This paper is a proposed strategy for planting a church in
Historic Southside, which is located in Fort Worth, TX. This strategy is based
off of the research found from the author’s findings observed from the
community itself and interviews of several people who live there. The poverty
in this area is in stark contrast to the more wealthy areas, such as the
Cultural District or the Montgomery Plaza area. The poverty of this region will
greatly impact the planting of a church because with poverty comes a much more
visible presence of sin. Recognizing this Agur son of Jakeh writes, “Give me
neither poverty…lest I be poor and steal and profane the name of my God”(Prov.
30:8-9). Jakeh rightly notes a common nature among those who are poor, namely
the nature to steal in order to sustain needs. In Historic Southside, one does
not only has to deal with a great deal of poverty in the area, but he or she also
has to recognize the high crime rate. This high crime rate was clearly seen
from the countless barred windows and doors throughout this area. These factors
and many others will greatly impact the church planting strategy that is
proposed in this paper.
There have been many
solutions/strategies to reach and rehabilitate the poor residents within this
community. Many churches in the area rightly recognize the need to help the
poor and the lame as a part of being Christ followers in their community, but
the big question is, “Have they enacted a proper solution to the problem or
have they only enabled the poor in their poverty?” This question may come
across as harsh, but this question is in no way meant to diminish the great
service countless Christian have done nor is it written to question the motives
of those who serve. Instead, this question is proposed to properly recognize
the problem that lies before the residents of Historic Southside. This problem
is that, though there are many ministries serving among the poor, there seems
to be little to no genuine rehabilitation of the poor in the community. Instead,
what is seen is a community of poor people simply living in their vices
(adultery, alcoholism, drugs, laziness, and crime) rather than being working
citizens who are freed from these vices by Jesus.
These same problems that lie before
the residence of Historic Southside are the primary problems that a new church
planter will face when attempting to reach the people in this area. Thus, a
strategy formed by a potential planter must be formed with these two problems in
mind. Facing this urban problem of poverty and crime one author proposes that
“those in the city get out.”[1]
This author believes that the city is primarily evil and, in turn, believes
that a change in environment will greatly impact a change in lives of those
people stricken by poverty. This author proposes a two-fold solution that
allows “certain classes or categories of newborn Christians to exit the city,”[2]
and that “reacquaint and reengage former city residents with the ‘Cultural
Mandate.’”[3]
What the author means by Cultural Mandate is to teach those enrolled in the
program responsibility by keeping and tending the ground, as is seen in Genesis
1 and 2. While this author might mean well, he appears to be sorely misled by
simply seeing the city as evil. This is clearly seen as one moves through the
different parts of Fort Worth that seem to lack the amount of poverty and evil
that is seen in the Historic Southside. But, this is also seen in the work of
another author in the same book who shows that cities can be both greatly loved
by God and receive God’s wrath.[4]
This understanding that a city is not purely evil exposes weakness in the
two-fold solution proposed above.
Though this author seems to have
gone astray in his solution, there are still many good points to be recognized.
First off, this author correctly assesses the dire situation that poverty
stricken new Christians face. Where some think that providing for their needs
is enough, this author sees the need of a better, more effective solution. Another
point to note is that the author rightly recognizes that those addicted to
their vices can not simply live or continue to go to areas where past addiction
has occurred. This is where the church needs to step in and be the community
that bears one another’s burdens (Gal. 6:2), confesses sin to one another
desiring restoration from sin (Jam. 5:16), seeks those who go astray (John 10),
and seeks the good for one another (Phil. 2:1-11). Thus, part of the solution
is found in a deep community of believers who see the dire situation that is
before so many poor new believers and act as Jesus would act.
