Study

To complete my fifth goal, to make recommendations for the study, section four of the questionnaire was designed to evaluate the study. It consisted of four questions using the five-point Likert scale to determine the participants’ evaluation of the study. Table 5 illustrates the average rating and percentage of participants whose responses ranged from agree to strongly agree.

Table 5. Evaluate the Study (Goal #6) Average Percentage of Questions Rating Participants (Agree-Strongly Agree)

3- This study should be shared with the entire 4.14 83% congregation.

4- This study has the potential of transforming the 3.62 66% church.

2- This study has the potential of reducing conflict 3.41 62% between the Pastor and members

1- This study allowed me to freely express all my 3.07 65% concerns.

Note: The scores were average based on a total of 31 participants. They responded using a Likert scale of 1-5 (5 = strongly agree; 4 = agree; 3 = not sure; 2 = disagree; 1 = strongly disagree).

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On question 3, “This study should be shared with the entire congregation,” the average rating is 4.14 out of a possible 5.0. This finding suggests an important agreement. In addition, eighty-three percent (83%) of the participants agree to strongly agree that this study should be shared with the entire congregation. This is extremely helpful for the healing and restoration of the congregation.

On question 4, “This study has the potential of transforming the church,” the average rating is 3.62 out of a possible 5.0. This finding suggests a moderate agreement. In addition, sixty-six percent (66%) of the participants agree to strongly agree that this study has the potential of transforming the church.

However, seventeen percent (17%) of the participants responded not sure and seventeen percent (17%) disagree to strongly disagree. There are many reasons why the majority of participants feel that this study may transform the church.

One possible reason is the participants’ familiarity with the church’s troubled past and are hopeful of seeing the church transformed. Moreover, thirty-four percent

(34%) of the participants who responded unsure to strongly disagree may be comfortable with the present church and that it does not require transformation.

Perhaps, there was some cynicism about the church’s ability to transform.

On question 2, “This study has the potential of reducing conflict between the Pastor and members,” the average rating 3.41 out of a possible 5.0. This finding suggests a moderate agreement. In addition, sixty-two percent (62%) of the participants agree to strongly agree that this study has the potential of reducing conflict between the pastor and parishioners. However, ten percent

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(10%) responded not sure and twenty-eight percent (28%) disagree to strongly disagree. There appears to be some hesitancy as to whether or not this study will reduce conflict. While the majority of the participants are hopeful; thirty-eight percent (38%) are doubtful or strongly disagree. Based on my observations, I contend that this study does have the potential to reduce conflict with proper leadership and direction.

On question 1, “This study allowed me to freely express all my concerns,” the average rating was 3.27 out of a possible 5.0. This finding suggests a moderate agreement. In addition, sixty-five percent (65%) agree to strongly agree that this study allowed me to freely express all my concerns. However this average suggest, seven percent (7%) responded not sure and twenty-eight percent (28%) disagree to strongly agree. Perhaps a majority of the participants took full advantage of the survey tool and see that it has potential as a mechanism to reduce pastoral and parishioner conflict; while a small minority did not.

Reporting the Results

The purpose of my project was to discover the reasons for conflict between pastor and parishioners at Second Baptist Church, Akron, Ohio. This project was very important to me because I have been directly involved in pastoral and parishioner conflict. My pastoral experience with local church conflict has emotionally wounded me deeply. Those experiences wrought for me legal consequences that materialized in numerous court visits, criminal

133 sentencing, time in jail, and multi-year probation. This is not to include financial devastation for myself and my family. To this present day, there are deep wounds even amongst my immediate family they have not been healed. Family ties have been severed, as a result of such conflict.

Thirty-one (31) participants willingly participated in this study. The respondents were all members of Second Baptist Church, Akron, Ohio. All of the participants had been either directly or indirectly impacted by such conflict.

Needless to say, I entered into this project with the preconceived notion that the church congregation and leaders from among their ranks are reasons for conflict.

Moreover, I have evaluated all of the responses both from the survey and the open-ended questions. The major findings from Table 1 indicate that parishioners, trust and personality differences are the most critical factors for pastor and parishioner conflict. From the open-ended responses, spiritual formation is the most critical factor in pastor and parishioner conflict.

Because of my forestated involvement with pastoral and parishioner conflict, I must admit that these findings gave me a small sense of vindication. To my surprise, the data also revealed various other causes for pastoral and parishioner conflict. Issues such as class, gender and tradition were also determined by the participants to be reasons for conflict. The evaluation concludes that the survey should be shared with the entire congregation in hopes to reduce pastoral and parishioner conflict.

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Finally, based on the respondents' candid engagement with the questionnaire, as well as conducting an evaluation of the study, all five goals were met.

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CHAPTER SIX

SUMMARY AND REFLECTIONS

For nearly 40 years, I have pastored various local black congregations and I have been directly involved in my share of pastoral and parishioner conflicts. These conflicts have involved physical fights, death threats and numerous court visits, including a visit to the State Supreme Court. They all resulted in church membership fluctuations and embarrassing public humiliation.

Families have been divided and personal friendships have been severed.

Pastoral and parishioner conflict within localized Black Churches has had a rippling effect throughout the black community.

Project Goals

The purpose of my project was to discover reasons for conflict between the pastor and parishioners at Second Baptist Church, Akron, Ohio. My project goals were: 1. To evaluate the secondary literature on the subject; 2. To discover the reasons for pastor and parishioner conflict at Second Baptist Church in

Akron, Ohio; 3. To catalogue the variety of reasons for the conflict at Second

Baptist Church in Akron, Ohio; 4. To analyze the variety of reasons for the conflict at Second Baptist Church in Akron, Ohio; 5. To make recommendations for the study; and 6. To evaluate the study. Each goal will be analyzed.

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Goal Number 1: To Evaluate the Secondary Literature on the Subject

My first goal for this project was to evaluate the secondary literature.

Surprisingly, secondary literature wrought new insights and revealed other reasons for pastoral and parishioner conflict. My initial suspicions did not inculcate the impact of the deep seated historical reasons behind contemporary conflicts. Though I correctly assumed that conflicts have always existed within local Black Churches, I was shortsighted in understanding how the theological and homiletical frameworks espoused by the Black Church, in general, influenced the precipitation of local congregational tension. The secondary literature convincingly exposed an internal dubiousness within the theological mind of the Black Church that vacillated between liberationist and conciliatory rationales. As liberationists, the Black Church actively steered her practices towards social justice thereby, actively engaging the broader community in its fight against oppressive forces. Contrarily, the opposite would occur within those

Black Churches that embraced a more conciliatory posture. Such Black

Churches would prove to be less involved with the outside world, disengaged in the struggle for liberation and merely waiting for a freedom reserved for the eschaton. Regardless of which posture the local congregation would assume, conflict was ripened because of these clear, yet opposing rationales; that remain in tension with each other to this very day.

Another area of tension within the historical Black Church that has led to pastoral and parishioner conflict in the local church evolves around socio- economic class. Social class grouping, as especially distinguished between the

137 lower and middle class, proved to be another dilemma for the Black Church.

Most historic Black Churches are situated in the midst of inner city communities.

