Dr. Frank Schmitt Primary Subject Area There is a plethora of
literature on pastoring churches. However, very little
literature exists on the subject of pastoring African American
churches. The belief that "man was created in the image of God"
negates the contention that there are inherent differences in
the people of the world. It is a Biblical fact that all of
mankind descended from common ancestors, Adam, Eve and Noah
(Genesis 1:26, 27; 2:7, 21-25, Genesis, Chapters 9,10,11). It
must, therefore, be understood that differences existing in
human behavior can not be attributed to ethic or racial
inheritance. However, it must be recognized that differences in
human behavior along racial and ethic lines do exist, resulting
from varying socio-cultural experiences. In this light,
therefore, Americans of African descent have differences that
are peculiar to their culture and lifestyle as compared to the
culture and lifestyle to varied Americans. The differences in
the skills necessary to effectively carry out the