George McKinney - CROSS THE LINE: Reclaiming the Inner City For God

Cross
the Line

MORE PRAISE FOR CROSS THE LINE

Cross the Line should be read by all who are seeking solutions to our inner-city problems. It should become a reference tool for inner-city community leaders.

Major General (Ret.) Calvin Franklin
President & CEO
Engineering Systems Consultants, Inc.

Cross the Line is a compelling spiritual autobiography with surprising candor and refreshing pastoral insights. This book will be a blessing to all Christians who have experienced bad times. McKinneys voice is that of one of Americas great pastors and spiritual guides.

Robert M. Franklin
President, Interdenominational Theological Center

Cross the Line is an inspiring book written from the trenches of the inner city by a gifted and visionary leader. Its biblical foundation challenges many of the old stereotypes about inner-city ministry. It is a tribute to the grace of God and His love for the downtrodden and lost.

Dr. Wayne Kraiss,
President, Southern California College

Bishop McKinney is a dear friend of mine. His whole life has been tied to the urban community for which we both share a concern. Cross the Line reflects his heart, his life, his ministry, and his principles.

Dr. John M. Perkins
President, John M. Perkins Foundation
For Reconciliation & Development

For thirty-five years George McKinney has attended the School of Ministry in the Inner City. That experience uniquely qualifies him to speak on the subject with wisdom and authority. Anyone else who would aspire to minister in the inner city would do well to read this book.

Pastor Charles E. Blake
West Angeles Church of God in Christ
Los Angeles, California

RECLAIMING
THE INNER
CITY
FOR GOD

Cross
the Line

George McKinney
WITH William Kritlow

Copyright 1997 by Bishop George McKinney

All rights reserved. Written permission must be secured from the publisher to use or reproduce any part of this book, except for brief quotations in critical reviews or articles.

Published in Nashville, Tennessee, by Thomas Nelson, Inc., Publishers.

Unless otherwise noted the Bible version used in this publication is THE NEW KING JAMES VERSION. Copyright 1979, 1980, 1982, 1990, Thomas Nelson, Inc., Publishers.

Scripture quotations marked NIV are taken from the HOLY BIBLE: NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION. Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984 by the International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Bible Publishers.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

McKinney, George Patterson.
Cross the line : reclaiming the inner city for God / George McKiney, with William Kritlow.
p. cm.
ISBN 0-7852-7246-1 (pbk.)
1. City churches. 2. City missions. 3. Church work with the poor. 4. Inner cities. 5. City dwellers. 6. Cities and townsReligious aspectsChristianity. I. Kritlow, William. II. Title.
BV2653.M35 1998
250'.91732DC21

9737312
CIP

Printed in the United States of America.

1 2 3 4 5 6 QPK 02 01 00 99 98 97

To the intercessors and ministers of
reconciliation who are workers with God
for the redemption of the city.

CONTENTS

I have been attracted to the city since my first visit to Memphis, Tennessee, at age fourteen. It was the large concentration of people that really captured my attention. I found that the city was as segregated as rural Arkansas where I was born and reared. It seemed that all the society was black and white. Only a few brave souls dared cross the line in an attempt to establish mutual respect and friendship. Upon my call to the ministry, I was aware that it was a call to prepare for a ministry of reconcilement (2 Cor. 5:17).

I wish to acknowledge the faithful and loving support of my wife, Jean, who carefully edited the manuscript. For forty years we have shared our lives, our hopes, our pains, our dreams. By Gods grace we are bonded for time in eternity.

I wish to acknowledge the contributions of my parents, Elder George D. and Rosie McKinney, who introduced me to Jesus and nurtured me in the faith; my high school principle, Mr. Branch, who encouraged me to go to the university for a liberal arts degree and the seminary rather than take the shortcut to Bible college directly from high school; and Dr. Lawrence Davis, T. L. Cothran, J. B. Jones, my mentors at the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff. I would like to thank Dr. Walter M. Horton and faculty and fellow students at The Graduate School of Theology at Oberlin College who encouraged me to continue in the path of discipline, integrity, and critical thinking.

I also acknowledge my debt to President H. B. London Sr., the faculty and the California Graduate School of Theology for their godly influence as I was seeking midcourse adjustments in ministry. The California Graduate School broadened my theological horizon and added fresh insights for effective ministry.

I also express my thanks to Pastor M. H. Dad Hawkins of Toledo who gave me my first opportunity to practice ministry in the city; to Bishop U. E. Miller who ordained me and performed the wedding ceremony for Jean and me; to Bishop J. A. Blake who invited me to San Diego, California, and opened the door of opportunity to develop an urban ministry; and to all those persons who have prayed, sacrificed, cried, and rejoiced in our long journey toward obedience.

A special thanks goes to my ministerial and office staff: Elders James Mason, Charlie Clark, Lorenzo Littlejohn, Superintendent Jesse McKinney, Missionary Marvella Simmons, Elder Julian Smith for his technical assistance, and to Theresa Flournoy, Joyce Banks, and Evelyn Gonzalez for their secretarial support. A special thanks also to Janet Thoma and Todd Ross at Thomas Nelson Publishers who encouraged me to complete this project.

Special thanks to Dr. John I. Davis, Elder Ronald Randle, Elder Raymond Sweet, and Pastor Barbara Brewton-Cameron whose stories of tragedy and triumph are included in this book.

Finally, I am deeply indebted to Mr. Bill Kritlow whose strong faith and noteworthy gifts as a word craftsman made this project possible.

Now the word of the LORD came to Jonah the son of Amittai, saying, Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city... But Jonah arose to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the LORD.

Jonah 1:13

W hen it comes to inner-city ministry, many Christians are like Jonah: they refuse to answer the call. And, I have to admit, there are times when I look out over the tall buildings and the decaying neighborhoods and feel like all goodness and all conscience have been scraped away, leaving nothing but base ugliness. No wonder Gods prophets are tempted to turn and run. Yet I know God has not abandoned the inner city. Heres why.

In the fall of 1984, St. Stephens Church of God in Christ, the church I have pastored since its founding, was twenty-two years old. In that time it had grown to more than 3,500 members. On Sunday there were five services and during the week any number of activities, some on television and radio, promoting the gospel of Jesus Christ. We had ministries that encouraged the saints and touched the lives of prisoners, drug dealers, gang members, prostitutes, and those at risk of becoming them. The Lord was blessing these ministriesthousands had been and were being touched by Gods miraculous salvation.

By any measure we could take godly pride in what we had accomplished in the inner city of which we were a part.