FBC Ethnic attendance ratio question

Norefund

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I tread lightly here in asking this question but I am curious. I have attended FBC a few times in the last year. I noticed that it appears the majority of attendees are Hispanic. All of the names of those who came forward to profess salvation were Hispanic or African American. All of the people baptised were Hispanic or African American. The Facebook group dedicated to "Remembering our Preacher Jack Schaap" is almost entirely Hispanic. Is my perception correct? Has the demographic of the church changed significantly? If so, when did this begin occurring? Was it planned and targeted or was it a result of the location?

 
Probably  location.  I think that I was the last staff member to actually live in Hammond ('06 I resigned and moved)
The Whites all fled, 20 years earlier, while I was in school.
 
That is interesting.  When I was there in the early '80s it was not the case.  Don't get me wrong, on Sunday morning a large number of Hispanics were brought in from different ministries, but it was definitely not the "normal church crowd".  Maybe FBCH is becoming a California IFB church!  :)
 
This is a one off. The president talked to Rahm Emanuel and Rick a Perry and they agreed that they should send the border kids to the Indiana Church. That's why the larger than normal influx.
 
RAIDER said:
When I was there in the early '80s it was not the case...on Sunday morning a large number of Hispanics were brought in from different ministries, but it was definitely not the "normal church crowd". 

I thought they had a Spanish church separate from the "normal church crowd"? 
 
I moved from the Calumet Region in '87. within just a few years upon my visits back I noticed a dramatic increase in Hispanic attendance at the church and enrollment in the college.
 
Norefund said:
I tread lightly here in asking this question but I am curious. I have attended FBC a few times in the last year. I noticed that it appears the majority of attendees are Hispanic. All of the names of those who came forward to profess salvation were Hispanic or African American. All of the people baptised were Hispanic or African American. The Facebook group dedicated to "Remembering our Preacher Jack Schaap" is almost entirely Hispanic. Is my perception correct? Has the demographic of the church changed significantly? If so, when did this begin occurring? Was it planned and targeted or was it a result of the location?

You are correct in what you're saying.  It's sad when HB spanish kids are told they must speak English and not Spanish.  That was mentioned a few years ago.  Yes, there is a spanish church but most of the visitors are AA and spanish.  I look to see the Caucasian race being the minority in the next few years - sooner than later. 
 
Still There said:
Norefund said:
I tread lightly here in asking this question but I am curious. I have attended FBC a few times in the last year. I noticed that it appears the majority of attendees are Hispanic. All of the names of those who came forward to profess salvation were Hispanic or African American. All of the people baptised were Hispanic or African American. The Facebook group dedicated to "Remembering our Preacher Jack Schaap" is almost entirely Hispanic. Is my perception correct? Has the demographic of the church changed significantly? If so, when did this begin occurring? Was it planned and targeted or was it a result of the location?

You are correct in what you're saying.  It's sad when HB spanish kids are told they must speak English and not Spanish.  That was mentioned a few years ago.  Yes, there is a spanish church but most of the visitors are AA and spanish.  I look to see the Caucasian race being the minority in the next few years - sooner than later.

The area has changed since its heyday. Much of the A Bus neighborhoods are becoming more and more AA. I know that when Chicago tore down its various project housing areas many from Chicago began moving to Indiana. Many of the residents of Gary and Hammond began moving further south to get away from the Chicagoans.

Some really feel when we built the new church we should have built on the HAC campus, more central to the membership. I wish we would have, it would have been a much shorter drive. But I guess the question then would have been would the Schererville/Crown Point area been welcoming to all the bus traffic? Would the bus ministry still work with the extra drive. Would the bus ministry still work if left at the Jack Hyles Memorial Auditorium if the church was in Crown Point?
 
I recently heard that one of the FBC associate pastors left to start a new church in St. John. I don't remember his name as I just don't keep up with who the guys sitting up on the platform are anymore. Anyway, the implication seemed to be that the new church was addressing the demographic shift - both geographic and ethnic.



Bravo said:
Still There said:
Norefund said:
I tread lightly here in asking this question but I am curious. I have attended FBC a few times in the last year. I noticed that it appears the majority of attendees are Hispanic. All of the names of those who came forward to profess salvation were Hispanic or African American. All of the people baptised were Hispanic or African American. The Facebook group dedicated to "Remembering our Preacher Jack Schaap" is almost entirely Hispanic. Is my perception correct? Has the demographic of the church changed significantly? If so, when did this begin occurring? Was it planned and targeted or was it a result of the location?

You are correct in what you're saying.  It's sad when HB spanish kids are told they must speak English and not Spanish.  That was mentioned a few years ago.  Yes, there is a spanish church but most of the visitors are AA and spanish.  I look to see the Caucasian race being the minority in the next few years - sooner than later.

The area has changed since its heyday. Much of the A Bus neighborhoods are becoming more and more AA. I know that when Chicago tore down its various project housing areas many from Chicago began moving to Indiana. Many of the residents of Gary and Hammond began moving further south to get away from the Chicagoans.

