LITHIA SPRINGS, Ga. (BP) — Charles Owusu, a Ghanaian pastor and seminary adjunct professor, appreciates the diversity among the many churches stemming from the African diaspora, including not only African American, but Haitian/Caribbean, Liberian, Nigerian, Ethiopian, Egyptian and others.

Owusu is among a core group of four pastors tasked with organizing the Black Church Collective, creating a collaborative evangelistic and missions table for the larger National African American Fellowship (NAAF) of 4,000 churches and the smaller fellowships and numerous other contingencies from the African diaspora outside NAAF members.

“Otherwise, people might think that it’s only NAAF that is involved in (Southern Baptist Convention) SBC outreach in the Black community, but the collective is to sensitize all the other groups, the various groups (within the SBC), to know that SBC has a very strong outreach program to all the Black community,” said Owusu, senior pastor of Word of Life Baptist Church, a Ghanaian congregation in Lithia Springs, Ga. “And so, we should all get involved, and that’s what we’re working on.”

Charles Grant, SBC Executive Committee associate vice president for convention partnerships, is launching the group to strengthen efforts to advance the gospel among African diaspora people groups. He hosted a preliminary organizational meeting in September, aided by Mark Croston, national director of Black church partnerships for Lifeway Christian Resources of the SBC.

Among Grant’s goals is for the group to become a self-governing work of African diaspora pastors, whom he has charged with solidifying four gatherings per year, forging three accomplishments and communicating the essence and work of the collective.

The group is especially a gathering place for established fellowships within the African diaspora, with the goal of coalescing others to join the 25-plus fellowships of various ethnicities that account for 11,000 — 22.7% of — Southern Baptist churches.

“The Black Church Collective’s value will create greater cohesion, collective representation and collective celebration of African diaspora ministry and mission work in and through the SBC,” Grant told Baptist Press. “While these Black church fellowships have different cultures, I am grateful to the fellowship presidents that desired to come together for kingdom advancement. I am grateful to the Lord to witness the joy of their efforts to work together while simultaneously giving attention to their individual fellowships.”

NAAF President Greg Perkins, also a member of the core organizing group, looks forward to the collective’s impact in coordinating the work of African diaspora Southern Baptists.

“This coordination will ensure that we are properly positioned to have the maximum kingdom impact,” said Perkins, lead pastor of The View Church in Menifee, Calif. “I hope it will facilitate oneness of mission that will support and undergird the work of the Black church within the SBC through coordinated and connected opportunities for joint missions, church planting/revitalization and evangelistic pursuits.”

The first organization meeting is set for mid-October, said Daryl Jones, a North American Mission Board (NAMB) church planter and Miami pastor tasked with leading the core leadership team the first year. The pastor of The Rock Fellowship Church in Miami is a member of NAAF and is active as a Black Church Emerging Leader.

“I want to be able to bring all these different expressions together when it comes to the African diaspora,” Jones said, “for us to be able to gather together to cooperate, to coordinate and then also to be able to share resources and experiences and expertise so that we continue to grow when it comes to the mission.”

Amid the diversity, Jones said, is the shared mission.

“I think we’re all in the SBC going forward on one mission, this mission Jesus has given us to make disciples,” Jones said. “And I think this collaboration gives us a unique opportunity to let nothing fall through the cracks.”

Each ethnic group represented, Jones said, brings unique gifts that can be utilized in reaching particular people groups, gifts that might be overlooked were it not for cooperation.

Rounding out the core group is Keny Felix, president of the Southern Baptist Convention National Haitian Fellowship and senior pastor of Bethel Evangelical Baptist Church in Miami.

(EDITOR’S NOTE — Diana Chandler is Baptist Press’ senior writer.)