Why the Church grows more among those in Africa than among African Americans

It generally seems the LDS Church is making much better growth among people in Africa than among African-Americans.

However the stats on the latter are hard to know. 2009 surveys seem to say that 3% of US Latter-day Saints were African-American, but without knowing what the overall US African-American percentage in the same survey was, it is a little hard to compare. Plus this was of adults. In Sterling Heights Ward there are 4 sidblings, all 15 or younger, who are African-American converts.

In Southfield Ward our last 10 or so baptisms have all either been African-Americans or immigrants from Ghana.

Most interesting to me was this article http://richmondfreepress.com/news/2017/apr/28/operation-streets-founder-calls-recreation-program/ from the Richmond Free Press about Charles A. West, a former Chuch of God minster who recently was bpatized in the LDS Church. This is a true sign of inroads among African-Americans.

I could also cite people of prominence, like Congresswoman Mia Love, NBA player Jabari Parker, NCAA players Frank Jackson, DeMarcus Harrison and Jordan Chatman, and Jordan's dad Jeff Chatman who joined the Church while an NCAA player at BYU. This is not even close to a comprehensive list.

Some of the people above may not show up in surveys as African-American because they are of mixed race origins, and so depending on various factors may be identified in other ways. By some I mean Parker and Jackson and maybe Jordan Chapman, although I have no evidence on Chapman's mother's race.

On my mission we had African-Americans tell us flat out they would not come out to our Church anymore because they did not like going to a Church where there were no African-Americans. This is a situation that presents an insurmountable barrier. This is one reason why in some areas the Church has at times created specific urban congregations.

Another big hurdle is a widespread belief that the LDS Church is racist. A true knowledge of the past racial restiction policy with regard to priesthood is generally showing the Church in a more positive light than what some think the policy was.

In African outside of South Africa and Zimbabwe they Church has always been black members, and usually black missionaries. In Zimbabwe there were hard times of growth to the black majority in the early 1980s, but especially with the role of Edward Dube the Church thrived and overcame these draw backs.

In South Africa the conversion of Julie Mavimbela in 1981 helped. It also helps that the end of the priesthood restriction in 1978 predates the end of apartheid of white minority rule by 16 years. This makes a big difference from the US, where having the policy as late as 1978 is used as an attack point, when so many other things seen as racist were officially removed by 1968 with the fair housing act, or going back to Brown v Board in 1953. Or even the desegregation of the US military by Truman no latter than 1951.

There are some barriers to overcome in South Africa, but with a population that is 8% white and 80% black, the Church has to overcome them to thrive.

In the US, not so much, although we do have to overcome them to take the gospel to ever nation, kindred, tongue and people.

One problem is the unspoken nature of some objections. Even Gladys Knight's Saints United Voices does not overcome all the linger worry. Marvin Perkins and his "Black and the Scriptures" work is making progress.

Maybe though the issues are more complex. Maybe the question is why is the Church growing so much in countries like Nigeria, Ghana and Ivory Coast. In a lot of ways this is because of a long process of local leadership development.

In the US we are not yet seeing strong leadership development for local congregations of African-Americans. There is possibly an issue of less religious commitment by African-American males, high incareration rates, and lots of related facts.

The fact that even in a city like Detroit, where 85% of the population is African-American and 98% or more in many neighborhoods, the vast majority of missionaries are white and black missionaries are fairly rare, makes things difficult.

On my mission I saw that phenotypically black Brazilian missionaries could at least get people dialoguing on these issues.

Another issue is white Latter-day Saints need to work to speak of the issues of the past priesthood restriction in ways that are not offensive. Make sure to not attribute it as a direct design of God, and state that we do not know why God allowed it.

I have no disrespect towards Keither Hamilton and his last laborer views, but have to say I can not accept them.

More talking on this is good. Even if it causes uncomfortableness.

Another issue is some people objecting to the Church's position on those on probation or parole getting baptized. I have seen people mishandle sharing this with investigators. Lastly it should be emphasized that this is not based on the Church holding that such a punishment is in any case just, but that they Church embraces the order of law.

This does make it hard for the Church to reach people who feel that the order of law is against them. However I think if being subject to kings, etc is properly explained it creates less offense. Also, always remember the route to conversion is through sharing the Book of Mormon and tesitfying.