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The church's 10-point vision emphasizes Christ, Community and Culture. What makes this church's vision controversial during the 2008 Presidential Race is 1) the community and culture addressed by the church's vision is the Black community and Black culture 2) Trinity United Church of Christ in Chicago is Senator Barack Obama's home church.
Critics assert that Trinity United Church of Christ is a separatist, racist church that borders on a cult. The reason for this assertion is the church's emphasis on commitment to 1) the Black community 2) the Black family 3) the Black work ethic 4) the Black value system 5) Black leadership. Critics also charge that the church's doctrine is "scary" and goes beyond Afro-centric to African. Are such critics right? I don't think so.
Trinity's 10-point vision is posted on the church's website on the "About Us" page. Before discussing what is on this webpage, lets get some understanding of what Christian doctrine is. Christian doctrine is what the Bible teaches about subjects. Systematic Theology deals with what the Bible teaches about eight subjects. Those subjects are 1) theism (the existence of God) 2) bibliology (the Bible) 3) theology (God) 4) angelology (angels and demons) 5) anthropology (man) 6) soteriology (salvation) 7) ecclesiology (the Church) 8) eschatology (last things). From Systematic Theology, Christian churches and ministries formulate their statements of faith. A church or ministry's statement of faith is where the church or ministry sets forth its Christian beliefs.
Trinity United Church of Christ's 10-point vision is NOT a Statement of Faith. The statement on the church's "About Us" webpage does state that the Church is "Unapologetically Christian". That tells me that the Church embraces what the Bible says about the eight subjects of Systematic Theology. If Trinity United Church of Christ's 10-point vision is not its Statement of Faith, what is it? It is the church's vision of service - otherwise known as ministry. Jesus said, "You call Me Teacher and Lord, and you say well, for so I am. If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet." John 13:13, 14
Christian ministry is foot-washing. It is the volition to address the needs of others. The 10-point vision of Trinity Church of Christ is a statement of the church's volition to address the needs of the Black community. Perusal of the church's "Ministries" webpage, sheds further light on the church's volition to address the needs of the Black community. Trinity United Church of Christ has an "Africa Ministry" which "promotes, educates and advocates issues concerning Africans in Africa and the Disapora". This means the church is committed to addressing the needs of persons in Africa as well as persons of African descent around the world.
Trinity United Church of Christ's decision to serve the needs of the Black community reminds me of the story in the Bible of Dives and Lazarus (Luke 19:31). Dives, called the rich man, had the wherewithal to be a blessing to Lazarus, a beggar who laid at Dives' door. Dives chose not to minister to him. Dives did not do what he could have done.
Trinity United Church of Christ is an African-American Christian congregation that chooses to do what it can do to minister to those who are "lying at their door". That is very practical. Why wouldn't an African-American Christian congregation minister to the needs of the African-American community when that community has great need and that church can easily access that community to address those needs? Why does such a ministry focus warrant severe criticism? In the parable of the talents (Matthew 25:14-29), Jesus said the lord of the servants said to his faithful servants, "...Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things..."
Critics say that if a Caucasian-American Christian congregation had stated its vision to minister to the White community, that church would be labeled as racist. Although in America there are Caucasian-American congregations that have African-American members, how many Caucasian-American churches are known for primarily addressing the needs of a non-Caucasian-American community? Whether or not ministry to the white community is stated as their vision, in actuality that is what they are doing. Jesus said, "Judge not, that you be not judged. For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you." Matthew 7:1, 2
For many years, Caucasian-American Christians have sent missionaries to Africa and have been held in high esteem for their volition to render such service at great sacrifice. However, when an African-American Christian congregation makes a decision to address the needs of Black people in America, in Africa and around the world, they are labeled a racist, separatist cult. There is something fundamentally wrong with such labeling.
Dr. Martin Luther King said that the most segregated day of the week is Sunday. Although there are exceptions, especially in the Pentecostal-Charismatic churches, for the most part, Protestant churches in America are segregated by tradition and habit. Although they worship the same God, the styles of worship of Caucasian-American Christians and African-American Christians are often very different. During the 1906 Azusa Street Revival in Los Angeles California, there was interracial worship. However, there were also charges of animism due to the manner in which worship took place. The word animism used to criticize worship at Azusa Street Mission referred to a combination of Christian ideas and African animistic practices and beliefs.
Trinity United Church of Christ states on its "About Us" webpage that the church is "Unashamedly Black" with deep "roots in the Black religious experience and tradition". I believe this refers to the manner of worship that African-American Christians have been harshly criticized for with charges of animism as expressed during the Azusa Street Revival of 1906 or emotionalism as I have heard during my lifetime. Reading the 10-point vision of Trinity United Church of Christ, I believe this church asserts its right to worship in the manner for which African-American Christians have been harshly criticized and to do so without apology. There is absolutely nothing racist about that.
Trinity United Church of Christ's 10-point vision does not denigrate any race. Nor does the vision assert the supremacy of the Black race. The only thing the Church's 10-point vision does is say to its congregants is, "It is okay to feel good about who you are, where you came from and how you worship". The vision also states that as a church family, they choose to wash the feet of the Black community (which would include addressing areas such as work ethic, values and leadership) in America and abroad.
Coming from the conservative wing of the Republican political party in America, criticism of Trinity United Church of Christ is extremely hypocritical. Why? Republican party principles include advocating low spending on government programs. The success of ministries like Trinity United Church of Christ should mean less spending on the type of government programs that Republicans oppose. Instead of criticizing Trinity, conservative Republicans should be applauding the church and calling for more ministries like it. During the George Herbert Walker Bush Presidency, awards were given that were called, "Points of Light". When I think about the types of recipients of Former President Bush's "Points of Light", Trinity United Church seems to fit the bill.
I do not support of Barack Obama for President. I support Hillary Clinton for President. I am of the persuasion that Senator Obama needs more experience in the area of foreign policy before becoming President of the United States. However, although I do not support his candidacy, I am very appreciative of the fact that Senator Obama does not see himself as a victim of a racist American society, but as an American citizen who can partake of the American Dream. I believe his confidence that as an American citizen who happens to be African-American, he can achieve anything - including becoming President of the United States -- is what attracts many voters to his campaign. I would definitely attribute at least part of that confidence to the ministry of Trinity United Church of Christ. Such ministry is greatly needed in the Black community. I wish there were many more.
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