Separate No More: Understanding and Developing Racial Reconciliation in Your Church [Paperback]

Norman Anthony Peart (Author), John Perkins (Foreword)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 2000

Even though our society has made great strides forward since the civil rights era, racial reconciliation remains an unresolved issue in the church. Norman Peart, founding pastor of a multiracial church and a sociologist, argues that reconciliation is basic to the church's purpose, even though the church has consistently viewed the topic as peripheral to its ministry. Peart shows through Scripture that, far from being optional, racial reconciliation is at the heart of the church's mission.

Aimed at pastors, church leaders, and concerned Christians, Separate No More focuses on three areas: the historical basis for America's race problem, the biblical message of racial reconciliation, and suggestions for change in the church.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Peart, creator of Grace Ministries and founding pastor of a multiracial church, offers a passionate challenge to church leaders to take up the cause of racial reconciliation in their congregations. Yet Peart speaks exclusively to the tension between African-Americans and whites, limiting the book's usefulness. The first five chapters recapitulate the history of black-white relations in the United States, and while much of this is interesting and fresh, it will not be helpful to churches that are addressing race relations among Hispanics, Asians, Native Americans or other ethnic groups. Peart's constant editorializing detracts from the book's impact, and readers will wish for a more nuanced approach than is evidenced by subheadings such as "White Christians Must Understand." (Peart's call to "inHIMtegration"Dintegration in ChristDis also a bit plastic.) The closing section offers general advice on racial reconciliation, calling on church members to become personal reconcilers, be consistent, motivate others with the message of reconciliation and select dynamic leaders. More specific recommendationsDsuch as encouraging the inclusion of different musical or preaching stylesDwill be most helpful to those churches that are already integrating their African-American and Anglo members and not just contemplating the possibility. Since Martin Luther King Jr.'s observation that 11 a.m. on Sunday is "the most segregated hour in America" still holds true for much of the country, this book, however well-intentioned, will have limited readership. (Nov.)
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review

"Fascinating history of the problem ... gives some of the best concrete suggestions so far on how to break the impasse. -- Craig Keener, co-author of "Black Man's Religion" and "Defending Black Faith

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 208 pages
• Publisher: Baker Books (October 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 080106337X
• ISBN-13: 978-0801063374
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.5 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,296,148 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great Intro (but overly focused on Pentecostal churches), July 29, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: Separate No More: Understanding and Developing Racial Reconciliation in Your Church (Paperback)

I bought this book at a recent Promise Keepers rally, and it's a great introduction to racial reconciliation. It gives a solid overview of the black experience in evangelical and Pentecostal denominations, and helps whites and blacks understand the barriers that need to be transcended for vital, biracial congregations.

I was a little disappointed, however, that the book focuses too much on Pentecostal denominations. In fact, all the ministers interviewed for this book were from churches like the AOG and COGIC. Very little attention is paid to Roman Catholicism, which itself has a very checkered history in regard to race relations in America, and the abolitionist activities of most mainstream Baptists are mentioned once before the once-aberrant views of the SBC on race relations become the focus of discussion as far as Baptists are concerned. (Except for the aberration of the SBC, the Baptists have an almost unparalleled history of excellent race relations, and credit should be given where credit is due. I personally think that the SBC should have disbanded and re-constituted itself as a new organization to erase the pro-slavery stain that the SBC inflicted on the Baptist name.) I was a little turned off by the excessive focus on churches like the AOG, COG, and COGIC, since I don't feel these groups are very representative of the mainstream of American evangelicalism and Christianity in general. But despite the somewhat unrepresentative sample of denominations, the suggestions in the book are easily applicable to any denominational church, and it's well worth reading.