As Black Churchgoers entered into a higher socio-economic class and moved into the suburbs, they also distanced themselves from the issues that are connected to urban life. At the same time, those who belong to the higher and more educated class also disproportionately occupy the leadership roles in most urban churches. Black Church administrators, executive boards and some highly educated black pastors distance themselves from the needs of lower class churchgoers and in doing so, they often clash and conflict with their fellow church members and the surrounding urban community. Conversely, those pastors who were seen to embrace the least of them and to minister to those who are socially marginalized, were also the victims of church conflict because they are perceived to be too radical and a threat to the status quo. The secondary literature shows that there are many Black Churchgoers that feel that the church should not be engaged in socio-political concerns and are resistant to any attempts by the church to do so.

Furthermore, the secondary literature exposed the utter dominance that

Eurocentric biblical interpretation has experienced in shaping the biblical and theological viewpoint held by the Black Church. It revealed how difficult it has been and still remains for the Black Church to embrace her own biblical hermeneutical perspective. The embrace of black theological thought has not been wholeheartedly embraced by the Black Church and as a result, the Black

Church remains internally double minded. Black theology is still viewed as a

138 discipline reserved for the academy rather than the church. This double mindedness also exposes the Black Church as a co-conspirator with the tenants of white Christianity and therefore an oppressor of its own people. This is evidenced by the over representation of black men as occupants of all the significant positions of influence within the Black Church.

Womanist liberationist theology is one of the more recent combatants to such thinking within the Black Church. Arguing for the equal ordination and acceptance of black female clerics, womanist biblical scholars have buttressed against an obvious and long standing black male ecclesiastical hierarchy.

Furthermore, inclusivity of black millennials and LBGTQ+ individuals into the life of the Black Church also contribute to pastoral and parishioner conflict.

This issue regarding the suppression of black women, is evident within

Black Churches whose overwhelming majority membership is composed of women who almost always outnumber the men 80% to 20% respectively. Yet, that overwhelming majority membership is not reflected within the church’s administrative personnel; as well as a limited ministry concern for the spiritual needs of single women and mothers. Black men still occupy most administrative leadership positions as well as the pulpit ministries in most Black Churches. This problem is exacerbated by the absence of young black males and millennials. All of these issues shocked me as legitimate reasons for pastoral and parishioner conflict within my own local church.

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Goal Number 2: To Discover the Reasons for Pastor and Parishioner Conflict

My second goal was to discover the reasons for pastor and parishioner conflict in Second Baptist Church, Akron, Ohio. The data from the research disclosed many varied reasons for conflict. Those reasons concluded that oftentimes parishioners, pastors, administrators, leadership styles and inclusivity issues were the reasons for tension within the local church. Out of the 31 survey participant responses, the top 4 reasons for pastor and parishioner conflict resulted in the following: 75% agree-strongly agree that parishioners are the reason for conflict; 75% agree-strongly agree that a lack of trust is the reason for conflict; 75% agree-strongly agree that personality differences are the reason; and 72% agree-strongly agree that leadership style is the reason for conflict.

These data conclusions reveal that the congregation and/or congregational leadership must be spiritually mature and spiritually unified. According to the data, the participants agree to strongly agree that the importance of co-existing in an atmosphere cultivated by a sense of being on one accord is essential toward the maintenance of peace.

Moreover, the data suggest that the pastor is less likely to be blamed for the conflict, however, his/her leadership style and interpersonal skills are vital to organizational unity. Moreover, Black Churchgoers need to feel that they are significant, represented in the church’s leadership hierarchy, and an integral part of the church’s mission. Conflict may also be mitigated when the broader black community is welcomed to be a part of the church without deference to economic class status or moral fidelity/infidelity. The church needs to accept everybody

140 regardless of where they are or have been in life. Black local churches that adopt a membership policy aimed at inclusiveness and non-judgment fare better at limiting pastoral and parishioner conflict. Those who remain exclusive and high- minded may most assuredly be characterized by fractions and tensions that fuel conflict.

Finally, the data also reveals that the theological modus operandi from which the church’s practice is informed, does contribute to predicting whether or not the church will experience pastoral and parishioner conflict. Churches that are more accommodating and less willing to involve themselves in relevant social justice concerns may be viewed as insensitive and thereby subject to community rebuke. Churches that trend away from matters of social justice may often be in conflict with oppressed communities where the symptoms of institutionalized racism are exhibited. On the other hand, Black Churches who are comfortable with a passive traditional way of functioning may indeed resist any changes aimed at becoming more actively engaged in urban community affairs. This resistance may emerge from outside the community or from among those churchgoers who are members of the congregation, but are also burdened by the weight of urban life, due to the suffocation wrought by systematic oppression.

Goal Number 3: To Catalogue the Variety of Reasons for the Conflict

The third goal of my project was to catalogue the variety of reasons for conflict. This goal was accomplished by blending together similar participant responses to the open-ended comment section into broader categories in order

141 to more clearly analyze the responses. Similar open-ended responses were grouped into the following categories: communication, respect, inclusivity & communication, change & tradition, spiritual formation, trust, and pastoral leadership. For example, when one respondent accused the pastor of “operating out of an authoritarian posture of leadership”, that particular response was placed in the appropriate category labeled pastoral leadership. Another example, the respondent proffered that “parishioners have difficulty accepting changes in church programming”, that response was placed in the category labeled change and tradition. Sixteen participants provided an open-ended response. All were neatly categorized in the same manner as put forward in the above examples.

Goal Number 4: To Analyze the Variety of Reasons for the Conflict

The top 4 identified reasons for parishioner and pastoral conflict are lack of trust, parishioners are the reasons for conflict, personality differences and leadership styles. Moreover, the open-ended responses revealed that spiritual formation, pastoral leadership, communication and inclusiveness were major reasons for pastoral and parishioner conflict in Second Baptist Church, Akron,

Ohio. The data also revealed the importance of the church’s membership growing and maturing together as a vital factor in predicting whether or not conflict might emerge. Churches that neglect to teach a unified spiritual trajectory with regards to the spiritual formation of all of their members, will eventually find those very same members embroiled in some kind of internal conflict. Churches need to take bible study and personal devotion seriously so as to ensure

142 personal spiritual formation. Immature and mature Christians almost always collide; and when spiritual formation is not offered through the church’s Christian

Education program or when such an offering is refused, that church will eventually find itself entangled in conflict. This discovery did not surprise me at the least.

However, other categorized responses revealed responses that were totally surprising. The data revealed that communication barriers and inclusivity issues were clear reasons for pastoral and parishioner conflict. It disclosed that churches that fail to communicate its general mission, administrative decisions and liturgical changes were susceptible to fostering confusion amongst the rank and file membership and thereby fomenting conflict. It suggests that the church membership needs to know and to be made aware of the church’s financial administration, administrative decisions, worship style, events and the purpose behind church praxis. Failure to communicate such things create tension and breed angst.

The respondent categories surprisingly revealed that some members of

Second Baptist Akron, Ohio feel excluded from the congregation. Thus, some members may not feel that they are significantly included in the congregation life, therefore, said members either leave or resist from within. Furthermore, they are those who may belong to the socio-economic lower class, and as a result, may feel shunned and worthless when compared to others among the congregation.

When those members of the church see themselves as less than and of little importance or are made to feel that way by others, conflict is inevitable.

