BYU just hosted an international conference

[tooblue]

Originally Posted by Archaea

The truth is probably closer to the fact that the minorities are not known enough by the decision makers. Now it's their fault for only associating with the Utahns. Eventually, power will dissipate and be dispersed, but don't expect as soon as it makes sense. Centralization has its drawbacks as well.

Don't dimish inspiration as too closely tied to familiarity. Based upon my experience it has less to do with familiarity and more to do with the comfort level of the local leaders who are making the recommendation of who should be interviewed by the vistiting authority.

The current baby boomer generation in power in general has never received or even conceived of the notion to seek out the counsel of a leader who is not a caucaision. This is a condition of North American culture and not merely church culture.

[tooblue]

Originally Posted by Indy Coug

Do you guys have any freaking inkling how much interaction General Authorities have with leaders, such as stake and mission presidents, around the world? General Authorites don't live in a concrete bunker underneath the granite vaults in Cottonwood Canyon.

There is continual interaction with Area Presidencies, and regular interaction with presidencies of the Seventy as well as the Twelve. I was surprised how many of the Church Hierarchy my dad knew from his time serving as Stake President in Saudi Arabia (is that far enough off the beaten path for you?).

Elder Nelson
Elder Packer
Elder Oaks
Elder Asay
Elder Ringger
Elder Neuenschwander
Elder Didier

etc.

A humble, righteous stalwart Stake President serving in Ghana isn't flying under the radar like some of you seem to think.

It's not about flying under the radar Indy. It's about societal racism.

[tooblue]

Originally Posted by tooblue

It's not about flying under the radar Indy. It's about societal racism.

And I am loath to use such an ugly word, for it is a condition of north American society and not as simple as attitudes driven by fear.

[tooblue]

Originally Posted by Indy Coug

Do me a favor: give me a head count of how many stake presidents of African or African descent there have been to date.

P.S. That doesn't mean that I think that being a stake president in and of itself qualifies someone as being ready to serve as a General Authority.

This isn't an issue of numbers, though your point is relevant, it is an issue of comfort. Nothing more nothing less.

The Lord qualifies whom he calls -numbers are ultimately a non factor.

[Indy Coug]

Originally Posted by Cali Coug

You continue to note that there aren't enough African American members with experience to serve as a GA. I asked what experience was necessary, and you continued to bring up service as a stake president. I pointed out that there are several serving as a stake president, at which point you then said that serving as a stake president doesn't "qualify" you.

I think in your efforts to apologize for the absence of any African Americans in church leadership, you are going around in circles.

What percentage of Pop Warner football players have gone on to play in the NFL?
What percentage of HS football players have gone on to play in the NFL?
What percentage of college football players have gone on to play in the NFL?

What percentage of EQP have gone on to be General Authorities?
What percentage of bishops have gone on to be General Authorities?
What percentage of stake presidents have gone on to be General Authorities?

The odds aren't that high.

[Cali Coug]

Originally Posted by Indy Coug

What percentage of Pop Warner football players have gone on to play in the NFL?
What percentage of HS football players have gone on to play in the NFL?
What percentage of college football players have gone on to play in the NFL?

What percentage of EQP have gone on to be General Authorities?
What percentage of bishops have gone on to be General Authorities?
What percentage of stake presidents have gone on to be General Authorities?

The odds aren't that high.

I am going to say of your questions above: at least one person from each of the ranks you described for football, and zero people for the LDS African Americans going on to serve in the 12 or First Quorum of the 70. Shouldn't the odds be higher than, oh I don't know, zero?

[RockyBalboa]

Originally Posted by Cali Coug

I am going to say of your questions above: at least one person from each of the ranks you described for football, and zero people for the LDS African Americans going on to serve in the 12 or First Quorum of the 70. Shouldn't the odds be higher than, oh I don't know, zero?

The church is racist, you win.

[Indy Coug]

Question: Do African Area Authorities count for anything?

[Cali Coug]

Originally Posted by Indy Coug

Question: Do African Area Authorities count for anything?

Absolutely. And I love that a handful of them are African American. I hope to see more. But among the highest ranks of church leadership, the tally is at zero and, to my knowledge, has been since the church's founding.

[Archaea]

Lack of diversity is the result of a complex calculus, first, familiarity by the decision makers, second, numbers of qualified persons with appropriate experience, and third, societal racism which our Baby Boomer leaders need to be aware of and need to overcome.

What is a General Authority?

Let's put it frankly in administrative terms. A Bishop counsels the youth and members.

A state president trains bishops.

A mission president trains missionaries.

A temple president trains missionaries.

A General Authority trains stake presidents to be stake presidents, mission presidents to be mission presidents, patriarchs to be patriarchs, and temple presidents to be temple presidents. Without that reservoir of experience, it's unlikely that somebody will be called to be a leader.

Well, most of the leaders are mostly familiar with those they've grown up with and so the vicious circle of inadequate representation continues. I'm convinced the Lord has prepared many persons who have never been called because leaders were not sufficiently familiar with those persons and their qualifications.