Officials of both the National Association of Evangelicals (NAE) and the National Black Evangelical Association (NBEA) agree that a recently drafted statement condemning racism has raised dialogue between the two groups to its highest level in almost 20 years.
The statement was produced in February, a joint effort of the social action commissions of the NBEA and the NAE (CT, Mar. 5, 1990, p. 35). It labels racism “a severe and current sin” and calls on the evangelical church to “repent of its sin of racism.”
Delegates to the annual convention of the NBEA, which met in April in Chicago, unanimously endorsed the statement. The NAE had earlier accepted it as a working paper to be studied by its members for comment and further action.
At the NBEA convention, members of the executive boards of both groups met informally to continue discussion of the statement and to explore joint actions to combat racism. Aaron Hamlin, executive director of the NBEA and an NAE board member, said the group identified about a dozen areas for further action. Among those attending the NBEA meeting was newly installed NAE president Edgar Johnson, who commented, “The most important thing is not refining the language of the statement, but identifying what needs to be done.” Johnson added that many in his constituency need “greater sensitizing” to the concerns of black evangelicals. He promised to “give personal attention” to the issue.
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