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Goal Number 5: To Make Recommendations for the Study

Based on the results of this study the top 4 reasons for parishioner and pastoral conflict in Second Baptist Church are: 1. Lack of trust; 2. Parishioners are the reasons for conflict; 3. Personality differences are the reasons for conflict; and 4. Leadership styles are the reasons for conflict. With regards to the first reason, lack of trust, I would strongly recommend that the pastor, administrative staff and church leaders adopt greater transparency with respect to financial disclosure, changes in worship practice and congregational participation in the overall mission of the church. This should involve the sharing of the rationale behind such decisions and the welcoming of dialogue from the membership in matters of church polity and practice. Trust issues may be minimalized when congregants feel that they have been made aware of changes and understand financial and administrative expenditures.

With regards to the reason that parishioners are often the blame for pastoral and parishioner conflict I put forward the adage, “where there is unity, there is strength”. This is universally believed to be a true statement. I would recommend that the congregation strive toward establishing a unified and cohesive union. Unity does mitigate against congregational confusion and conflict. Churchgoers succumb to agitation and frustration when they are surprisingly confronted by organizational changes that counters that to which they have become accustomed. Parishioners are less apt to resist when they have been pre informed regarding such changes. These types of informative

144 communications may be disseminated in a plethora of manners, however, the goal of such communique should always emphasize unity.

With respect to personality issues as a reason for pastoral and parishioner conflict, I would recommend that the church particularly invest in the maintenance of a healthy mental disposition for all of her leaders and especially her pastors. It is important that the pastor exhibit and invest in knowing him/herself before he/or she can authentically know and interrelate with others.

This is also true of the pastor’ administrative staff and official executive board personnel. Mental health is an historically neglected concern for the Black

Church and the black community. In an article entitled, How Churches Are

Addressing the Mental Health Needs of the Black Community, the writer, Norissa

Williams states,

In the black community, faith leaders often play an important role in healing. As mental health becomes a growing concern among all populations, religious leaders are recognizing their place not just as spiritual counselors, but also as critical resources for their congregants’ emotional and psychological needs. Historically, churches that serve the black community haven’t just functioned as houses of worship. Black Churches have also served as broader community resource centers, fostering social engagement, encouraging political organization, and providing a space for worship. (Williams 2018)

She further argues, “It stands to reason that it can be a place that is well- resourced to be able to meet the needs of the congregants and provided with more education on mental health” (Williams 2018). I strongly agree with

Professor Williams and would recommend that the Black Church develop a relationship with community mental health agencies and counselors that may assist both the pastor and leaders in maintaining a healthy self-esteem for

145 themselves and the surrounding community. It is reasonable to assume that when the church is mentally healthy, it is less likely to be entrenched in conflict because of unhealthy interpersonal and intrapersonal dynamics.

Goal #6: To Evaluate the Study

The evaluation of the study measured how effective the study was according to the thirty-one participants in the following areas: to freely express their opinion, to potentially reduce conflict between the pastor and members, to determine if this study should be with the congregation, and to determine if this study has the potential to transform the church. The data shows that the participants overwhelmingly agreed that this study allowed them to freely express their opinions, could potentially reduce conflict between pastor and members, should be shared with the entire congregation and has the potential to transform the church. This goal was met.

Application

This project has both informed me and contributed towards my own emotional healing. As I have aforementioned, I have been deeply wounded from my involvement in pastoral and parishioner conflict. This investigation has helped me immensely. Both the research and the data will afford me the opportunity to educate other black pastors and churchgoers who too have been wounded by such conflicts.

I am two years away from retirement and I plan to utilize this study to help the members of my local context to understand the reasons for its many pastoral

146 and parishioner conflicts and to embark upon the maintenance of peace and reconciliation. I also plan to share this project with the previous pastor of Second

Baptist Church, Akron, Ohio and his lovely family as they courageously shared their own hurt during a phone interview for this project. Their engagement with pastoral and parishioner conflict in Second Baptist Church, Akron, Ohio occurred in 2005, merely two years before my tenure. Moreover, as president of Akron’s black pastors ministerial alliance, I plan to offer this investigation for their perusal with the hope of assisting any of our local black pastors who have experienced congregational and pastoral tension.

Finally, I hope to offer the findings of this project with one particular family member, my uncle, to whom I alluded to earlier in this project. Throughout my childhood, my uncle was akin to a surrogate father for me, seeing that I did not grow up residing with my biological father. Unfortunately, our pastoral and parishioner conflict, which occurred at the Refuge Baptist Church, Columbus,

Ohio, 1993-1996 resulted in the severance of our relationship. I have only casually and accidentally spoken to him perchance having run into him at family events. Our conversations have been nothing more than a brief head nod or a pithy hello and goodbye. It is my hope that he might read this project and benefit from its research as he remains in a position of influence in the aforementioned church, which to this very day, remains embroiled in pastoral and parishioner conflict. Perhaps this project could assist in the mending of my relationship with him before we both expire.

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Further Study

According to this study, further investigation is needed as there is limited written resources and scarce research regarding pastoral and parishioner conflict in local Black Churches. Conflict is on the rise in many Black Churches due to a decline in membership, the mass exit of black millennials away from the traditional Black Church, the emergence of black mega churches and the absence of black males in both the church and surrounding community. Coupled with the decline in membership, are current societal outcries with regards to matters of social justice that together contribute to pastoral and parishioner conflict. The Black Church is attempting to navigate through these tumultuous times. The local Black Church is in crisis and is in need of reimagination. Not only is the manner in which the Black Church conducts its business under current scrutiny, but as this study has revealed, Black Church administrative style is a main reason for pastoral and parishioner conflict. In my estimation, further study is urgently needed as the local Black Church and pastor is poised for the emergence of tension and conflict.

Conflict management and peace among the pastor and the church is essential to successfully confront the many injustices that continue to plague the black community. It is important that the vision of the pastor and the leadership body of the church be in tandem with the concerns of the laity. Divergent aspirations will almost always result in conflict. Minimal research has been conducted regarding pastoral and parishioner conflict in the local Black Church, however, further study may provide the tools and strategies required from both

148 the pastor and the laity necessary for unity and peaceful conflict resolution. This is especially significant, as the first thing most new prospective black pastors are asked: What is your vision for the church and community? Unfortunately, the manner in which the prospective pastor responds to such requests could also become the very catalyst for conflict. Studies such as this project may help to mitigate against the emergence of pastoral and parishioner tension.

Personal Goals

Personal Goal Number 1: To grow spiritually and to become more concerned with members in my congregation.

As I have numerously stated throughout this discovery project, I have regretfully experienced several pastoral and parishioner conflicts. Each of those incidents remain embedded within my psyche to the present and I am sure that its memories have at times both inspired me and hindered me with regards to putting forth my best pastoral efforts. This project has assisted me in my own spiritual formation as I have found a renewed interest in helping others to work towards reconciliation and the maintenance of peace within Black Churches that may be struggling through similar conflict. I have already requested a video conference call with many of the former members of my present church and particularly the survey respondents to this project who have admitted to their own hurts as a result of pastoral and parishioner conflict. The project has begun the process of healing within me and I am optimistic that other members of our congregation will experience the same spiritual and emotional development. I am excited to share the results of this study as they have proven to be helpful to the

149 local Black Church and pastor in helping small to medium size local congregations navigate and survive through these tumultuous times.

