The Dark World of Megachurches

"THEY'RE QUIETLY RACIST

To their supporters, one of the major benefits of megachurches is their diversity. Because they are designed to welcome newcomers and have such large congregations, they often have or openly support multiracial congregations. And as reported by The New York Times, many Black churchgoers sought out these megachurches out of a sense of duty—to be missionaries of a newly integrated worship experience. But as noted by the Daily Beast, many of these parishioners are leaving these megachurches as they exhibit increasingly explicit conservative politics.

Read More: https://www.grunge.com/596092/the-dark-side-of-megachurches/?utm_campaign=clip

Now many Black members of megachurch congregations have begun to leave them. For some, the way evangelical churches supported Donald Trump in the 2016 election and beyond was untenable. But for many, the racism they experienced went back much further. According to Baptist News Global, 27 percent of Black practicing Christians felt pressure to give up their racial identity in order to fit in, and 28 percent found it difficult to build relationships and fit in.

This is exacerbated by the fact that megachurch leadership is overwhelmingly white. As a result, even when Blacks and other minorities are invited to join and participate in a megachurch, they are usually expected to "code switch" and change their clothing and behavior to conform. The irony is that as more Black parishioners leave, the megachurches become increasingly white.

Read More: https://www.grunge.com/596092/the-dark-side-of-megachurches/?utm_campaign=clip

Link: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hTfKpAWkgJY"

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