Date of Award

2-2023

Document Type

Project Portfolio

Degree Name

Doctor of Ministry (DMin)

Department

Seminary

First Advisor

Gregg Borror, DMin

Second Advisor

Sunggu Yang, PhD

Third Advisor

Leonard I. Sweet, PhD

Abstract

The modern Pentecostal movement has been marred by racial incongruence and division. Defying the segregationist laws of the day, the earliest revivals of the twentieth century were racially integrated, reflecting a biblical vision for the oneness of a new humanity in Christ empowered by the Holy Spirit. And yet, the unity born from these early revivals proved insufficient to sustain racial equity within the movements. A century later, Pentecostal (and Charismatic) churches fail to reflect racial diversity at the highest levels of authority, direction setting, and power-sharing. The lack of clarity surrounding key theological concepts such as the imago Dei, our new humanity in Christ, the significance of Pentecost, and the mission of the church as an instrument of reconciliation are contributing factors to this issue. Further, this legacy of inequity is rooted in the lack of sociological imagination. This dissertation examines the pathway to creating racially equitable churches, denominations, and movements. The central question of the research is, "Why do Pentecostal and Charismatic leaders proclaim a gospel that encompasses racial reconciliation but often fail to reflect minority representation at the highest levels of authority, direction setting, and decision-making in their churches?" This question expands over time to encompass related questions and unexpected conclusions. The research was initiated within the Hillsong Phoenix community and expanded globally through Hillsong Church. During the concluding stages of my study, my leadership context changed; I now serve the same congregation under the name City of Grace. The outcome of this doctoral project is a biblically based racial reconciliation curriculum consisting of twenty-two online sessions and a corresponding small group study. The curriculum, titled "Race Matters: The Gospel, Racial Reconciliation, and the Church," is designed to transform racialized mindsets by delivering a biblical framework for diversity, equity, and inclusion with an emphasis on Pentecostal distinctives.

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