Personal Goal Number 2: To provide opportunities for harmonious dialog during times of conflict. The goal of providing a harmonious dialogue during times of conflict has have already commenced throughout our church congregation. Meetings have been scheduled with various members to enable discussion regarding previous church fights and conflicts. A conference call to discuss the findings of this project with the congregants of Second Baptist Church has already been scheduled and we anticipate benefiting from the results and conclusions put forward through this investigation.

Personal Goal Number 3: To share all discovered information with leaders and parishioners in my personal ministry context. Most excitingly, the church and pastor has reached out to the previous pastor who was abruptly dismissed by the church in 2005, which resulted in spiritual and financial devastation for his then young family. The church has recently sent him a financial love gift. I encouraged past church administrators to call and apologize for their role in the conflict. One of those past church administrators who was embroiled in the conflict with the aforementioned previous pastor did indeed apologize to that same pastor, just prior to his own death. His apology was the direct result of the discovery investigation as he was one of the survey respondents. May his soul rest in peace is my prayer.

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Conclusion

This project has been a personal retirement gift to myself and culminates

40 plus years of pastoral ministry across 4 black local congregations. Those years have left their mark upon me and I remain much appreciative for the time that God has afforded in this work. This investigation to discover the reasons for pastoral and parishioner conflict in Second Baptist Church, Akron, Ohio, has enabled me to successfully navigate toward the closure of my ministerial career.

With the assistance of a five-point Likert scale questionnaire, I have captured those reasons for conflict; and thorough research, analysis and dialogue entered into my own process of healing and spiritual formation. The challenges and toil of pastoring Second Baptist Church has enabled me to understand the conflicts that emerged in other previous pastorates. It has also enabled me to provide wise and meaningful counseling support for other pastors and churches.

My research has been delayed and postponed throughout the years resulting in my having to restart, reapply and financially repay the cost of academic admission/readmission. Most importantly, this project has forced upon me the discipline and fortitude necessary to see a project, such as this endeavor, to its culmination. In the end, I learned much about myself, my vocational pain and the pain of other black Christians who have experienced pastoral and parishioner conflict in the black local church. As the Black Church remains the most enduring institution in the whole of black America life, I am grateful for the continued hopefulness that the results of this project may afford for the continuance of such a vital institution.

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APPENDIX ONE

PROPOSAL

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ASHLAND THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY

A PROJECT TO DISCOVER THE REASONS FOR CONFLICT BETWEEN THE PASTOR AND PARISHIONER AT SECOND BAPTIST CHURCH IN AKRON OHIO

A PROJECT PROPOSAL SUBMITTED TO THE FACULTY OF ASHLAND THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY IN CANDIDACY FOR THE DEGREE OF DOCTOR OF MINISTRY

BY RODERICK C. POUNDS, SR.

ASHLAND, OHIO JANUARY 16, 2018

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The Proposal

A project to discover the reasons for conflict between the pastor and

parishioner at Second Baptist Church in Akron Ohio

Roderick C. Pounds, Sr.

Purpose

The purpose of my project is to discover the reasons for conflict between the pastor and parishioner at Second Baptist Church in Akron, Ohio

Overview

The Black Church is undoubtedly the most significant institution in the black community. This significance spans from the historical period widely known as the invisible institution into the present. It assumes an enduring and long- standing presence within the black community. The importance and centrality to the community are unquestioned and widely accepted. Occurrences of internal church fighting and pastor and parishioner conflict have a widespread impact within the black community because of the vital role that the church assumes.

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My motivation and interest in this project come from having been a pastor for well over thirty years, and from witnessing the devastating social ripples that evolve from pastor and parishioner conflict. My involvement in numerous church disputes resulted in church splits, community embarrassment, and personal humiliation. Legal battles, multiple court appearances, and even jail time also resulted from pastor and parishioner skirmishes. Church conflicts have impacted my family, my finances, my health and almost every aspect of my life.

Discovering some of the reasons for pastor and parishioner conflict within

Second Baptist Church in Akron, Ohio will benefit this congregation in particular, and other Black Churches and pastors in general.

As the pastor of Second Baptist Church, I will dialogue with the members to discover reasons for the decades-long history of intense conflict. These conflicts occurred between the various pastors and parishioners throughout the nearly 122-year history of the church. My primary focus will be the past few decades. During this period, Second Baptist experienced five different pastors.

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Each of their tenures was characterized by pastor and parishioner conflict. These pastors occupied the pulpit of Second Baptist Church from the early 1980’s to the present. Court documents reveal some of the details of the battles and the ongoing community gossip. Second Baptist Church--the oldest Baptist church in

Akron, Ohio--developed a history throughout the African American community for contentious church fights, splits, and court appearances. This discovery project is an unbiased effort to determine and later discuss the reasons behind past and present conflicts. Currently, no attempt has been made to facilitate and explore such reasons.

Individuals with over twenty-year's membership at Second Baptist Church will be asked to complete a 5-point Likert scale questionnaire, to ascertain the reasons for conflict between the pastor and the parishioners. These persons represent approximately 20% of the current membership. The members receiving the questionnaire will be individuals directly involved in the conflicts. The questionnaire will contain a range of possible reasons for conflicts, and it will also solicit the participant's opinions as to the validity of such reasons. The questionnaire includes open-ended and closed-ended questions.

The methodology for distributing the approved questionnaire will be to announce it to the congregation; then, to relate the purpose of the project and the query instrument, and then humbly solicit participation. Time slots will be available on five Sundays after worship in the sanctuary. My goal here is to maximize the number of qualified members who will respond to the questionnaire. The time slots will open on the first Sunday of January 2015, and

156 end the first Sunday of February 2015. The Ushers will be asked to distribute the query instrument along with pens and hard surfaced writing pads.

Foundations

This project is meaningful because of first-hand experience with the devastating effects caused by internal church conflict. The goal is to improve the author's present ministry context, as well as that of other churches; with the minimization of future conflicts. This project is further inspired by an appreciation for the critical role the church has assumed in relation to the black community.

Pastor and parishioner conflicts are detrimental to the black community in a myriad of ways. As our ongoing struggle against the racist and oppressive institutional structures inherent in America persist, the black community can ill afford conflict in the church--this community's most cherished institution.

Examples of the influential power of church and community unity are clearly evidenced throughout the history of the Black Church in America. One significant example of this power is the social and political activism of the Black

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Church and community during the civil rights era. Many have argued, as does

Eddie Glaude in his article The Black Church is Dead that such activism is presently non-existent (Glaude 2010). I agree with Glaude’s assessment.

Therefore, discovering the reasons for such conflicts may assist the Black

Church in managing internal tension in order to recapture a much-needed prophetic influence. If there is a time when the church and community need to be on one accord, that time is certainly now.

