From the Editor
Marshall Shelley
April 1, 2003
Has your community changed in the last 10 years? In recent weeks I've asked that question to dozens of pastors, and not one has said, "No." Everyone, whether in urban, suburban, small town, or rural settings, has noticed significant shifts in the communities surrounding their churches.
The most conspicuous change has been the increasing diversity of the population. Racial, religious, and economic differences are increasingly evident. This, of course, can be unsettling to some, but it presents tremendous opportunities for ministry. Every congregation is aware of human needs in its own back yard.
Just this week I heard from my friend Dr. Gerald Durley, pastor of Providence Missionary Baptist Church in Atlanta, who described the "regentrifying" of that city:
"In the 1980s and early '90s, many urban congregations were predominantly black, and suburban congregations were predominantly white, but as urban sprawl (and traffic snarls, longer commutes, higher gasoline prices, etc.) began to take its toll on the suburbanites, they began to move back into the cities.
"First, young, single whites came back remodeling old warehouses. Politicians once again recognized the viability of urban centers. Sports facilities began to attract more people back downtown who remained after dark. City planners began redesigning sections of the city. Lofts and condos were built. Real estate speculators bought entire black neighborhoods, at below market value, and rebuilt them for those returning from the suburbs.
"For the last 15 years, regentrification has quietly and now resoundingly transpired. Most cities are no longer merely black and white, but are rapidly seeing Latino and Asian populations emerge. As more and more Christians find themselves in racially ...
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