Two parishes honor King's legacy

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. once called 11 a.m. on Sunday the most segregated hour in Christian America.

You wouldn't know it by attending Sunday morning services at Willow Creek Community Church in South Barrington.

Singers from Chicago's Salem Baptist Church, one of the largest black congregations in the state, belted out gospel standards as they swayed and clapped on the stage.

The predominantly white suburban congregation responded enthusiastically, rising to its feet and clapping.

But the Martin Luther King Jr. weekend program wasn't limited to feel-good musical entertainment. It featured a serious and critical discussion about racism in America between Willow Creek's senior pastor, the Rev. Bill Hybels, and Salem church pastor, the Rev. James T. Meeks.

The title of the discussion, "Can We All Get Along?" with its reference to another King -- Rodney King -- suggested that while progress has been made in race relations, much work needs to be done to level the playing field.

The event grew out of the friendship between the two pastors.

Both Hybels and Meeks pointed out the fight for civil rights is far from over. They both said blacks are often unfairly blamed for lack of achievement that is often the result of fundamental societal inequalities.

Hybels said, for example, a Barrington child and a child growing up in the Salem Baptist Church's Roseland community may have equal funding from the state for their education. But when it comes to the local taxes that fund their education, there is a huge disparity. As a result, he said, the Roseland child is at a disadvantage when the two reach college age.

"And whites call this a level playing field," Hybels said. "It's not level, my friends."

Meeks told the audience about being a victim of racial profiling, when he said he was pulled over more than two years ago by a white policeman and verbally abused in his own neighborhood.

Meeks encouraged the mingling of races through worship. Having the largest white and black congregations in Illinois come together, he said, will "show the world what Christianity truly looks like."

In between services, Meeks said, "Hopefully, this will resolve into 3,000 members from Salem and 3,000 members from Willow Creek going to dinner together, having white people in our homes and them having us in their homes.

"I think the will is there."

Parishioners in the audience Sunday included a Gilberts couple, Kevin Belton, who is black, and his wife Diane, who is white.

Kevin Belton said Willow Creek has increased its diversity, serving an increasing Hispanic, Korean and Chinese population.

Although he said "Chicago is an incredibly segregated town," he said there has been racial progress. "I have opportunities that my parents never had.

"But I think there is still a long way to go."

Diane, who grew up on Chicago's Northwest side, talked about growing up under Northern segregation. "I never really saw a black person until I went to college." She said her mother initially had misgivings about her marriage. "She wasn't prejudiced," but, "she (wondered) how is this going to work? How are you going to be able to go out anywhere?"

The Beltons' teenage son belongs to one of the ministries at Willow Creek.