A Life Changing Bus Ride

Hey Leader,

My name is Elwood Jones and I recently joined the Converge MidAtlantic team as the Multicultural Partnerships Director.

God has blessed Converge MidAtlantic to include churches from many different cultural backgrounds. The purpose of Multicultural Partnerships is to glorify God by being better stewards of our cultural diversity and deepening it together.

My personal story has shaped my passion for this work.  I grew up in the 1960’s, and I count it a privilege to experience some of the most pivotal moments in US history.

·       The Civil Rights Movement

·       The Assignation of John and Bobby Kennedy

·       Passing of the Voter’s Act

·       Desegregation

·       Ending Vietnam War

·       The Civil Rights March on Washington

·       The Life and Death of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

My family lived in Cameron Valley, Alexandria’s largest public housing project.  The demographics of my neighborhood dramatically changed in a short period of time.  In 1966, my neighborhood was 75% white and 25% black, and by 1971 it was 80% black and 20% white. I’ve seen both the rewards and challenges of living in a multiethnic community in America.

As I reflect on my childhood, I remember this story which has shaped me to this day.

One morning I got on the school bus in my neighborhood like I did every day. Little did I know that I was about to witness an act of unexpected kindness that would leave a lasting impression on my life. As the bus rumbled down our usual route, I noticed a group of white guys in a car driving next to our school bus. Without thinking about the impact of my words, I yelled out the window, “Dukes of Hazzard!” and the students on the bus started laughing at my joke.

But the guys in the car didn’t think it was funny at all. They quickly stopped their car in the middle of the street, hopped out, and proceeded to bang on the school bus door. They yelled racial slurs at me and explained what they wanted to do to me. I felt really scared.

At that moment, a group of friends riding the bus with me, white and Asian classmates, stood up with courage and they formed a shield around me. I felt protected and less afraid. The bus driver refused to open the door and finally drove away.

As the bus rolled on, that simple act of kindness from classmates lingered in the air. For me, it was a lesson learned in the power of standing together and the strength found in multiethnic friendships. This one moment has guided my life and ministry.

For the past 10 years, I have been the founding pastor of Landmark Church, a multicultural church in Alexandria, Virginia. I have 34 years of experience helping churches and parachurch ministries think through diversity issues. I have been married for 35 years to my amazing bride, Betty, and have an adult son who is also married with two beautiful daughters. I love my granddaughters! In addition, we are honored to care for our great-nephews who are ten-year-old twins. My favorite college team is the Georgetown Hoyas, and I am a loyal Commanders football fan. I need prayer for my choice of sports teams.

As Multicultural Partnerships Director, I hope to inspire and celebrate unity among our diverse congregations. I pray that together we will reach our growing multiethnic communities, whatever makes sense for each church, and become ambassadors of biblical reconciliation. I’m excited to teach, train and model biblical diversity in passages like this:

“So in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith, for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.” Galatians 3:26-28

Dr. King said it best: “We must learn to live together as brothers or perish together as fools.”

With a passion for unity in Christ, multicultural friendships, biblical justice, and collaboration in ministry, I hope to bring to our Converge church families a wealth of experience and vision for creating spaces where every voice is heard, and everyone has a seat at the table for courageous and loving conversations.

In Love,

Elwood Jones