The Bergen Record recently reported another skirmish between a Korean church and a Bergen County community. This time, it happened in Norwood . If memory serves me correctly, it has also happened in recent years in Cliffside Park , Englewood Cliffs, Leonia, and Little Ferry. It usually happens this way: the Korean congregation finds a property or an existing building in a community. They make plans to convert or expand the property into a church building. They submit plans to the borough, who then rejects the proposal, suggesting the proposed facility will “negatively affect the character of the borough” ( Norwood ), cause traffic problems, or some other reason. In response, the Korean congregation cries “racism,” files a lawsuit, and off to court they go. I personally think this issue is much deeper than one of anti-Korean sentiment. As one who pastored a church that tried to find a suitable meeting place in Bergen County for several years, let me try to
by Chris Rainey. This is a blog of ministry ideas and essays based on my experience as a pastor, church teacher, curriculum writer, and corporate trainer.