A Response to: 6 Reasons Young Black People Are Leaving The Church (Part 1)

Being young, black, and in the church, this article from the Atlanta Black Star immediately caught my eye. As I read over the 6 reasons, and several of the volatile, belligerent, and incoherent comments aimed at the church in the comment section, I decided a response was necessary.

We (Christians) are all called to give a reason for the hope that lives within us (1 Peter 3:15), so we should be equipped to answer a variety of questions and/or attacks on the truth of the Holy Bible and also clear up any misunderstandings that well meaning people may have. Through this learning process we tend to favor different aspects of His truth. Some people love to delve into the scientific reasons for the God of the Holy Bible, some enjoy the Design argument, some examine morality, and so on. I have a couple which particularly have peaked my interest, and one of them is Cultural apologetics. Specifically, the African American culture.

I have heard a multitude of reasons why some black people believe Christianity is false, including it being a myth, a social-control mechanism, and the “white man’s” religion. It truly saddens me that so many of my brothers and sisters have walls of lies serving as an obstacle to the embodiment of Truth. While I will lovingly discuss several of the accusations leveled against Christianity from the black community in future posts, I will now focus on the article at hand: 6 Reasons Young Black People Are Leaving the Church.

Reason #1: Social And Economic Improvements Make The Church Appear Less Relevant

Black millennials are experiencing economic and social benefits that previous generations only dreamed about. As a result, a need for faith in their lives may not have the same pull as it did in the past. Feeling judged and being told to check their generational habits at the door does not necessarily create a want for religious life either.

There are a number of items I would like to discuss involving this statement, but to address them all would require a lengthy exposition. So, instead, I will focus on the implication of the word “need” that is used in describing this reason.

The implicit idea behind this “need for faith” is that the main point of faith is and was to be a crutch, i.e. a means of assisting the hurt, downtrodden, penniless, or hopeless. Since the black millennials (as the article states) have experienced a boost in economic and social benefits, they have more assets at their disposal to replace past generations “need” for faith.

The “need” that is expressed in Reason 1 does not cohere with the need for faith that is expressed in the Holy Bible.[1] Christians do not “need” faith (in Christ) to bolster personal economic and/or social issues. Moreover, while God does help people in many different ways and in many different situations, there is never a guarantee for a happy, economic or socially fruitful life (John 16:33).[2] The need in the Bible is not confined to concerns or difficulties of our current life, but of our eternal life. The “need” that is expressed in the Bible is a need for being reconciled to God. Because we are all sinners, meaning we have all morally rebelled against God and broken His law, we deserve (as punishment) death . . . an eternal death. But through His grace and mercy, God provided a way of salvation, which is through putting one’s faith solely in Jesus Christ, who sacrificed Himself for us.

The title of Reason #1 was correct when it stated “. . . Appear Less Relevant.” The “appearance” that because you have more economic and social advantages is masking the same need that every human being has, the aforementioned reconciliation with God. Those advantages may conceal some of the heartache that accompanies not having enough money, lacking friends, finding jobs, etc., but sin is the main problem. Sin does not waver with the heights or depths of a person's economic or social status. Sin does not discriminate. Sin is pervasive among all human beings. It is, in fact, our nature. (Gal. 5:17) It isn’t economic or social concerns that will necessarily decide our eternal state, but our standing with the Creator will.

“"The subject of sin is vital knowledge. To say that our first need in life is to learn about sin may sound strange, but in the sense intended it is profoundly true. If you have not learned about sin, you cannot understand yourself, or your fellow-men, or the world you live in, or the Christian faith. And you will not be able to make head or tail of the Bible. For the Bible is an exposition of God’s answer to the problem of human sin and unless you have that problem clearly before you, you will keep missing the point of what it says."[3]

Reason #2: The Church Appears To Be Old And Stagnant

Christianity and young people’s culture have always clashed. More than ever– the digitalized, global community we live in demands that the church constantly elevate how it will be relevant to this and emerging generations. As the church seeks to preserve tradition, it constantly will be faced with resistance from rebellious young people. The church continues to alienate young people with old stagnant ideas that young people don’t view as innovative enough to keep up with their lives in the digital age.