Biblical Foundation

The biblical foundation for this project is grounded in 1Thessalonians 5:12-

15. Most traditional perspectives of this text are dominated by Eurocentric hermeneutical thought. The interpretive lens of popular traditional commentators fails to see the centrality of the Black Church to the community and the importance of her pastor. Consequently, traditional interpreters universally ignore the black American church experience and have no valuation regarding the relevance of the Bible, the church and pastor within the community.Cain Hope

Felder strongly argues this point in his book Troubling Biblical Waters. He argues there is an utter dominance of Eurocentric biblical interpretation, and the reliance upon their cultural, racial and gender presuppositions while ignoring other racial and ethnic groups (Felder 1989, xi). The dominance and myopic vision inherent in Eurocentric biblical interpretive thought devalues the biblical commentary of other races. Eurocentric thought and hermeneutics has dominated the history of biblical interpretation. The interpretive lens of the black American experience is

158 missing as most traditional biblical commentaries present the European perspective, exclusively. Consideration must be given when referencing traditional commentary conclusions.

F. F. Bruce presents one such traditional interpretation of 1 Thessalonians

5:12-15 in the Word Biblical Commentary. In this popular commentary set, Bruce delineates two distinct groups that comprise the bickering parties in the text. One group he terms congregational leaders and the other as non-congregational leaders. This grouping is also understood as pastors and laity.

Bruce also accentuates the following themes: the group of known as leaders, their capacity to care for other Christians, the regard that should be appropriated toward them, and the attitude that should be espoused toward those who tend toward anarchy and strife. He highlights the notion that those who are unruly should be recognized and warned for their contentious behavior.

Such behavior is counterproductive to the peace and harmony, which should characterize Christian fellowship (Bruce 1982, 120-121).

Bruce focuses his comments almost exclusively on the leader or pastor.

He notes the affinity deeply held by the laity toward its leaders. The character of the leader is important because of such affinity. He implies the notion that the character of the leaders is critical toward maintaining congregational peace.

According to Bruce, the leaders and especially the pastor have entitlement and roles that are the primary benchmark for appropriating them such high regard.

Leaders should demonstrate meritorious character through acts of love and concern for other members.

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Bruce’s arguments draw heavily upon the leaders’ burdensome responsibility and contribution toward the maintenance of peace. He asserts that

“such leaders did not do the appropriate work because they had been appointed as leaders; they were recognized as leaders because they were seen to be doing the work” (Bruce 1982, 120). When this harmonious service is absent, the fuels of contention begin to flow. The text that clearly admonishes those who are non- leaders receives little emphasis. I see such a biased perspective as grossly one sided and dismissive of the role the congregation assumes toward maintaining peace.

Bruce draws his conclusions using an exegetical analysis of the Greek words in the text. Analyzing the original meaning of individual words is his primary interpretive tool. Though he discusses the role of members and their contribution toward the maintenance of order and peace, he does not do so with the same sense of urgency he exhibits when determining the leader’s responsibilities. Bruce places great responsibility upon the leaders. He argues against Chrysostom and other Greek commentators that a substantial responsibility for corporate unity falls on the shoulder of the leaders.

Another traditional perspective is tendered by Thoralf and Tor Inge

Gilbrant in their multi-volume New Testament commentary entitled The Complete

Biblical Library, volume 8: Study Bible, Galatians-Philemon. They affirm Bruce’s conclusions regarding the responsibility and value of leaders and their roles in maintaining harmony. Accordingly the Gilbrants sees deacons, elders, and pastors as inclusive in the leadership group. The title leader is explicitly

160 mentioned and accentuated by the Gibrants and Bruce. However, Bruce dismisses titles as insignificant. For Bruce, the leader’s character is more important than the title (Bruce 1982, 119). The Gilbrants emphasize the importance of the laity in bestowing honor upon leaders. They further stress that such esteem be earned as a result of loving service. Leaders should be honored for their work even though one’s title does have importance (Gilbrant and

Gilbrant 1986, 335).

In 1 Thessalonians 5:14, the Gilbrants contend that Paul does warn the church. However, the bulk of the responsibility for the maintenance of corporate peace, growth and development falls upon the leader’s shoulders. The members are absolved of responsibility. The Gilbrants introduce the idea that the church should give license to the Holy Spirit and consider the Spirit’s contribution to both order and harmony. According to the Gilbrants, “Love, courtesy, and respect for the ministry of the Spirit will bring order” (Gilbrant and Gilbrant 1986, 335). They offer 1 Corinthians 14:40 as Paul’s emphatic call for the superiority of moderation over the importance of a moderator. Harmonious self-control and cooperation as required by the Holy Spirit is the reason that the unruly should experience both warning and rebuke. This responsibility lies on both the leader and the laity.

A non-traditional comment about this text appears in Khiok-khng’s section.

Khiok-khng is also known as Harry R. Kendall, an Associate Professor of New

Testament at Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary. Khiok-khng offers a

Chinese interpretation of First Thessalonians. I am attracted to Khiok-khng’s insight because it grows out of the context of hope and freedom--a longed for

161 freedom from oppression. He argues that 1 Thessalonians necessitates that oppressed Chinese Christians assume a peaceful ethic that grows out of hope

(Khiok-khng 2004, 500). I find his context and interpretive point of departure similar in many ways to the social context of the Black Church in America.

Khiok-khng grounds his hermeneutical foundation in the social and historical milieu of the first century. He argues the first epistle to the Thessalonians was a document forged in response to the dominance of Rome and the Pax Romana.

1 Thessalonians 5:15 address the manner in which the congregation should not only lovingly treat their leaders and each other, but also requires dispensing that same love to those outside of the church. Paul, according to this view, encourages harmony among believers as a precursor to peaceful coexistence with the outside regardless of their imposed oppression. Retaliation toward outsiders is discouraged opting rather for respectful cooperation. Such respectful cooperation from within and growing outward will provide an opportunity for mutual transformation.

162 coexistence will buttress against mutual destruction (Khiok-khng 2004, 502). As

Chinese Christians interpret this section to embody eschatological hope exhibited through the practices of love and harmony, the seeds for national and international reconciliation are sown. Paul’s concern is “…with the survival, meaningfulness, and holiness of a Thessalonian congregation in the midst of suffering, ambiguity, and impurity” (Khiok-khng 2004, 502). I see this interpretation as intersecting the purpose of my project with profound implications. My project will rely heavily upon a non-traditional perspective.

Khng’s interpretation closely mirrors the social and ministry context of my proposal.

The traditional perspective informs my project in the following manner.

Bruce’s comments highlight the various tensions that existed among the

Thessalonians. He emphasizes the responsibilities of the leader rather than hierarchical titles and accolades. The Gilbrants build upon Bruce’s thought; however, he includes the importance of the leader’s title and its importance to the maintenance of order. According to the Gilbrants, pastor, elders and deacons are divinely granted positions of authority that should be regarded by the laity. His inclusion of the role of the Holy Spirit is also helpful to my project purpose.

Khiok-khng’s conclusion informs my project because of its emphasis upon the social context of the Thessalonians. By depositing the Thessalonian

Christians into a social environment of oppression, urging them toward liberation and encouraging a non-violent passivism has a direct correlation to my project.

His interpretation of the text speaks to the socio-economic realities of my

163 congregation and community. The challenges that confronted the Thessalonian congregation were forged, according to Khiok-khng, out of a broader context of suffering and oppression. Khiok-khng’s conclusions mirror the context of the

Black Church in America.

Cain Hope Felder presents an African American perspective in True to

Our Native Land: An African American New Testament Commentary. Felder first notes that Paul is aware of the unrest within the Thessalonian congregation.

