不良研究所

BOLIVAR, Mo. 鈥� As an extension of 不良研究所鈥檚 Fall Chapel series 鈥� 鈥淓ngaging Our Broken World鈥� 鈥� the University Activities Council hosted a forum on 鈥淒iving Into Diversity鈥� on Tuesday, Oct. 20 in Pike Auditorium on the Bolivar campus.

The panel featured moderator Dr. Matt Kimbrough, division head of The Courts Redford Division of Christian Ministry at 不良研究所, and Missouri Baptist Convention pastors Mike Hubbard of Genesis Church in Eureka, and Jon Nelson of Soma Community Church in Jefferson City, as well as newly elected president of the MBC. Both Hubbard and Nelson are part of the MBC鈥檚 new racial reconciliation task force.

Nelson, who on Tuesday, Oct. 27, was the first African-American in 187 years to be elected president of the MBC, talked about how he and his family look at different issues, especially when it comes to race and reconciliation, a little differently, as a bi-racial couple.

When the time came to plant his first church, a question from his oldest daughter made him think about what that church might look like.

鈥淪he asked, 鈥楧addy, why can鈥檛 we have a church that looks like our house,鈥欌�� Nelson recalled. 鈥淚 think it was a really good point. We had been going through the Bible talking about what it looks like to have a church that is diverse in so many ways. When you look at Revelation, it says, 鈥榚very tribe, tongue and nation;鈥� it doesn't mean any gray, amalgamous people. It means all of us are going to be in our element, in Heaven before the King, worshipping Him in our own tongues. I can鈥檛 wait for that. But then, I look at most churches, and they don鈥檛 look like that.鈥�

Nelson shared his own experiences with racism as an African-American, and said it is important, as a convention and as a people, to 鈥渓ean into the uncomfortableness of this moment,鈥� to have those uncomfortable conversations about race and the current climate of the nation. And, the key to that, he said, is the Gospel.

鈥淔or your generation to overcome these issues that you鈥檙e seeing on TV, that you鈥檙e seeing on the internet right now, you must become comfortable with being uncomfortable,鈥� Nelson said to the students in attendance. 鈥淔or the Gospel to expand on this earth, you have to become comfortable with being uncomfortable. That鈥檚 the way the Gospel鈥檚 always expanded. That鈥檚 the way we鈥檝e always moved forward. There鈥檚 never been a question about that; it鈥檚 whether or not you're willing to do it.鈥�

Nelson has seen his church grow 鈥� 53 percent black, 47 percent white 鈥� and said the goal is to be 鈥渁 people defined by the way that we change our world around us.鈥�

鈥淲e say the tie that binds us, Jesus Christ, is stronger than anything that divides us,鈥� Nelson said. 鈥淲e have to be bound by Christ, first and foremost. I really believe that the only King, not mayor, not governor, not president, is King Jesus. And until we get to that point, we鈥檝e got a long way in squashing the history of racism in this country. But you guys are the ones who can do it.

鈥淭he thing that excites me about Gen Z is you have the opportunity to do what my generation failed to do, what the generation before failed to do, what millennials have failed to do but are still trying to do right now 鈥� not to end racism, but to bring the Gospel to bear when it comes to racism. Because that is the only viable solution that will change the narrative on this earth.鈥�

During the question and answer session, Hubbard said the key to engaging is to learn about those who are different from you.

鈥淏uild relationships, get to know people,鈥� Hubbard said. 鈥淲hat made the early church so beautiful and repulsive to the culture at the same time was this issue. When Paul planted a church in the city, he started in the synagogue and he preached the Gospel to the Jews. Then, he went to the secular culture and he preached the Gospel there. What they did is figured out how to love one another when they wouldn't have had anything to do with each other in the world before that.

鈥淚ntentionally start looking at people in the eye and say, 鈥楬ey, I really want to get to know you.鈥� Break the bubble and go get to know people. Do that because this is what the Gospel compels us to do. Go back to what it looks like to be in the book of Acts, where there鈥檚 intense relations with people who are diverse 鈥� people who disagree with me on uncertain issues and who look different from me and intentionally engage that, because this is what the Kingdom requires of us.鈥�

The Chapel series has included discussions on 鈥淓ngaging Brokenness,鈥� 鈥淓ngaging Racism,鈥� 鈥淓ngaging Anxiety,鈥� with the final discussion on 鈥淓ngaging Political Division.鈥� For more information on this series, contact Kimbrough at mkimbrough@不良研究所niv.edu.

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PHOTO: Dr. Matt Kimbrough, division head of The Courts Redford Division of Christian Ministry at 不良研究所, (left) and Missouri Baptist Convention pastor Jon Nelson of Soma Community Church in Jefferson City, as well as MBC first vice president, address questions during the "Diving Into Diversity" forum.

*Published: 10-28-2020