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2007-02-06 issue:

Opportunities and challenges

Racial/ethnic Mennonites in the United States

by Conrad L. Kanagy

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In contrast to other denominations with historic European roots, Mennonite Church USA includes a large and rapidly growing number of racial/ethnic members and congregations. Racial/ethnic is a self-designation by groups with members who are African-American, Latino/Hispanic, Native American, Asian and “other than Anglo.”

There are 169 racial/ethnic congregations (18 percent of the denomination) and more than 12,000 members (11 percent of the denomination) in these congregations. Based on Mennonite Member Profile 2006 findings, I estimate that another 3-4 percent of racial/ethnic members attend predominantly white congregations.

The largest number of racial/ethnic congregations are Latino/Hispanic (46 percent), followed by African-American (35 percent), Asian (11 percent) and Native American (8 percent). African-American congregations have the largest membership block, with 52 percent of racial/ethnic members in the denomination (one-third of these attend a single congregation—Calvary Community Church in Hampton, Va.). Latino/Hispanic congregations are next with 35 percent, followed by Asian congregations (9 percent) and Native American congregations (4 percent).

Demographics: By and large, racial/ethnic members are more urban, younger and less affluent than white or Anglo Mennonites:

• More racial/ethnic members live in large urban areas, with 39 percent residing in cities with populations greater than 250,000 compared with just 8 percent of other Mennonites.
• Racial/ethnic members are nine years younger (46 years of age) on average than Anglo Mennonites (55 years of age). While the percent of white Mennonites between 18 and 45 years of age is quite low (29 percent), more than 50 percent of racial/ethnic members are between 18 and 45 years old.
• Racial/ethnic members are less affluent. In 2005, 18 percent of racial/ethnic households had incomes under $15,000, compared with only 6 percent of other Mennonites. One-third of racial/ethnic households earned under $25,000, compared with 15 percent of other Mennonites.
• Sixteen percent of racial/ethnic members lack health insurance, compared with just 4 percent of white Mennonites without coverage. In the United States as a whole, 16 percent of Americans are not covered by health insurance.
• There are substantial differences in education among racial/ethnic groups. Asians are the most highly educated, with 57 percent having a college degree, compared with 32 percent of African-Americans, 20 percent of Latino/Hispanics and 12 percent of Native Americans. Native Americans are most likely not to have completed high school, at 41 percent, followed by Latino/Hispanics at 23 percent, Asians at 13 percent and African-Americans at 6 percent.

Political identity: Racial/ethnic members are less likely to identify with a political party than other Mennonites, with 27 percent claiming no political party, in contrast to just 11 percent of Anglos. This difference is in large part due to the immigrant status of many racial/ethnic members—38 percent of immigrants do not identify with a political party, compared with 16 percent among racial/ethnic members born in the United States.

Racial/ethnic members who do identify with a political party are slightly more likely to be Democrat (32 percent) than Republican (30 percent), compared with Anglo Mennonites, who are more likely to be Republican (52 percent) than Democrat (21 percent).

Witness and outreach: Racial/ethnic members are more evangelistic in their witness to the gospel than are Anglo Mennonites. Sixty-one percent of racial/ethnic members speak about their faith to people outside their church several times a month or more, compared with 38 percent of other Mennonites. And 29 percent of racial/ethnic members regularly (several times a month or more) invite non-Christians to their church, compared with 7 percent of Anglo Mennonites.

The Holy Spirit: Racial/ethnic members’ understanding of the Holy Spirit as well as experiences with the charismatic gifts of the Spirit distinguish them from other Mennonites. Racial/ethnic members are more likely to say the charismatic gifts of healing, prophesying and speaking in tongues are “genuine gifts of God’s Spirit,” with 83 percent of them agreeing, compared with 59 percent of other Mennonites. Seventy percent of racial/ethnic members have had personal experience with the charismatic gifts of the Holy Spirit (casting out demons, speaking in tongues, prophesying, healing), compared with 42 percent of other Mennonites.

Racism: Eighteen percent of racial/ethnic members acknowledge they have been unfairly treated because of their race and/or ethnicity by other Mennonites. Not surprisingly, racial/ethnic members are more likely than other Mennonites to express concern about racism and to support anti-racism efforts in both the church and society to overcome barriers to equal access and opportunity.

• Fifty percent of racial/ethnic members believe it is “very important” that leaders and staff of church-related agencies reflect the racial/ethnic diversity of Mennonite congregations. This compares with 26 percent of Anglo Mennonites.
• Twenty-eight percent of racial/ethnic members “strongly support” intentional efforts to hire and promote racial/ethnic minorities in the larger society, compared with 4 percent of white Mennonites.
• Thirty-nine percent of racial/ethnic members believe it is “very important” that church leaders address issues of race and racism, compared with 27 percent of white Mennonites.
Conclusion: The growing number of racial/ethnic members and congregations is perhaps the greatest opportunity and greatest challenge for Mennonite Church USA. The opportunities are related to the following:
• Racial/ethnic members are more urban than other Mennonites and offer a model for how to be “Anabaptist in the city”—something few Mennonites in North America have experienced.
• The younger age of racial/ethnic members offers vitality to an aging denomination.
• The experience of the Holy Spirit among racial/ethnic members represents a spiritual stream that other Mennonites can benefit from, some who have been hesitant or resistant to diverse expressions of the Spirit.
• The greater evangelical witness of racial/ethnic Mennonites is a much needed example of faithfulness in a denomination that has recognized its missional calling but whose members too often lack courage or passion to express in word and deed the good news of Jesus Christ.
• The poverty of some racial/ethnic Mennonites should convict more affluent and materially comfortable Anglo Mennonites to share their resources with racial/ethnic congregations and to support the efforts of racial/ethnic constituency groups.
• Racial/ethnic Mennonites reveal that evangelical Christianity is not solely the possession of the political right. The combination of a charismatic spirituality, an active evangelical witness and support for social justice may represent a new kind of Anabaptist identity that all Mennonites can learn from.
Unfortunately, there are substantial challenges alongside these opportunities. Several include:
• Many Anglo Mennonites are not aware of the rich racial and ethnic diversity of their denomination.
• It is not clear that Anglo Mennonites fully appreciate the gifts that racial/ethnic members and congregations bring to the denomination.
• Anglo Mennonites are less interested in anti-racism efforts than are racial/ethnic Mennonites, perhaps because racism has become politicized in the United States, and antiracism efforts are more often identified with the political left than the right.
• Social, economic, cultural, geographic, historical, residential and language differences between Anglo and racial/ethnic members are too often maintained rather than challenged and in the process become barriers to the development of meaningful relationships and collaboration across race and ethnicity.

Fully overcoming, in the name of Christ, both the intended and unintended sins of racism in Mennonite Church USA will be necessary if the opportunities I have described are to be realized. It is also possible that the future of the denomination may hang on the commitment of all its members to complete this reconciling work of our Lord.

Conrad L. Kanagy is associate professor of sociology at Elizabethtown (Pa.) College and an ordained minister in Lancaster Mennonite Conference.

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