Felder further argues that Paul is deeply concerned that the Thessalonian congregation “pay proper respect” toward the leaders as befitting the many sacrifices they make. Some of the unrest detected by Paul within this group was undoubtedly connected to their lack of concern for those very leaders.

Congregations should know and appreciate the varied challenges that face their leaders. Felder places much emphasis on the term “knowing” which appears in verse twelve. The Greek word eidenai “knowing” is used in the infinitive tense. Hence, the idea of “knowing” is attributed to the congregation's understanding of the tedious labor, sacrifice and selfless commitment assumed by their leaders (Felder 2007, 399). Leadership's work must be respected. When it is not, such disrespect can result in conflict between leaders and laity.

Felder’s comments directly inform my project because of its emphasis upon the disrespect of congregational leadership. Felder's arguments, unlike the

164 traditional commentators, identify possible reasons for the conflict within the

Thessalonian congregation. Many pastors embroiled in congregational unrest identify disrespect of leadership as the basis for local church conflict.

Theological Foundation

The purpose of my project is grounded in a theology of pastoral care in the

Black Church tradition. Baker offers a healthy discussion of pastoral care in the

Black Church tradition. He discusses the practical role of the pastor and his utter importance to his flock. He views his role as multi-faceted. Accordingly, the pastor is one who is called upon to be “all things to all people at all times (Baker

1983, 16). He sarcastically speaks of his role and position as equivalent to Jesus himself. This exalted status can be dangerous and self-serving.

The Black Church’s expectations of the pastor are the mold from which the pastoral privilege is shaped. Within the church, he is seen as a father. In the broader community, he assumes the rank of leader and spokesperson. Baker contends that the black pastor must know who he is and why he is in the light of the multi-faceted roles that he must assume (Baker 1983, 17).

Similarly, the traditional black pastor is shepherd, preacher, teacher, healer, priest and prophet, according to Baker. Because of so many varied, yet exalted roles, it is easy for a pastor to lose sight of himself. He may conclude that he is more important and essential than he is. Seeing one’s members as more than just bodies, but as God’s sheep is a necessary vision that a pastor must possess. Church members are dependent sheep not pawns to be moved or

165 mere clay to be molded (Baker 1983, 19). Tending to the need of the sheep with the sensitivity and compassion of a good shepherd is critical to maintaining and garnering respect, as well as keeping peace.

Edification, evangelism, and education are vital responsibilities of the church according to Baker, and he upholds these functions as a necessary ingredient for a healthy church. He further discusses the pastor’s roles and the various practices associated with them. For instance, Baker personifies the pastor as pastor-healer. Consequently, sick visitation is the fulfillment of that responsibility. His conclusions regarding the pastor’s roles and responsibilities are limited to what the pastor does in the church.

Written in the early 1980’s Baker’s pastoral perspective grows out of the time of national economic growth, plentiful opportunities for meaningful, vocational and an overall national optimism that characterized the age. The

Black Church was experiencing tremendous growth. The 1970’s and the early

1980’s reflected time in the black community where those who were the direct beneficiaries of the struggles of the civil rights era had matured to early adulthood. Optimism and success had trumped the angst of an earlier decade.

McMickle captures this period and notes the early rise of the black middle class and its impact upon the church. He examines the social circumstances that contributed to an ever-expanding black middle class (McMickle 2000, xiii). He comments about the rising suburban black middle class in contrast to the paralleling economic disparities of the inner-city. He writes, “Gone from the inner-city community was the black professional class, the teachers, most of the

166 preachers, and those who worked in corporate America. They were now buying, even building, the home of their dreams” (McMickle 2000, 5). However, though this rising black middle class would move beyond the limits of the city, they returned “to their home church every Sunday. Migrating into the community only on Sunday allowed middle-class blacks to connect to the building and tradition at the expense of avoiding the surrounding neighborhood.

Baker’s pastoral care theology seems to emerge from such a period.

Hence, his pastoral practicum is related more to the inner workings of well- solidified congregation of the middle-class, well-educated congregants. His pastoral care combines a traditional pastor-centered reverence coupled with a

Eurocentric theological foundation. Consequently, his view of the church as evangelical, educational and edifying seems to come out of white Eurocentric ecclesiology.

McMickle’s pastoral and preaching theology embraces an understanding of pastoral care that relies heavily upon the prophetic. The black pastor as prophet leads the church and congregation in the struggle for liberation. In today’s black pulpit, one rarely hears sermons that speak to the social ills and injustices in present day society. Contemporary black pastors and popular televangelists, those who lead assume a self-serving approach to ministry that counters both McMickle’s and Baker’s perspectives. This kind of watered down non-prophetic preaching emerges from an erroneous misunderstanding of pastoral care in the black tradition. Though McMickle’s accusation indicts the pulpits of America--both white and black--he does not exempt the contemporary

167 black pulpit. To the contrary, he includes Black Churches of being equally silent with regards to matters of social justice. He sarcastically summarizes what is happening in black pulpits as being nothing more than emotional praise and worship. He summarizes by concluding that, “... all the prophets have turned to praising” (McMickle 2006, 16). According to McMickle, the central reason for our coming together in the Black Church must not be merely to get our praise on.

The urgent social problems that confront millions of black folk in America must be rooted out by speaking to the real causes. “That is where prophetic preaching comes into play” (McMickle 2006, 17).

Historical Foundation

The historical foundation of this project rests upon the rich traditions of

African religion and the Black Church in American. I purposely include discussions regarding African traditional religion because of its survival across the middle passage and its many retentions that have influenced the Black

Church tradition. Because of the many Africanisms that have been retained and reimagined throughout the African American religious tradition, I believe it is important to include this discussion. Features of African religious tradition appear in the black worship tradition. Therefore, we must include and acknowledge traditional African religion as a precedent to slave religion and the invisible institution. Holloway attributes this idea to Herskovits’ book The Myth of the Negro Past. It is one of the primary sources that demonstrates the “many significant African contributions to American culture. Unlike Frazier, he

168 emphasiazed the continuity of West African carryovers in African American culture (Holloway 2005, 3). W.E.B. Dubois, Newbell Puckett, and Carter G.

Woodson are early scholars who examined the African religious retentions and cultural carryovers that survived the tremendous African social disruption and cultural suppression encountered once African slaves landed on North American soil.

The Gullah tradition that still survives today in South Carolina is another clear example of the survival, presence, syncretism and merging of West

African and slave Christianity. William S. Pollitzer upholds the Gullah people as one of the most distinctive cultural groups whose idioms and behavior are most directly attributable to Africa (Holloway 2005, 7). However, it is religion--the dominant element in many cultures--that yields much information about a given people.

Raboteau’s Slave Religion, and his discussion centered around the

“invisible institution” in the antebellum south provides a historical foundation for

African American religious history. He comments that this foundation has been either ignored or suppressed by Amercian relgious historians. The study of black religion under slavery--widely know as the ‘the invisible institution--accentuates the role of the slave preacher and his unique rapport with the slave. Growing tired of the white folks’ preacher, slaves turned to their preacher for more relative authenticity.

The unique relationship between the black pastor and the congregation is part of a long-standing tradition that predates the invisible institution. This type of

169 combustive relationship has been at the root of many modern day church fights and schisms. These conflicts impact the broader community in many ways given the significance that both the church and the pastor hold within that community.

