Abstract
The social crisis within African-American communities demands an active fellowship of believers. Congregational presence alone, however, is not adequate; congregations must move from presence to active engagement. How to make this transformation is one of the key issues this essay addresses. Given the new social realities, congregations can no longer be content with only providing acts of benevolence (such as emergency food and clothing), but must address the systemic issues that oppress, dehumanize, and contribute to death, not life, in local communities as well as the larger world. It is unknown if congregations are willing to rethink and change current priorities in an effort to address the important missional challenges beyond their own needs.