Drama in the Black Church: Has it Pushed You Away?

April 2nd, 2012 - By Kendra Koger

Source: elev8.com

When I was a little girl, enrolled in elementary schools in East St. Louis, Illinois, one of the topics that we would discuss with much gaiety would be crazy things that happened in churches.  Each child had a story about either their own church or churches that they heard about.  Stories about fights breaking out in congregations, pastors found with their gay lovers, or parishioners embezzling money from their congregations flowed from willing mouths to eager ears, and we repeated the stories to anyone who would listen.  Afterward, someone would eventually say:  “That’s why I don’t go to church,” or “That’s why I’m gonna stop going to church when I get older.  Too much crazy stuff happens.”  However, as I got older and realized how much I personally exaggerated stories to my friends, I began to think fondly of those conversations as urban legends instead of full blown truths, because my friends could have just as easily have been exaggerating themselves.

As an adult I work for a publishing company located in St. Louis, MO named Prioritybooks Publications.  The company has a wide array of works, but recently I’ve been seeing an increase in books that focus on drama in predominately black churches.
A Sinner’s Cry is about a woman who, after finding out that her boyfriend of two years has been married the whole time, she tries to get redemption by going back to church.  But the church is in turmoil itself with messy, gossipy church goers, and a pastor who is the center of these lies.  No matter if the pastor was in the process of delivering a sermon or conducting a church business meeting, people in his congregation would stand up, and accuse him of either philandering or stealing from his congregation. Another author, Lady Bea Morgan has written two memoirs (The Pastor’s Wife Does Cry and The Extension) that focus on her own personal hell as the wife of a philandering and abusive pastor.  Cecelia Edwards’ “The Unraveling,” a three part book series which is about to drop on ebooks within the next week or so, is about a group of siblings that just learn that their pastor father has been involved in sexual relationships with many women in his congregation.

Now, I understand good fiction, but when talking to each writer about their works, it shocked me to find out that all of them have been based off of true situations.  Some arguments, physical blows, yelled accusations and police interactions on church grounds that have been used as dialogue and situations in these books have been taken word for word from some in these congregations.  It honestly shocked me when I learned that these works of fiction were based off of true events.  It honestly made me sad, but then when the Eddie Long situation happened, it gave even more credence that it seems that drama can easily fester in our black churches, the one place where you’re supposed to find peace and solace.

However, by signifying that all black churches are epicenters of drama is just like putting any stereotype on blacks and considering it to be truth.  A small minority of churches that don’t have their stuff together shouldn’t be the measure of what we see our culture’s churches as a whole.  In my 26 years of living I’ve been to some amazingly united black churches that were dedicated to bring the Word and helping out not just people in the congregation, but their neighborhoods.  The church I’ve been going to since I was a child has never been in a negative limelight whatsoever.  But, with the rise of black atheists, it makes me remember those small voices, that after telling their tales of church ratchetness would go on to say:  “That’s why I don’t go to church now.” It makes me wonder if this is the reason?

Have you ever gone to a church that was full of drama? Did the drama make you swear off of church all together?

Kendra Koger is a writer, blogger, and reader of literature.  Follower her at twitter @kkoger.

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  • Deborrah Cooper

    The book “The Black Church – Where Women Pray and Men Pray” examines the hold black churches have on the black community, non-biblical tenets of the prosperity gospel, and the mental, sexual and emotional games played by unscrupulous black preachers on women and children. People think their churches have no problems but don’t understand that these dramas are covered up by those in power. So as a mere church MEMBER you won’t know about them because the board, pastor, assistant pastor, etc. hushes them up. It is a misconception to think it is just “a few” churches that have major problems, when it fact it is MOST churches.

    After all, every week stories hit the news of financial or sexual abuses by pastors that have been hidden from the public for years, sometimes decades. Finding out about these things years later, women are always heard saying “I thought I could trust him!” or “He seemed so nice!” or “Who would have ever thought he was like that?”

  • NCToya

    There is a lot of mess out in the world and our churches.  That is why people need to have a relationship with God and know him and his Word for themselves.    We must also remember that the Church is run by Man and man is fallible. 

  • Rose Beavers

    Churches are like hospitals.  People go there to get help.  It takes times to become a Christian and to live as God wants us to.  Therefore you are going to find drama until people become converted.  As long as you stay away from the drama, study your Bible and work to help others- the drama will cease. 

  • Truth-will Hurt

    Articles like this make me sad to call myself a Christian because it is true… there is a lot of drama and hypocrisy in the church. However, like many have stated that all people claiming to be following Christ are not… This is why you have the back-slidding, name calling, belittling, hypocrisy, and self righteous attitudes in America’s churches today. To add this occurs in all churches and forms of religious, moralistic arenas.  I try my best everyday to represent Christ the right way. My heart goes out to all atheist or people who are turned off from the church assembly because of evil and hypocrisy. I really try to obtain an understanding from these people to better myself and better my walk with Christ. Some of the stuff that so called Christians are doing is a product of ignorance and denominations. Christianity is one of the most divided religions on this planet. People pick and choose what they want to follow and what they want to receive from the word of God… this is why people call all religion fake and they don’t attend churches because majority of the churches are not operating in God’s word and most people are not walking in his spirit… Therefore in the name of Christ you have the Crusades, Slavery, Holocaust, Incestuous relations of Priest, Down-low Pastors, Gay Bashing and Killing, Harassing Abortion Clinics, etc… and the list goes on… but these so called Christians don’t realize that they themselves are not obeying the word of God because first the scriptures says to walk in love (not tolerance there is a difference) and second because they haven’t read Proverbs that says a wise man wins souls… they don’t know how to use wisdom when witnessing about Christ… no they rather argue for hours on social networking sites… calling people stupid and threatening folks are going to hell… I know this because I was once this type of hypocrite….until God’s spirit corrected me and showed me how to behave.

  • Clarkekm

    I am a pastors kid, and let me tell you there are plenty of scandals in the church. But thats because there are people there, anywhere that you find human beings you will find scandal. I dont understand why people think the church will be an exception.  While we are still human, we are subject to fall. And people and church do fall at times. Being a pastors kid i interacted with other pastors kids and other churches on a regular basis & i have seen my fair share of scandal, but thats when knowing God & the word for your self comes into play. If a scandal turns you away from God or the church( in general) then you need to evaluate why you were really in the church .  I am a young woman , (21 to be exact) and have had many strange experiences but have not let them turn me away from God or going to Church . I  had  a minister in his 30s ( when i was 18)  try to court me and say that he believed in ” trying each other out once before getting married” -_____- . I have met prophets who sit up there & lie , even met one who try to mix voodoo with the christian word. & the list goes on but again, thats when KNOWING GOD FOR YOURSELF comes into play.  You have to just pray for these people , but not allow it to effect your relationship with God. You can’t say ” oh well the pastors a fraud” then stop going to church because you think everyone’s a hypocrite, thats a lack of spiritual maturity. If you read the bible you will see the bible is full of scandals. David slept with another mans wife got her pregnant & then had him killed. Solomon let woman turn him away from God. Peter was already to kill for Jesus one minute & before the end of that day he denied even knowing him 3x’s. If this kind of stuff happen to the people of the bible, why do expect it not to happen now?

  • Topup

    no one can push me away from God.  man nor satan has that power

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