The Council of Reforming Churches Pt. 1
"Now when it comes down to religion and I'm finished with this. When it comes down to religion it's all about God. But God is not of any one religion. HE CANNOT BE.
Religion is really like glasses that we wear on our eyes. This pair of glasses that I have on I wear them because I see best out of them. I see best out of them. If you put my glasses on you cannot see out of my glasses. I am a christian because it is the christian faith that allows me to see God best out of my eyes. My brother is a muslim because he sees God best out of his eyes. It's how we see God and its one common thread that runs through all faiths and all religions and that is the fatherhood of God and the brotherhood of all mankind. We are here today because we are of the fatherhood of God and the brotherhood of all men".
Now that I’ve got your attention let me introduce The Council of Reforming Churches. No the above statement does not in anyway represent or reflect the beliefs, sentiments or convictions of this council. It does however signal a serious challenge to the historic biblical witness of the church within the black community. That this statement is indeed shocking goes without saying. Yet, what is more alarming are the circumstances in which it was delivered. The Rev. Jasper Williams pastor of Salem Baptist church in Atlanta spoke these words at a rally for non-violence held with a Nation of Islam mosque. These words as shocking as they are weren’t secretly recorded when Rev. Williams visited a mosque, nor was this something uttered in a private conversation between he and the leader of that mosque. These words which blatantly, boldly and clearly reject and make mockery of the sinless life, sacrificial death and glorious resurrection of Jesus Christ were declared publicly in the hearing of members of Rev. Jasper’s church, the adherents of the NOI and the community in which Salem church worships. Moreover, they represent another strong reason for pursuing biblical reform within the black church and black community.
Before moving forward let me define the black church since the way I use that term is a bit different from its usual connotation. The church exists for the worship and witness of the living God as expressed in the person and work of Jesus Christ. As such every church that exists among a particular people does so to represent our Covenant Lord to those people in His saving work wrought by Jesus Christ. An integral and indispensable aspect of that witness is the reality that the church is the house of the living God, the pillar and foundation of the truth. The church is the truth corps of heaven with the twin duties of preserving and promoting God's truth regarding His Person, ways, will, character, nature, along with what He's revealed about His word, mankind, sin, salvation, holiness and the person and work of Jesus Christ.
The black church therefore isn't black in that our collective experience as a particular people group shapes the mission, character and truth of the church, but black in the sense that it is responsible for faithfully teaching and living the essential truths regarding Scripture, God, mankind, sin, salvation, the person and work of Christ and the ministry of the Holy Spirit to black people. Does this mean that only black people have been charged with bringing the truths of Scripture to those of African descent? Of course not. However I do believe it means that as Peter was called to his people, Paul had a great yearning to see his Jewish brothers come to Christ and Epaphras (see Col. 1:7-8) was a faithful minister to his people that African-American ministers and people ought to be concerned with the evangelism, discipleship and growth of the people God in His sovereignty has placed us in.
The Council of Reforming Churches is a group of brothers who are concerned with the current and deteriorating state of the historic and present black church along with the corresponding worsening spiritual condition of the African-American community. More importantly however we are a group of pastors who recognize and want to pursue the responsibility of Christ’s call to disciple our people. Over the next few posts we will attempt to further explain who we are, why we’ve chosen to come together and what we hope to our Lord do for His glory among black people. I invite you to check back regularly and by all means to join the battle with us.
For Christ, His Church and The Truth
Pastor Lance Lewis