This one is difficult to accurately assess because there is no elaboration on such phrases as “preserve tradition” or “old stagnant ideas.” Nevertheless, I will share some brief thoughts with the assumption that the preservation of traditions and stagnant ideas strictly refer to the “digitalized, global community” and not any doctrinal issues.

I agree that the church should use digital means to help convey the Gospel. Since the call of the Great Commission is to “go and make disciples of all nations” (Matt. 28:19) we should use all the resources at our disposal to assist in this effort. For the most part, I think the Christian community has done so. There is a wealth of websites, books, e-books, CDs, DVDs, mp3’s, podcasts, YouTube videos, etc., that aid in spreading the gospel. Bibles of all sorts of translations are available for free on cell phones. Many churches even broadcast services live, so those who may be ill, bed-ridden, or out of town can tune in. Maybe every single church hasn't embraced these mediums, but it would be an unfair claim to characterize the broader “Church” as not adopting many of these resources in its evangelistic endeavors.

Reason #3: Young Evangelicals Feel They Have to Choose Between Their Intellectual Integrity And Their Faith

Millennials long for faith communities in which they are safe asking tough questions and wrestling with doubt. Up to one-third of young people say the church is out of step on scientific developments and debate.

I am thrilled that this Reason made the list. As one who is earning a Master’s degree in Christian Apologetics (i.e., a branch of theology that deals with the defense, communication, and establishment of the Christian faith) I wholeheartedly agree that “faith communities” should embrace intellectual discourse. This belief derives from 1 Peter 3:15 where we all commanded to always be “prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect.”

Recently, there has been a resurgence of apologetics in the Christian sphere. Academia is littered with some of the best and brightest minds who communicate and defend the truths of the Holy Bible along with popular issues such as abortion, science, same sex marriage, the economy, etc. The truth of the Bible reflects the truth of the world so these topics, and many more, should not be divorced from intellectual, Christian dialogue.

Unfortunately, many churches and Christians do not see the need for apologetics. There are many reasons as to why some churches don’t embrace it, too many for me to list in this post. Also, there are many Christians who think having an intellectual thought process as part of your faith will hurt the “spiritual” portion. This is untrue. You can check out my blog post on Christian apologetics to find out more information on what it is, why it is important, and how it was displayed in the Bible. (Defending the (Reasonable) Faith: Christian Apologetics)

But if your local church does not embrace apologetics, don’t give up! There are many, many books (e.g. the Apologetics of Jesus by Norman Geisler and Patrick Zukeran), mp3’s, podcasts, radio shows, etc., that discuss the intellectual side of Christianity. Even a cursory survey of YouTube will give you dozens of videos where highly credentialed Christians are debating people of other beliefs on a multitude of subjects, including science (which, btw, is not antithetical to the Bible). Maybe have a chat with your pastor or leadership team to discuss apologetics and try forming a ministry in your church. If that doesn’t work, form your own small group that focuses on the intellectual discourse of Christianity and its implications on your worldview.

Don’t let the misconception of intellect vs. faith derail your relationship with God. Intellect and faith are not at odds, but are in agreement. People often get confused by the phrase “hoped for” in Hebrews 11:1. But “hoped for” DOES NOT mean wishful thinking; instead, the Greek word (ελπιζω) signifies a confident expectation.

“Biblically, faith is a power or skill to act in accordance with the nature of the kingdom of God, a trust in which what we have reason to believe is true. Understood in this way, we see that faith is built on reason. We should have good reasons for thinking Christianity is true before we dedicate ourselves completely to it,” – J.P. Moreland

(In Part 2 I will address slavery in the bible, sex, and the ability to be authentic while also Christian.)

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[1] Since the article is referring to the Christian church, I am using the “need” in the Christian context.

[2] In fact, the opposite is much more prevalent in the Bible. Think of the apostles, for example. They experienced many difficulties and most died awful deaths.

[3] J.I. Packer, God’s Words.