Building Unity In The Church Of The New

The church has changed. It is more diverse and as such faces new and imposing challenges. Building Unity in the Church of the New Millennium is an extraordinary collection of articles from a diverse group of ministry leaders devoted to unity among those of different races, classes, genders, and other groups within the church. To love as Christ commanded, the church simply must learn to incorporate, reach out to, and become unified with the people of God's whole kingdom.

DR. DWIGHT A. PERRY (Ph.D., Trinity Evangelical Divinity School) was the first African American to graduate with an earned Ph.D. from TEDS and is the author of Building Unity in the Church of the New Millennium. He previously served as Professor of Pastoral Studies at Moody Bible Institute. Prior to coming to MBI Dr. Perry served as a denominational executive and as senior pastor and associate pastor in several churches in Illinois. When he is not in the classroom, Dr. Perry preaches in area churches, as well as Bible conferences throughout the country; he also serves as a member of the board for Youth For Christ, USA. Dr. Perry and his wife Cynthia, the parents of two sons and two daughters, live in the Chicago-land area.

TABLE OF CONTENTPart One: Unity Between Races in the Church1. Developing a Biblical Theology of Racial Reconciliation: How Do Institutions Perpetuate Racism' - Dwight Perry2. Fade to White: How White Is Evangelical Theology' - Vincent Bacote3. The "Right" Way to Praise God: Is Our Style Biblical, or Is It Simply Cultural' - Clarence Shuler4. One White Man's Personal Journey: What Does It Take to Understand People Who Are Different from Us' - Robert M. Boyd5. Getting to Know Each Other: Are We Willing to Break Down the White Power Structure Within Evangelicalism' - Bill McCartney6. The Alternative to Ethnic-Focused Church Planting: How Can We Build Diversity As We Build Churches' - Raleigh B. Washington7. Understanding Interracial Families: Can the Church Welcome Mixed-Race Couples' - A. Charles WarePart Two: Unity Between Classes in the Church8. Dismantling Class Barriers: Can the Church Avoid Wealth-Based Prejudice' - Larry Mercer9. People Just Like Me: Does the Bible Give Us Freedom to Build Deliberately Homogeneous Churches' - Rod Cooper10. The Quest for Biblical Community: Is It Possible to Unite Oral and Written Cultures' - Henry Lee Allen11. The Promise and Peril of Seminary Education: Is Evangelical Theological Education Bound by Class and Culture' - David K. Clark12. Pursuing Faith-Based Opportunities: How Can We Challenge Evangelical Prejudice Against the Poor' - Glen KehreinPart Three: Unity Between Genders in the Church13. Seeing the Invisible Prejudice: How Should the Church Respond to Women in Leadership' - Rosalie de Rosset14. A Plea for Godly Partnership: How Does the Church Condone Abuse and Silencing of Women' - Ellen Lowrie Black15. Moving Past "Women Can't Preach": What Are Some Biblical Ways to Include Women in Ministry' - Michelle ObletonPart Four: Unity Across Other Barriers in the Church16. Retired and Set Aside: Is There a Place for Elderly Saints in the Body of Christ' - An edited interview with Evelyn Christenson17. The Theology of the Wheelchair: How Can We Minister Christ's Wholeness to Those with Disabilities' - Sandy Rios18. Those We'd Rather Forget: Are Homosexuals and People with AIDS Beyond the Hope of the Gospel' - Brad Grammer19. Kids in Constant Motion: How Can the Church Work More Effectively with Children with ADD/ADHD' - Cynthia Perry20. The Almost-Unpardonable Sin: Is Divorce Treated as a Justice Issue in Your Ministry' - Craig Keener21. Singling Out the Unmarried: What Do Single People Bring to Ministry' - Shirley Wright Masongezi