Designing an Effective Approach to Racial Reconciliation in the Communities of Dallas, Texas, through the Village Church

Abstract

The Lord has given the church the ministry of loving one another. In some cases, that is harder than others. Humanity has found differences in one another to be reasons to create division. Today, there is historic and present tension between races on both an institutional and individual level. Due to the unique racial history of Dallas and how the community has navigated its systemic prejudice, there is a prime opportunity to be about the work of reconciling people groups together in the name of the gospel. The Village Church is passionate about this work but lacks the strategic plan and knowledge to address it on all fronts. This project lays out that missing strategic approach.

Chapter 1 casts an overall vision for the project, including goal setting and tools for implementation. Chapter 2 lays the theological foundation for God’s heart and commission for the church’s activity in racial reconciliation. Chapter 3 gives a historical framework for understanding racial division in the city of Dallas and relays the present need for the church’s activity to address it. Chapter 4 records the results of two surveys given to members of The Village Church regarding racial reconciliation. The first survey was given to a random selection of majority white members and minority members investigating their perspectives on The Village Church’s work toward racial reconciliation. The second survey given to The Village Church Dallas’s home group leaders regarding their activity or lack thereof in local missions. The results of these surveys, as well as the theological and historical contexts from chapters 1 and 2, result in a strategic plan that concludes the chapter. Chapter 5 addresses the overall goals and outcomes of the project giving special consideration to what could have been better and the achievement of the project goals.