Carpenter’s Tools - Can A Follower Of Jesus Be Prejudiced? . . . . .

I received this article today from Dan Betzer and wanted to share it with The Carpenter’s Tool’s readers. - Pastor Wallace Phillips

By Pastor Dan Betzer - March 30th, 2007

I pose today’s question: Prejudice is defined by Webster’s Dictionary as “preconceived judgment or opinion or an adverse opinion of someone without just grounds or before sufficient knowledge.” Can a truly born-again, Spirit-filled follower of Jesus Christ be prejudiced? Especially against those of other races? Apparently many people think so. Many churches are ear-marked by their startling lack of color in the pew. This despite the fact that whites will soon be in the minority in great parts of the United States, if, indeed they are not already.

Over twenty years ago, I came to this church as the Senior Pastor. I observed the wall-to-wall whiteness of our congregation and stated publicly that I had no intention of pastoring such a group, that we would reach out with love to everyone. Quite a few folks left. Others understood and persevered in our mission of reaching the whole world with the whole Gospel. Today, five of our pastoral staff come from Hispanic or African American backgrounds. Our church board, the Church Council, also reflects the racial makeup of our community – as well as the gender makeup.

It is a thrill to see worship leaders of varied backgrounds on our platform and the overwhelming enthusiasm of the whole body of Christ, very racially-mixed, which has come together to worship our Lord (who was a Jew, by the way). In all of our dealings as representatives of Christ, we must understand that we are human beings, created in God’s image, and now, as born-again believers, conformed into the image of Christ. As such, ill-will or prejudice toward anyone has no place, and is a poor witness of our professed faith.

Please visit us on the web at http://www.cscministries.com/ or http://www.wallacephillips.org/