Dallas Pastors Swap Pulpits To Talk Progress & Race Relations
DALLAS (CBSDFW.COM) - Two pastors concerned about race relations in Dallas made a pulpit swap Sunday.
Reverend Bryan Carter, the Senior Pastor at Concord Church in South Oak Cliff, led the worship message at Park Cities Baptist Church in North Dallas.
Dr. Jeff Warren, the Senior Pastor at Park Cities Baptist, gave the sermon at Concord Church in the South Oak Cliff area of Dallas.
"We may be two different churches in two different parts of the city but at the end of the day we are two churches that believe and serve the same God," says Rev. Carter during the service.
Dr. Warren says a number of years ago a friend told him that Concord Church is a lot like Park Cities Baptist Church and recommended the two men meet. Concord Church is predominantly African American. Park Cities Baptist Church is predominantly white.
The two pastors say they are now good friends and they have been meeting with other pastors to discuss race relations in Dallas.
"Dallas really is the tale of two cities," says Dr. Warren. "It's going to be the church that's going to bring about the unity that the Lord desires to see in our city. It's going to be the church that leads the way."
"There is so much that we have in common and much more than that that separates us, explains Pastor Carter." "We all love God. We all love the Dallas Cowboys and we all love Sprinkles cupcakes. We are together."
Both pastors briefly touched on the events in Ferguson, Missouri and the Oklahoma University fraternity scandal. Rev. Carter says when it was learned that a Dallas native led the racial chat among fraternity students, the pastors decided to make the pulpit swap on this Palm Sunday.
"Racism is one of those issues that can be an undercurrent, that we don't really acknowledge," says Rev. Carter. "I think the issues, the event in O.U. and their connection to Dallas reveal we've got some more work to do."
Members of both churches say they appreciated the message and hope it leads to positive changes in race relations.
"If you have your church on one accord, a lot of times the church can get the community on one accord and I think that will help a lot with race relations" says Tiffany Sanders, a member of Concord Church.
"I thought it was really cool because I never really see anything like that" says 14-year-old Katherine Downing, whose family attends Park Cities Baptist Church. "I never am exposed to hearing about racism that often and it was really cool to see that we are just one church under God."
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