Building Unity in the Church of the New Millennium

by Perry, Dwight; Perry, Dwight A.

• ISBN13: 9780802415899
• ISBN10: 080241589X
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2002-02-01
• Publisher: Moody Publishers

Summary

The church has changed. It is more diverse and as such faces new and imposing challenges. Building Unity in the Church of the New Millennium is an extraordinary collection of articles from a diverse group of ministry leaders devoted to unity among those of different races, classes, genders, and other groups within the church. To love as Christ commanded, the church simply must learn to incorporate, reach out to, and become unified with the people of God's whole kingdom.

Author Biography

Dr. Dwight A. Perry (Ph.D., Trinity Evangelical Divinity School) serves as Professor of Pastoral Studies at Moody Bible Institute. Prior to coming to MBI, Dr. Perry served as a denominational executive and as senior pastor and associate pastor in several churches in Illinois. Dr. Perry is a member of the board of Youth For Christ, U.S.A. He was the first African American to graduate with an earned Ph.D. from TEDS. He is also the author of Breaking Down Barriers. Dr. Perry and his wife, Cynthia, the parents of two sons and two daughters, live in the Chicagoland area

Table of Contents

About the Contributors	11	(8)
Foreword	19	(2)
John Perkins
Foreword	21	(4)
Michael Emerson
Acknowledgments	25	(2)
Introduction	27	(6)
Part One Unity Between Races in the Church
Developing a Biblical Theology of Racial Reconciliation: How Do Institutions Perpetuate Racism?	33	(16)
Dwight Perry
Fade to White: How White Is Evangelical Theology?	49	(12)
Vincent Bacote
The ``Right'' Way to Praise God: Is Our Style Biblical, or Is It Simply Cultural?	61	(18)
Clarence Shuler
One White Man's Personal Journey: What Does It Take to Understand People Who Are Different from Us?	79	(20)
Robert M. Boyd
Getting to Know Each Other: Are We Willing to Break Down the White Power Structure Within Evangelicalim?	99	(12)
Bill McCartney
The Alternative to Ethnic-Focused Church Planting: How Can We Build Diversity As We Build Churches?	111	(12)
Raleigh B. Washington
Understanding Interracial Families: Can the Church Welcome Mixed-Race Couples?	123	(18)
A. Charles Ware
Part Two Unity Between Classes in the Church
Dismantling Class Barriers: Can the Church Avoid Wealth-Based Prejudice?	141	(12)
Larry Mercer
People Just Like Me: Does the Bible Give Us Freedom to Build Deliberately Homogeneous Churches?	153	(14)
Rod Cooper
The Quest for Biblical Community: Is It Possible to Unite Oral and Written Cultures?	167	(16)
Henry Lee Allen
The Promise and Peril of Seminary Education: Is Evangelical Theological Education Bound by Class and Culture?	183	(16)
David K. Clark
Pursuing Faith-Based Opportunities: How Can We Challenge Evangelical Prejudice Against the Poor?	199	(20)
Glen Kehrein
Part Three Unity Between Genders in the Church
Seeing the Invisible Prejudice: How Should the Church Respond to Women in Leadership?	219	(14)
Rosalie de Rosset
A Plea for Godly Partnership: How Does the Church Condone Abuse and Silencing of Women?	233	(8)
Ellen Lowrie Black
Moving Past ``Women Can't Preach'': What Are Some Biblical Ways to Include Women in Ministry?	241	(20)
Michelle Obleton
Part Four Unity Across Other Barriers in the Church
Retired and Set Aside: Is There a Place for Elderly Saints in the Body of Christ?	261	(20)
Evelyn Christenson
The Theology of the Wheelchair: How Can We Minister Christ's Wholeness to Those with Disabilities?	281	(18)
Sandy Rios
Those We'd Rather Forget: Are Homosexuals and People with AIDS Beyond the Hope of the Gospel?	299	(16)
Brad Grammer
Kids in Constant Motion: How Can the Church Work More Effectively with Children with ADD/ADHD?	315	(12)
Cynthia Perry
The Almost-Unpardonable Sin: Is Divorce Treated as a Justice Issue in Your Ministry?	327	(12)
Craig Keener
Singling Out the Unmarried: What Do Single People Bring to Ministry?	339	(10)
Shirley Wright Masongezi
Notes	349	(8)
Bibliography: For Further Reading	357