How the pastor of Bethlehem Baptist Church went from a self-described racist to an adoptive father of an African American. An excerpt from 'Bloodlines.'

Thankful for Piper’s transparency on these issues (and for his not labeling all of earlier Fundamentalism and Evangelicalism as racist—God bless the memory of his yankee Fundamentalist mom). And I really appreciate his transparency about his ministry’s urban setting and the level of disconnect with the community. That kind of honesty is refreshing, especially from a top-tier Christian leader. So often we want to minimize the perception of our deficiencies, don’t we?

While Piper’s overcoming his own racism is commendable I believe his book, as I have begun reading it, is seriously flawed. Of course I did state my views in another thread I created on the topic but will take the opportunity here to voice them as well. At another site where I commented on a book review I stated:

Unfortunately this is not what the Bible teaches. It does not teach us to pursue diversity or that diversity is any measure, whatsoever, of fulfilling the great commission or doing God’s work of any type.

Our responsibility is to give the gospel to all the world, not attempt to manipulate the local formations of the body of Christ to meet some demographic standard not demanded of us in the Bible. This is atrocious and mind boggling anti-theological in its construct.

In fact, to be conscious of race with regard to gospel work and ecclesiastical polity and practice is to disobey the very tenets contained in the teaching that in Christ we are to see one another as spiritual and that all believers have equal assets and access. This construct of Piper’s and frankly, much of Christendom, is not a Biblical one but a worldly one.

Our local assemblies will be what they are and we are to give no certain advantage or attention to anyone due to race. That is simply carnal social/politicism that has infiltrated our church.

Harmony in a local church is based on the above, as well. That we live by our Biblical/Spiritual identity within the church and it the tenets of Scripture dictate our lives.

Finally and unfortunately, Piper and others have misunderstood Divine Institutions and believe that one can be regulated or is required to be regulated by the same protocol as the other. Their confusion leads to the kind of sincere but erring views that is in Piper’s book.