Black Men Missing at Church

[Edward Robinson]

It is time that the Church addresses the absence of Black Men in the Church. My brothers are missing and we need them to be present. Sisters, I need your help, bring your man to Church with you on Sunday.

[Joseph Gill]

I was "born" into a church that had a gigantic disparity between the number of women and men, but I have since found a church home where men make up over a third of the congregation. And we're not all wearing turned-around
collars, either.

This pastor has created an atmosphere of responsibility and authority for lay brethren, so that even the sisters expect us to assume the role of leaders in the church family. Pastor throws down the gauntlet every year... we men are to provide the "spiritual covering" for the women and the young people. We must shore up the faithfulness and consistency of the congregation: first, by exemplifying these traits ourselves, and, second, by requiring the same behavior from our family members. We must be the leaders in financial giving, not falling back into allowing the women's department to shoulder the burden of financing the ministry. We are who's responsible for maintaining the church property, and keeping the worship experience a pleasant and safe one for our families and our visitors.

Pastor imparts to us a portion of his authority, and then holds us accountable to use it. If he is in any way intimidated by delegating to other men, he doesn't show it. He seems to operate with the understanding that "iron sharpens iron": he trains and nurtures men for future leadership. That is why men continue to join our ranks.

 

Men will still be absent from church until pastors learn to treat them as men.

[Apostle Dr. Melody Barclay]

Unfortunately a lot of our black men hold the MIA status, that is "missing in action". Many black men are absent in the home, families, workplace, etc. And if they are missing in action at the very necessary places of home as a father, husband and leader, then church is out of thought for them. Much and continued prayer and intercession for our black men and teaching, counseling etc. are  necessary things that would resolve the absentee problem with our men in church.

[Pastor Jonathan]

     Luke 14:21, "So that servant came, and shewed his lord these things. Then the master of the house being angry said to his servant, Go out quickly into the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in hither the poor, and the maimed, and the halt, and the blind."  Luke 14:23, "And the lord said unto the servant, Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel [them] to come in, that my house may be filled."  The streets, lanes, highway and hedges also have symbolic meaning which I will not address at this time. 

     Black Men Role Call:

       1.  incarcerated

       2.  the pastor demotes men and promotes women in the sermon (pimp in pulpit), men will stay away

       3.  desensitized to spiritual matters, concerned with the natural and material

       4.  are able to discern fake pulpit pimps/pulpit hustlers, men will stay away

       5.  assert that you don't have to go to church to know God, they have already read and know the bible

       6.  believe that what you don't know won't hurt you, their excuse for living as they please

       7.  don't like to see their woman have an infatuation with the preacher(I know women divorced behind

            single pastor's controlling the congregants and not promoting marriage)

       8.  pride, another black man with authority