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The Guardian
Boston, Suffolk County, Massachusetts
What is this article about?
Rev. Donald B. Lothrop congratulates the Christian Science Monitor on its coverage of 106 colored leaders urging open churches for all races. He highlights the Community Church of Boston's pioneering open-door policy since 1920, including racial integration in membership and leadership, and no creedal tests, as a model of non-sectarian inclusivity.
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THAT COMMUNITY CHURCH HAS HAD
"OPEN CHURCH" SINCE ITS INCEPTION
What Has Christian Science Church To Say
About Its Segregated Sunday School Classes
Letter By Rev. Lothrop
Christian Science Monitor
On Saturday, December 16 the Monitor published an interesting story with a New York date line of December 16, written by one of your staff correspondents, the caption of which read,
"Open Church for All People Urged by 106 Colored Leaders."
I want to congratulate you on the ample space which you devoted to this statement. It is a genuine proof of the profound understanding of the staff of the Christian Science Monitor.
In addition I have always admired the "open church" which Christian Scientists have maintained. To it and to its services are welcome the several races and colors of mankind. It is a fitting challenge to those other churches who maintain the policy of race and color discrimination.
If you will permit me, I would like to point out to your readers that there is also in the city of Boston an institution which has been dedicated to the proposition of the "open church" since its inception in 1920, the Community Church of Boston, which celebrates its twenty-fifth birthday next month. Not only is there a maintenance of the open door to all races, colors and nationalities to its services and to its membership, but we have in the course of these years elected persons to our offices without any discrimination whatsoever. Colored and Jews had been and are members of the Board of Directors. We are probably the only church, the majority of whose members are white, that has elected to the presidency of its Board of Directors a colored man. More, we also are an open church from the standpoint of creeds, for we have no creedal test nor do we demand a statement of belief as a precondition of full membership.
Thus our non-sectarian church has been in a very real sense a pioneer in this whole field, battling the forces of reaction and discrimination, serving as a beacon light in the community and as a profound answer to the demand made by these 106 colored leaders.
We thoroughly agree with their statement when they say that "freedom of worship, if it means anything, means freedom to worship God across racial lines and to join a church of his or her choice, irrespective of race."
The Community Church has opened the door. We have made the experiment and have not found it wanting, for by it a profoundly vital contribution has been made. It has quickened the spiritual power of our fellowship and lifted the hearts of all those who have come within its influence to a vision of a God who is not in the creed but in the deed the father of all mankind.
REV. DONALD B. LOTHROP.
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Letter to Editor Details
Author
Rev. Donald B. Lothrop
Recipient
Christian Science Monitor
Main Argument
the community church of boston has practiced an open church policy since 1920, welcoming all races, colors, nationalities, and creeds without discrimination, serving as a pioneer against racial and creedal barriers in worship.
Notable Details