The church as the backbone of the community, can ill afford such discord, especially in light of the many structural strongholds that inhibit black progress.

Unity among the Black Church is important in the twenty-first century.

Lincoln and Mamiya explore the notion that there is evidence of an erosion of the central importance of the church in the community. Segregation, neo- pentecostalism and the nation of Islam were a few of the challenges they mention as potential factors that threaten Black Church centrality. (Lincoln and

Mamiya 1990, 382-390). Though these challenges have had their effect on the popularity of the Black Church, there are new challenges today. At a time when the Black Church is struggling to regain its long standing historical preemminence, pastoral and parishioner conflicts must be controlled. The recent national protests occurring in major cities across America because of the use of excessive police force against black males, police shootings of unarmed black male suspects, and ongoing criminal justice system inequities provide a great opportunity for the Black Church to regain viability.

Context

Second Baptist Church in Akron, Ohio was founded in 1892. She is also the second oldest black congregation in the city, second only to Wesley Temple

A.M.E. Zion. A group of eighteen individuals claiming themselves to be Baptist

170

Christians occupied a small church on the corner of James and Hill Street.

Second Baptist was organized, and the Rev. James Cheatham was the first pastor. He served for just one year.

In February 1893, Reverend Royal Allen Jones was called to pastor this small but growing congregation. Services were held in a little church on the corner of James and Hill streets. The membership continued to increase; however, the church building was unable to accommodate all the attendees.

From this group, three additional churches were organized: Mount Olive Baptist,

Bethel Baptist and St. Paul Baptist. In February, 1920, Reverend Jones and the increased membership purchased a larger building from the United Brethren

Church at 188 East Center St.

In 1975, the congregation rode in a car caravan to the present site, 690

South Main St. In 1978 Reverend Stanley Lynton retired after 37 years (1941-

1978). He was succeeded by Reverend Isaiah Paul (1980-1983), Reverend

William Roberts (1983-1985), Reverend Frank Hearns (1987-1990), Reverend

Irece T. Bradley (1990-2002), Reverend Jeffrey Thoms, (2002-2007) and myself

(2007-present).

The Second Baptist Church in Akron, Ohio experienced nine pastors in its

122-year existence. Rev. Roy Allen Jones pastored the longest--nearly 50- years. The second longest stint was held by Stanley E. Lynton--36-years. After the decades-long pastorates of Jones and Lynton, Dr. I.T. Bradley who pastored for 15-years is the only other pastor that lasted more than ten years. The ministries of Paul, Roberts, Hearns and Thomas were marred by pastor and

171 parishioner conflict. These battles resulted in court appearances, public embarrassment, causing Second Baptist to garner the reputation of a church that fights its pastors.

Presently the church is comprised of approximately 520 active members,

90% female, 25% age sixty and above, 20% under age 25 and 55% percent between the ages of twenty-five and fifty-nine.

Project Goals

1. To evaluate the secondary literature on the subject.

2. To discover the reasons for pastor and parishioner conflict at Second Baptist Church in Akron, Ohio

3. To catalogue the variety of reason for the conflict at Second Baptisth Church in Akron, Ohio.

4. To analyze the variety of reasons for the conflict at Second Baptist Church in Akron, Ohio.

5. To make recommendations for the study.

6. To evaluate the study.

Design, Procedure, and Assessment

1. Collect primary and secondary material on Black Church pastor and parishioner conflicts.

2. Create a 5-point Likert scale questionnaire for distribution to discover the reasons for pastor and parishioner conflict in the Second Baptist Church in Akron, Ohio.

3. Analyze and evaluate all material collected.

4. Document the findings.

5. Evaluate the study.

172

My assessment strategy will consist of providing a section on the 5-point

Likert scale questionnaire with four questions for participants who have been members of Second Baptist Church in Akron, Ohio for over 20-years; and, were directly or indirectly involved in a conflict between the pastor and parishioner to evaluate the study. Finally, to evaluate and report the findings of the study.

Personal Goals

1. To grow spiritually and to become more concerned with members in my congregation.

2. To provide opportunities for harmonious dialog during times of conflict.

3. To share all discovered information with leaders and parishioners in my personal ministry context.

Calendar

1. Proposal …………………………December 2014 2. Collect Material ………………….January 2015 3. Analysis …………………………January 2015 4. Frist Draft ………………………..January 2015 5. Second Draft ……………………February 2015 6. Oral Defense ……………………March 7. Graduation ………………………May 2015

Core Team

Advisor William H. Myers, PhD Professor of New Testament and Black Church Studies, Ashland Theological Seminary Director of Doctor of Ministry in Black Church Studies, Ashland Theological Seminary

Academic and Field Consultant Douglas M. Little, Ph.D. Professor Emeritus of Counseling Ashland Theological Seminary

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Faculty Member of McCreary Center for African American Religious Studies

Sonia Rice, D.Min Founder/Executive Director Preferred Editing Services

Support Team Emmett Lee, D. Min, Pastor of Galilee Baptist Church, Akron, Ohio Richard Jordan, D. Min, Pastor of Antioch Baptist Church, Akron, Ohio

Life Management Plan

In order to complete the requirements involved in obtaining a doctorate, I have become acutely aware of the importance of time management. In an effort to meet the required schedule, I have arranged my preaching calendar and other pastoral duties to be shared among other clergy and staff. This arrangement will afford me the time to read adequately and interact with materials and resources with thoughtfulness and inquisition. I am currently garnering books and articles that intersect with my project.

My church board members have agreed to allow me time off with pay two days a week until graduation in order to afford me the necessary time needed to read, study and write. My complete personal library has been relocated to my home as the preferred place of study rather than at the church office.

Additionally, I plan to interact with my Advisor on a regular basis for assistance with accountability for meeting deadlines.

174

REFERENCES

Baker, Benjamin S. 1983. Shepherding the Sheep. Nashville, Tennesse: Broadman Press.

Blount, Brian K., Cain Hope Felder, Clarice J. Martin, and Emerson B. Powery. 2007. True to Our Native Land: An African American New Testament Commentary. Minneapolis: Fortress Press.

Brown, Michael Joseph. 2004. Blackening of the Bible: The Aims of African American Biblical Scholarship. Harrisburg, PA: Trinity Press International.

Bruce, F.F. 1982. Word Biblical Commentary: 1&2 Thessalonians. Vol. 45. Waco, Texas: Word Books, Publisher.

Costen, Melva Wilson. 1993. African American Christian Worship. Nashville: Abingdon Press.

Dash, Michael J.N., and Christine D. Chapman. 2003.The Shape of Zion: Leadership and Life in Black Churches. Cleveland: The Pilgrim Press.

Felder, Cain Hope. 1989. Troubling Biblical Waters: Race, Class, and Family. Maryknoll, NY: Orbis Books.

Felton, Carroll M. 1980. Care of Souls in the Black Church. New York: Martin Luther King Fellows.

Floyd-Thomas, Stacy, Juan Floyd-Thomas, Carol B. Duncan, Steven G. Ray, Jr, and Nancy Lynne Westfield. 2007. Black Church Studies an Introduction. Nashville: Abingdon Press.

Fluker, Walter Earl, and Catherine Tumber. 1998. A Strange Freedom: The Best of Howard Thurman on Religious Experience and Public Life. Boston: Beacon Press.

