What kind of church is developed when members of various races, ages and worship styles from the community are combined with a pastor who performs in hip-hop concerts?
Lawrence United Methodist Church (Lawrence UMC) provides an encouraging example of what can take place in that scenario.
The church, which traces its history to 1837, is located in Lawrence, a city of more than 44,000 in eastern Marion County that has witnessed significant growth in its minority population over the last 20 years.
Members say the church has grown as well because it has embraced the changes in the area’s demographics.
“One of the things I think is really great about our church is that we have real diversity,” said Joe Johnson, pastor of Lawrence UMC. “Over the last decade the church has been very intentional about reflecting the community in which we’re called to serve.”
Johnson, who is African-American, was installed as senior pastor in July, after serving 10 years as associate pastor. He oversees the affairs of Lawrence UMC with visitation pastor Jim McKinney, who is white, and their diversity reflects the rest of the staff.
Lawrence UMC has even tailored its services to fit the different needs of families in its neighborhood. The church is located just east of 46th Street, a dividing line between Indianapolis and Lawrence that separates a busy urban neighborhood on one side, and a quiet, mostly suburban area on the other.
Therefore, two very distinct worship services are offered on Sundays; one that is conducted in the traditional Methodist style, and another that is presented as a dynamic praise and worship service with a “contemporary, multicultural edge.”
Jerry Russell, a longtime member of Lawrence UMC, believes the congregation has survived throughout its history because of its supportive nature and ability to adapt to the needs of the people around it.
“We are a mission oriented church, but we also study, worship and fellowship with each other as a family,” said Russell, who is white. “The church has also been able, it seems, to evolve with changing times without abandoning important biblical values.”
For many members, Johnson seemed the perfect choice to assume leadership of Lawrence UMC because he and his ministerial experience represent diversity. In his decade as associate pastor, he was largely responsible for helping the church’s membership and programs evolve.
He and his wife of 15 years, Sharon, are the parents of two sons and a daughter, ranging in age from 8 to 14. Sharon Johnson, who is white, is herself active in youth and outreach ministries at Lawrence UMC.
A graduate of Christian Theological Seminary, Joe Johnson served eight years as a deputy with the Marion County Sheriff’s Department, giving death notifications to families, which he called “quite an experience.”
For 10 years, Johnson served as a chaplain for the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department and Marquette Manor Retirement Center, which gave him a first-hand understanding of the challenges facing today’s elderly citizens.
At the same time, Johnson has been involved with several youth ministries and programs throughout the city. He also has a lifelong love for rap music, and enjoys using it to reach out to teens and those who are incarcerated in jails and prison.
“It is really a great opportunity to share Christ in that kind of unique way,” Johnson said. “I don’t rap in my sermons, but I do sometimes get a chance to share the music with the congregation.”
Johnson has written over 100 songs, released eight CDs, and generates a following by performing at local events and gospel conferences throughout the nation. He often produces projects in collaboration with young artists at Lawrence UMC, and a few of their songs have been placed in the Top 10 of the Christian rap category for Soundclick.
When asked which rap superstar best fits his style, Johnson, the distinguished pastor and tough lawman, started laughing and said, “I hesitate to be boxed into being like someone, but I would say Kanye West and I have similar delivery. Earlier, I enjoyed hearing Will Smith, L.L. Cool J. and Run-DMC. That was back in my day.”
Johnson said Lawrence UMC has a bright future, and would like it to branch out even more in the community. In particular, he would like to see the Wednesday outreach gathering, which currently serves only church members, to a series that offers free meals, a vacation study Bible school for kids and classes on finances and relationships.
Johnson is also looking to expand the Lawrence UMC’s Lawrence Youth Corps, a group of youth who participate in neighborhood improvement projects, as well as the church’s involvement in such efforts as the annual Mozel Sanders Thanksgiving Dinner and the City of Lawrence’s Martin Luther King Jr. celebration.
“My goal is to embrace people who are missing from our church, but live in our community,” Johnson said. “I want us to be a beacon to this community to not only show people Christ, but show them how to be engaged and grow in their relationship with him.”
Rae’Lon Bolton, an articulate teen who is active in the Lawrence Youth Corps and various youth programs, said she enjoys going to church every week.
“I like how it is actually a community of believers from different backgrounds who work together to achieve goals,” said Bolton, 17. “Also, Pastor Johnson is able to provide good leadership because he actually leads by example and lives the life he preaches. He’s down in the dirt working with everybody else.”
