The Black Church Outreach Tradition.

Where secular social services programs for poor people typically end, churches and religious outreach ministries often begin, especially in predominantly black churches. That used to be true years ago. But not today. I think we have abandon our outreach programs in our churches.

The black church had a powerful outreach tradition. The black church’s role in providing blacks with education, social services, and a safe gathering place. Is one of the reason we should always have love for it. During my research of The Old Black Church I notice that there are 8 major historically black Christian Churches:

African Methodist Episcopal; African Methodist Episcopal Zion; Christian Methodist Episcopal; Church of God in Christ; National Baptist Convention of America; National Baptist Convention, USA; National Missionary Baptist Convention; and the Progressive National Baptist Convention. Together, the eight major black denominations alone encompass some 65,000 churches and about 20 million members.

To illustrate how the black church outreach tradition has changed during the years. We have more homeless people than we every had. More people are going to bed hungry than every before. What happen to the love for our people? How can we turn our backs on our less fortune? What happen to our hearts? We have bought into that pull your self up by your own booth strap when in reality we had help all along. Through out generation after generation we had The Old Black Church were there to help in some kind of way.

I know that we have moved pass being associate with the so call Black Church but,once upon a time it was good.I think the church once had a different mission back in that time. Our mission today is total different than it was in the early years.I through the mission of the church was the same mission that Jesus had. Jesus fed the poor. I know that time brings about changes but do we have to change by leaving our poor brothers and sisters behind? why can't we do The Old Black Church thing in our new churches? Is it because the money and not wanting to be reminded that we are one pay check from being like our homeless brother and sister.

We know that the church is in us and we are the church. If we all believe that we could do away with welfare and government hand outs. I know that a lot of our churches don't want to be label as a black church. Once upon a time that was a good thing and it had a different meaning. Do you think that the Black Church has lost it's love for black people? Do you think the church is doing all it can or can it do more?