"We have to take a minute and ask ourselves why black congregations exist within the synod at all. To be frank, it is because white Lutherans would not commune with black ones, not because of a doctrinal difference, but because of a difference in skin color. "

This may have been the case just after the Civil War (note I say "may" because the author presents no evidence) but another simple explanation is that Black congregations exist because Black neighborhoods exist. Lutheran churches (and schools) used to be established geographically near to the people they served.

My second issue with this blog is this. On the one hand, the author decries segregation by pointing to the existence of black congrgations, but on the other, he bemoans the closing of the two Synodical schools that focused on training Black teachers and pastors. Nothing prevents a Black student from going to any of the other Concordias.

Note, I am upset about the closing of Concordia University Selma, for many of the reasons the author discusses. I personally witnessed the start of the Concordia University system and the continual shift of focus away from training Lutheran pastors and teachers. I started college at "Concordia College" (whose legal name was still actually "Concordia Teacher's College" and graduated from "Concordia University Nebraska". When the university system started, I actually considered doing a semester at Concordia Selma (one of the perks of the system was that a student could do a semester at another Concordia and have the credits count the same as if you were at the home school), but they didn't have the courses I needed at the time. I wish now that I had done it anyway.

I firmly believe that we need more neighborhood schools and churches. We need to reach out to people where they are and address the issues and life experiences of those communities. However, I also have no problem with someone deciding their needs would be better served at another location.