In order to enact this strategy of
deep community for these poor Christians there must be a strong group of
believers willing to lay their lives down for those different from them. There
must be wealthy Christians, unlike the ones found in the book of James who show
favoritism, who move into the area sharing their wealth with the poor and
giving their lives to help rebuild the broken lives in Historic Southside. An
example of this is seen in Basil of Caesarea who “chose a lifestyle of
voluntary poverty in community with others and, in turn, this community lived
out the gospel in word and deed in Caesarea.”[5]
Basil was a wealthy monk who during great financial struggle within the economy
exercised four areas of ministry: “preaching and evangelism; a prophetic
discourse toward oppressors; advocacy for the poor; and practical care for the
poor in response to the famine and in establishment of basileas (“new city”).”[6]
Basil’s example is truly one that
exemplifies the sacrificial savior, Jesus Christ. There then needs to be people
who are willing to sacrifice everything, share the truth with all, and love in
word and deed. Christians seeking to plant a church in Historic Southside must
not err to simply meeting needs, as many organizations do. But, they must also
not err in simply preaching the gospel from afar off. Instead, they must follow
after the example of the incarnation of Christ in that Christ came from heaven
sacrificing all to live and die so that all men might come to him. Christians
must be incarnational, sacrificing their comforts by living in the area, and
engaging the lost and poor with the gospel. But, they should also deeply love the
poor enough to help them grow deeper in their relationship with Christ and
overcome their vices. When this occurs, the Christian community not only becomes
the solution to shelter from their vices, but it also becomes a place where
they can hear the Word and experience changed hearts by God’s power.
Alongside this deep community there
needs to be opportunities as well as training from those in the community so
that the poor can find work and do well at their work. The reason there needs
to be help and training is due to the fact that many people are poor not from a
lack of ability but due to the fact that they are lazy. Noticing this tendency
among Christians, the Apostle Paul writes, “If anyone is not willing to work,
let him not eat…encourage in the Lord Jesus Christ to do their work quietly and
to earn their own living”(2 Thess. 3:10b-12). This was also an observation mentioned
in this author’s interview with a worker at Beautiful Feet who claims that many
of the people he interacted with were able-bodied people with no mental
disability. These people then
should not receive food if they are able to work, but also lazy, poor
Christians should be exhorted to work as Paul states and also trained how to
work from other Christians within the congregation.
Sadly, throughout the interviews
with several poor people, the common response to the question of greatest need
was “more work.” This shows that there are people who are poor simply for lack
of true opportunity. This is where the wealthy Christians need to follow the
example of Basil in helping however one can to get opportunities for the poor
to work. This not only requires the wealthy to provide money and help with jobs,
but it also requires businesses and business men willing to hire and train the
poor to work. The solution for more work is one, which has many different
factors that are to some extent financially and physically out of even the wealthy
Christians and Christian businessmen’s hands. But, this author is truly
convinced that if God created the world in seven days then he has the power to
create all of the jobs that the poverty stricken Christians need.
Historic Southside is truly an area
of need in Fort Worth, TX. Though there are so many “flourishing” churches in
the wealthy areas of Fort Worth, it seems that these poor areas tend to get
overlooked. Or if these areas are not over looked, then they are simply spoon
fed with resources having no deep investment by the Christian community. The
need is for the Christians of Fort Worth to be like Christ and live as
incarnational, sacrificial servants in Historic Southside. This is going to
take some people moving into the area and most likely this will be a great
sacrifice on their behalf. But, what is at stake is the massive amount of poor
people who are truly bound to their sin and in need of the freedom that Christ
offers. There is also a need for resources, job training, and more jobs to help
these poor residences to have the ability to not rely on other people but work
to sustain themselves. While this author knows that this is a complex task
involving many businessmen and key leaders, he also knows that God promises to
provide for those who seek him. Historic Southside can be changed for the good,
but this requires a great amount of sacrifice and people who see the call of
Jesus and follow after him to rebuild this area.
Bibliography
Fujino,
Gary., Timothy R. Sisk., and Tereso C. Casino, eds. Reaching the City: Reflections on Urban Mission for the
Twenty-first Century. Pasadena, IL: William Carey Library, 2012.