Some really feel when we built the new church we should have built on the HAC campus, more central to the membership. I wish we would have, it would have been a much shorter drive. But I guess the question then would have been would the Schererville/Crown Point area been welcoming to all the bus traffic? Would the bus ministry still work with the extra drive. Would the bus ministry still work if left at the Jack Hyles Memorial Auditorium if the church was in Crown Point?
 
Norefund said:
I recently heard that one of the FBC associate pastors left to start a new church in St. John. I don't remember his name as I just don't keep up with who the guys sitting up on the platform are anymore. Anyway, the implication seemed to be that the new church was addressing the demographic shift - both geographic and ethnic.



Bravo said:
Still There said:
Norefund said:
I tread lightly here in asking this question but I am curious. I have attended FBC a few times in the last year. I noticed that it appears the majority of attendees are Hispanic. All of the names of those who came forward to profess salvation were Hispanic or African American. All of the people baptised were Hispanic or African American. The Facebook group dedicated to "Remembering our Preacher Jack Schaap" is almost entirely Hispanic. Is my perception correct? Has the demographic of the church changed significantly? If so, when did this begin occurring? Was it planned and targeted or was it a result of the location?

You are correct in what you're saying.  It's sad when HB spanish kids are told they must speak English and not Spanish.  That was mentioned a few years ago.  Yes, there is a spanish church but most of the visitors are AA and spanish.  I look to see the Caucasian race being the minority in the next few years - sooner than later.

The area has changed since its heyday. Much of the A Bus neighborhoods are becoming more and more AA. I know that when Chicago tore down its various project housing areas many from Chicago began moving to Indiana. Many of the residents of Gary and Hammond began moving further south to get away from the Chicagoans.

Some really feel when we built the new church we should have built on the HAC campus, more central to the membership. I wish we would have, it would have been a much shorter drive. But I guess the question then would have been would the Schererville/Crown Point area been welcoming to all the bus traffic? Would the bus ministry still work with the extra drive. Would the bus ministry still work if left at the Jack Hyles Memorial Auditorium if the church was in Crown Point?

Speaking of new churches:

I seem to recall a naw church that started this year a few hundred miles southeast of Hammond.

Last update on their web site was for January/February.  (http://teamfaithway.com)

Any news from Ken Schapp & Team FaithWay?

 
sword said:
Norefund said:
I recently heard that one of the FBC associate pastors left to start a new church in St. John. I don't remember his name as I just don't keep up with who the guys sitting up on the platform are anymore. Anyway, the implication seemed to be that the new church was addressing the demographic shift - both geographic and ethnic.



Bravo said:
Still There said:
Norefund said:
I tread lightly here in asking this question but I am curious. I have attended FBC a few times in the last year. I noticed that it appears the majority of attendees are Hispanic. All of the names of those who came forward to profess salvation were Hispanic or African American. All of the people baptised were Hispanic or African American. The Facebook group dedicated to "Remembering our Preacher Jack Schaap" is almost entirely Hispanic. Is my perception correct? Has the demographic of the church changed significantly? If so, when did this begin occurring? Was it planned and targeted or was it a result of the location?

You are correct in what you're saying.  It's sad when HB spanish kids are told they must speak English and not Spanish.  That was mentioned a few years ago.  Yes, there is a spanish church but most of the visitors are AA and spanish.  I look to see the Caucasian race being the minority in the next few years - sooner than later.

The area has changed since its heyday. Much of the A Bus neighborhoods are becoming more and more AA. I know that when Chicago tore down its various project housing areas many from Chicago began moving to Indiana. Many of the residents of Gary and Hammond began moving further south to get away from the Chicagoans.

Some really feel when we built the new church we should have built on the HAC campus, more central to the membership. I wish we would have, it would have been a much shorter drive. But I guess the question then would have been would the Schererville/Crown Point area been welcoming to all the bus traffic? Would the bus ministry still work with the extra drive. Would the bus ministry still work if left at the Jack Hyles Memorial Auditorium if the church was in Crown Point?

Speaking of new churches:

I seem to recall a naw church that started this year a few hundred miles southeast of Hammond.

Last update on their web site was for January/February.  (http://teamfaithway.com)

Any news from Ken Schapp & Team FaithWay?

This is as much as I know.... https://www.facebook.com/faithway
 
Don't know how the church is doing, by any means. But the 2-year old son of Ken Schaap's good friend and co-pastor Jerod Long has been found to have brain cancer, so their journey has taken a decidedly drastic turn. There was an operation that removed 90% of the tumor, which was found to be cancerous. They are now determining the next steps in his treatment / care.
 
This is my observation just from attending HB School's activities: I would say upwards of 50% of students and athletes I see are Hispanic.

Construction Trades:
Used to be just drywallers and landscapers were Hispanic. Now they are in concrete work, carpentry, painting, masons, roofers, and almost every other trade you can think of.

FWIW I am making no judgements here. I understand the reasoning in construction and the demographics but, Holy Smokes Batman: Won't be long and we will have to sneak across the southern border in order to find jobs!!
 
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