The song before I preached in Harlem yesterday at GZHBC. Earlier in my career, I was encouraged to turn my back on the black church for the multi-ethnic dream but I always resisted b/c I needed actual Big God theology not limited to the micro-concerns of Reformed Evangelicalism.
To my young black evangelical brothers & sisters, do not let them buy your allegiance away from caring about the black experience & the black church. If the black church didn’t exist, you wouldn’t be free to enjoy the “we’re so glad you’re here” evangelical side-hug. 
And walk away if they recruit you out of the black community but only give you multi-ethnic $$$ & won’t long-term fund a black-focussed project (that’s not just about poverty). A white-focussed hipster church of urban gentrifiers is praised & so should black-focussed mission.
Finally, if they tell you that a multi-ethnic congregation, on this side of the eschaton, is closest to God’s heart for the present, do not believe them. Multi-ethnic churches exist primarily for the comfort of white people, according to the sociological data.
The mandate that a local multi-ethnic church is better than a black-focussed church has zero basis in Scripture or tradition. You can stay in the black church with your theology. God is bigger there anyway. Mercy & justice aren’t gospel “implications.” academia.edu/38686916/Neo_C…
And for the record, this was to film their virtual service. They elected not to meet still and they also don’t think they’re being oppressed by the government right now. Ha! There are Jim Crow survivors in this church. They know what oppression feels like.
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