Freedman, Samuel G. 1993. Upon This Rock: The Miracles of A Black Church. New York: Harper Perennial.

Gilbert, Kenyatta R. 2011. The Journey and Promise of African American Preaching. Minneapolis: Fortress Press.

Gilbrant, Thoralf, and Tor Inge Gilbrant. 1986. The New Testament Study Bible. Edited by Stanley M. Horton, Ralph W. Harris and Gayle Garrity Seaver. Vol. 8. 15 votes. Springfield, Missouri: World Library Press, Inc.

175

Hendricks, Obery M. 2001. "I Am the Holy Dope Dealer: The Problem with Gospel Music Today." In Readings in African American Church Music and Worship, edited by James Abbington. GIA Publications, Inc.

Holloway, E. Joseph, ed. 2005. Africanisms in American Culture: Second Edition. Bloomington and Indianapolis, Indiana: Indiana University Press.

Khiok-khng, Yeo. 2004."1 Thessalonians." In Global Commentary, edited by Daniel Patte, J. Servino Croatto, Nicole Wilkerson Duran, Teresa Okure and Archie Chi Chung Lee. Nashville, Tn: Abingdon Press.

Larue, Cleophus J. 2011. I believe I'll Testify: The Art of African American Preaching. Louisville: Westminister John Knox Press.

______. 2000. The Heart of Black Preaching. Louisville: West Minister John Knox Press.

Lincoln, C. Eric, and Lawrence H. Mamiya. 2001.The Performed Word: Music and the Black Church. Edited by James Abbington. Chicago: GIA Publications, Inc.

Lincoln, C. Eric, and Lawrence H. Mamiya.1990.The Black Church in the African American Experience. Durham, NC: Duke University Press.

McMickle, Marvin A. 2000. Preaching to the Black Middle Class: Word of Challenge, Words of Hope. Valley Forge, PA: Judson Press.

______. 2006. Where Have all the Prophets Gone? Reclaiming Prophetic Preaching in America. Cleveland, Ohio: The Pilgrim Press.

Myers, William H. 1991. "The Hermeneutical Dilemma of the African American Bible Student." In Stony the Road We Trod, by Cain Hope Felder. Minneapolis, MN: Augsburg Fortress.

______. 1994. God's Yes Was Louder Than My No. Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company.

Pinn, Anthony B. 2009. The Black Church in the Post-Civil Rights Era. Maryknoll: Orbis Books.

Raboteau, Albert J. 1978. Slave Religion: The Invisible Institution in the Antebellum South. New York, New York: Oxford University Press, Inc.

Ratliff, Joe S. and Michael J. Cox. 1993. Church Planting in the African American Community. Nashville: Broadman Press.

176

Reid, III, Frank. 2000. Restoring the House of God. Shippensburg, PA: Destiny Image Publishers.

Saliers, Don E. 2007. Music and Theology. Nashville: Abingdon Press.

Segovia, Ferdinand H. 2000. Decolonizing Biblical Studies. Maryknoll: Orbis Books.

Smith, Efrem and Phil Jackson. 2005. The Hip-Hop Church: Connecting with the Movement Shaping Our Culture. Downers Grove, Illinois: InterVarsity Press.

Washington, Preston Robert. 1988. God's Transforming Spirit: Black Church Renewal. Valley Forge: Judson Press.

Wimberly, Edward P. 1991. African American Pastoral Care. Nashville: Abingdon Press.

Wright, Jeremiah A., Jr. 1995. Good News Sermons of Hope for Today's Families. Edited by Jini Kilgore Ross. Valley Forge: Judson Press.

177

APPENDIX TWO

QUESTIONNAIRE

178

QUESTIONNAIRE

SECTION I: DEMOGRAPHICS

Male ______Female _____

Age Group: 40-49 ______50-59 ______60-69 ______70 and over ______

PLEASE READ EACH STATEMENT BELOW. CIRCLE THE RESPONSE THAT BEST DESCRIBES YOUR ANSWER.

SECTION II: ATTEND CHURCH (ONLY)

1. The Pastor is the reason for conflict between the Pastor and members.

Strongly Agree Not Sure Disagree Strongly Agree Disagree 5 4 3 2 1

2. Some officers are the reason for conflict between the Pastor and members.

Strongly Agree Not Sure Disagree Strongly Agree Disagree 5 4 3 2 1

3. Some parishioners are the reason for conflict between the Pastor and members.

Strongly Agree Not Sure Disagree Strongly Agree Disagree 5 4 3 2 1

179

4. Personality differences are the reason for conflict between the Pastor and members.

Strongly Agree Not Sure Disagree Strongly Agree Disagree 5 4 3 2 1

5. Lack of trust is the reason for conflict between the Pastor and members.

Strongly Agree Not Sure Disagree Strongly Agree Disagree 5 4 3 2 1

6. Gender differences are the reasons for conflict between the Pastor and members.

Strongly Agree Not Sure Disagree Strongly Agree Disagree 5 4 3 2 1

7. Age differences are the reasons for conflict between the Pastor and members.

Strongly Agree Not Sure Disagree Strongly Agree Disagree 5 4 3 2 1

8. Class differences are the reasons for conflict between the Pastor and members.

Strongly Agree Not Sure Disagree Strongly Agree Disagree 5 4 3 2 1

9. Theological beliefs are the reasons for conflict between the Pastor and members.

Strongly Agree Not Sure Disagree Strongly Agree Disagree 5 4 3 2 1

10. Leadership style is the reason for conflict between the Pastor and members.

180

Strongly Agree Not Sure Disagree Strongly Agree Disagree 5 4 3 2 1

11. Administrative decisions are the reasons for conflict between the Pastor and members.

Strongly Agree Not Sure Disagree Strongly Agree Disagree 5 4 3 2 1

12. Financial decisions are the reasons for conflict between the Pastor and members.

Strongly Agree Not Sure Disagree Strongly Agree Disagree 5 4 3 2 1

13. Morality concerns are the reasons for conflict between the Pastor and members.

Strongly Agree Not Sure Disagree Strongly Agree Disagree 5 4 3 2 1

14. Ministerial decisions are the reasons for conflict between the Pastor and members.

Strongly Agree Not Sure Disagree Strongly Agree Disagree 5 4 3 2 1

15. Lack of shared ministry is the reason for conflict between the Pastor and members.

Strongly Agree Not Sure Disagree Strongly Agree Disagree 5 4 3 2 1

181

Open-Ended Question:

What other reasons not captured in the questions above do you believe are reasons for conflict between the Pastor and members? ______

______

SECTION III: EVALUATION OF THE STUDY

1. This study allowed me to freely express all of my opinions.

Strongly Agree Not Sure Disagree Strongly Agree Disagree 5 4 3 2 1

2. This study has the potential of reducing conflict between the Pastor and members.

Strongly Agree Not Sure Disagree Strongly Agree Disagree 5 4 3 2 1

3. This study should be shared with the entire congregation.

Strongly Agree Not Sure Disagree Strongly Agree Disagree 5 4 3 2 1

4. This study has the potential of transforming the church.

Strongly Agree Not Sure Disagree Strongly Agree Disagree 5 4 3 2 1 Thank you for your participation.

182

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