Our church has a declaration of affirmations and denials on race, nationhood, the local church, etc., that at some point I will likely make public.
But for now, I will just say that it is evident our nation has massive problems on most all scales, whether familial, civil, racial, cultural, or ecclesiastical.
Local churches that might be intentionally homogeneous or mono-racial in certain contexts to promote the best arrangement to minister to all is permissible and wise. Dabney preferred keeping the blacks in their churches with them (still recognizing a social order and hierarchy) to help minister to them. He said he would support them if they started their own black presbyteries, and would labor hard to help them form their own seminaries, churches, black pastors, and so on, and that these would basically be sister churches. But he did not think that would be wise because of the needs among the blacks to be ministered to and trained up by the white ministers who were more gifted and had long been steeped in the Reformed faith.
Today the context is very different, but as always, a pastor should desire to minister to all peoples who come to receive the gospel and words of life, regardless of race. If there is a good church that is exclusively or predominately comprised of a minority race, it is quite natural to encourage someone of that minority race to consider that church as the most natural fit for them.
But we know that there are few sound Reformed churches today in general, and most all of them are overwhelmingly white. A white reformed church that is straightforward about racial realities that nevertheless has non-whites interested in being fed the Word of God and nourished in the faith, should be nourished in the faith and fed the Word of God. In most circumstances, barring language barriers and vast cultural differences or temporary legal status, etc., that should include regular church attendance and ultimately church membership, if for no other reason than the alternative would be to turn such persons out to very poor churches doctrinally and practically in almost all cases. Churches have had to go underground in the past, and some operate this way in various countries and to some degree in our own even in the present. But this is to be protected from those who hate the church, not those who desire the ministry of the church (of course there should be a process to decipher friend from foe and those who will lie to harm or destroy).
If a church decided to minister to minorities that came to them by virtually starting a church plant for them from the start, I can respect that, though I think it is idealistic in most cases, especially if it is just one or two families, and probably not the best thing for those few families at the start. I believe a Christian individual or family that is not white in the United States today would recognize at some level the anti-white hatred from so many races and nationalities that have poured into our nation today, and the self-loathing that even many white persons have for themselves. And most obvious of all is the BLM movement that openly despises white people for the alleged atrocities we have routinely committed against blacks in our nation's history.
But the needs of the soul, and to minister to souls, must take precedence over what may be considered an aim at a more perfect societal order. We should aim for that as well, but not at the expense of ministering to sinners and advancing the kingdom of God. I would not turn away a Christian individual or family of any race who was in our nation legally, could speak English, and sincerely desired the pure milk of God's Word. In our area, I know of no minority churches that are biblically sound or faithful, as even most of the churches made up of mostly white people are also quite compromised and shallow. Ministering to racial foreigners and having Christian fellowship, and bonds of friendship, are certainly not inherently illicit, even if they are exceptional and can create challenges that should not be glossed over or ignored. There is natural affection for our own race that will not be present, at least in the same degree and way, of those of a vastly different race and culture. But a sincere, common love for the Lord and seeking first His kingdom and righteousness will give me much in common with most Christians that speak my language in this nation, all the more so in terms of Christian fellowship and worship. Perhaps the differences would prevent a deep understanding and close friendships with one another, but that is still better for that minority family than to be without Jesus the friend of sinners, and without the sound preaching, admonishing, and discipling of a faithful church.
It makes sense to me that churches would, all other things being equal, ordinarily be comprised of a majority race of people, because nations should ordinarily be comprised of a particular race or ethnic group of people, with a common language and culture. But many things happen in this fallen world where that is not always the case at least in some locations, and I would think even without the fall certain migrations and travels would possibly occur of tribes to foreign countries and foreign people.
It should be said plainly that unity in Christ is of one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one Spirit, etc. It is not a unity of one race, one nation, one language, one culture, and those racial, national, lingual, and cultural differences do remain among various peoples, and when the differences are stark enough they certainly have to be weighed in how to effectively minister within local churches. To give what I think is an obvious and easy example, having sermons translated/interpreted live into multiple languages is not ideal for anyone, and churches should divide up as soon as possible if they do not have a common language. Again, unity in Christ pertains to the church universal, not the local or particular church. And the Gospel is not intended to overcome language barriers, or distinct national, racial, and cultural differences, but to sanctify families, tribes, and nations.
But I am simply focusing on the situation as it stands today, which for most regions in our nation are that a faithful Bible-believing and preaching Reformed church is a rarity in general, and exceedingly rare among non-white people and communities. I as a minister and Christian want to see sinners saved, regardless of race, even as I have a natural affection and special love to see my own people come to faith in Jesus Christ, just as Paul most desired for his kinsmen according to the flesh to be saved, Rom. 9:3, etc. Yet, this natural affection, or we could even say favoritism, did not hinder or prohibit his ministry to the Gentiles and his rejoicing when they were saved and joined the church as well. He labored for Christ to be formed in them diligently as well, as was his particular calling. But he also ministered to Jews. The other Apostles who especially minister to the Jews undoubtedly labored diligently for the souls of Gentiles also.
I believe Acts 6 and other passages in the NT show that sensitivity to natural affection/racial and cultural similarity is still taken into account in meeting the needs of the saints (the hellenistic widows, for example, are provided for by men who are all hellinistic also), but we also see deep bonds between the various churches, whether they were more likely to be mono-racial or multi-racial, with mostly Jews or mostly Gentiles. Collections to alleviate the poor, likely mostly Jewish Christians, are taken by Gentile churches because of famine. If there was such love and sympathy to alleviate physical hunger, how much more so spiritual hunger for those races or peoples who lack sound churches even more than fellow white people today lack sound churches? The Spiritual dearth in our nation is palpable, God help us!
This is not at all to say we must prioritize minorities, but that as we minister to those in our community, and especially those we will most naturally come into contact among our friends, families and neighbors (which will typically be those of our own race, culture, language, etc.), if the Lord so works in the heart of those we have far less in common with, and they realize they need the full counsel of God's Word and cannot receive it elsewhere, this is a clear providence of God that you must do all in your power to see to it that you minister to that individual or family, and that will ordinarily mean in our own congregations unless, like Dabney had said, one straightaway decides to work toward church plants within ethnic communities.
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