Rev. Randy Jackson, Part 1: The Multi-Ethnic Church

The mission of this podcast is to highlight the beauty and diversity of God’s Church – both in Chattanooga and the Church at large.
Meet Reverend Randy Jackson, a Chattanooga-area (north Georgia, to be specific) pastor who is, according to Adam, a “unicorn” of sorts: Randy is an African American ordained in the Presbyterian Church of America (PCA). In this episode, Randy shares the theological issue that led him to join the PCA and talks about what it’s like to pastor a diverse congregation.
After becoming a believer while in the military, Randy had to grapple with issues of race and racism in deciding if he wanted to continue in the Christian community. But it was the critical question of whether or not he could lose his salvation that steered him towards Reformed theology and the PCA.
Now, Randy is a Pastor at Grace PCA in Dalton, Georgia. Responding to the increasing population of Spanish-speakers, Grace chose to integrate Spanish into their services to allow Christians from different cultural and linguistic backgrounds to be a part of the same congregation. Listen in to this episode to hear more about Grace and how Randy has personally been impacted by his church.
About Adam Whitescarver

Adam is passionate about seeing God’s people possess vibrant prayer lives to help them make a difference in the sphere of influence God has given them. In ministry since 2001, Adam enjoys his family, teaching, singing, and reading a myriad of subjects. He and his wife, Stephanie, live in North GA with their four children.

Jump Through the Conversation:

• [1:01] Randy’s introduction and connection to Adam
• [2:03] Randy’s struggles as a new Christian
  • Dealing with other Christians
  • Concern about the stability of salvation
• [6:03] God’s sovereignty and prison ministry
• [8:19] How the issue of God’s sovereignty led Randy to Reformed theology and the PCA
• [9:27] How Grace PCA has become a multi-ethnic church
  • Incorporating Spanish-speaking people into their congregation
  • Diversity of pastoral staff
• [13:26] Cross-cultural ministry and the centrality of Christ
• [15:59] How Randy has been enriched by the culture of Grace PCA

Links and Resources:

• A Beautiful Church website
• Chattanooga House of Prayer website
• Give today
• Grace PCA website

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