I recently attended a seminar presented by Fort Bend Chamber of Commerce featuring Rice University Demographer Stephen Klineberg. He discussed the demographics of the Houston metro area and the many areas of relevance to what he has discovered in his 30 years of researching the social demographics of the Houston area. Toward the end of his presentation he began discussing Fort Bend County and the amazing demographic mix it is. He told us that Fort Bend County, Texas is the most ethnically diverse county in the country. Period.
He said other metropolitan areas that have a large percentage of non white residents do not have a wide diversity but simply a large population of one ethnicity. What makes Fort Bend County unique is the fact that it has a diversity of ethnicity's that essentially comes out to be 25% asian, 25% latino, 25% black, and 25% white. Klineberg went on to point out that the even spread of ethnic diversity in Fort Bend County is even more remarkable when you realize the amazing vibrancy of the community and culture. He said that the entire country could learn a great deal from Houston and in particular Fort Bend County because this community is figuring out how to live successfully in a diversity that the rest of the country will experience 50 years from now.
Taking Klineberg's work a step farther would be to explore how Christianity is spread among a culture as diverse as Fort Bend County and realize that what is learned here could help Christians around the country in the future. However Klineberg is quick to point out when talking informally that Sunday morning is the most segregated time of the week referring to the reality that people will bunch up by ethnicity for religious experiences. So the question for Christians in Fort Bend County becomes do we follow the pattern of gathering by ethnicity or do we make some concerted effort to cross culturally spread Jesus Christ in our own back yard?
Each ethnic group brings its own bias of religion to the table. The white culture brings a European bred Christianity that has morphed over time in the united states. The black culture came to know Christ in the context of rescue from oppression. The Hispanic culture has a strong background in Catholicism. And everyone demographically marked as Asian represents a wide range of religions. The process to reach each of these backgrounds differs dramatically because political and social elements have intertwined themselves into each culture in very unique ways.
So the question is this: Do we stay segregated religiously while living integrated or do we figure out how to allow the Holy Spirit to guide us to spread the message of Jesus Christ (not our version of political and social elements related to Jesus Christ...)?
