In the book of John, we find a very interesting story about how Jesus catered to the needs of one of the prominent men of His time, Nicodemus. According to John 3:1, Nicodemus was described as a member of the Jewish ruling council. In today's world, we could say that Nicodemus was a City Council member, a United States Congressperson, or some other elected or public official. What has always amazed me about this story is that most of the stories about Jesus' ministry happened during the day time — feeding the 5,000, raising Lazarus from the dead, and turning the water into wine.
But this story took place at night. In the busy schedule of Jesus, he allowed time for Nicodemus to meet him at night. Why did Jesus allow time for Nicodemus to meet him at night? It is my understanding that Jesus took the time to schedule a night appointment with Nicodemus because he understood the unique culture, the diverse challenges, and the cultural conflicts that would occur if Nicodemus had met him during the day. The outrage, the anger and the amount of hate would have most likely been demonstrated towards both of them if they had set down to have a meeting during the day. Thus, Jesus designed a time in his ministry to meet the diverse needs of people like Nicodemus so that they could be culturally and professionally comfortable and at peace when they were learning the truths about him and his plan for Salvation.
From this story, I had to ask the question, is the Seventh-day Adventist Church in North America, particularly in the United States, taking the time to meet African American Men during the "night" of their lives? This question lies in the qualitative view of attending various Regional conference churches when it seems that the lights of the church are shining bright, but the African American men are missing more and more. So many of the current Regional Conferences do not reflect African American leadership. Many of the pastors in the Regional Conference cultural background are not from an African American heritage. It seems like the attendance and the involvement of African American men in leadership and in membership of the church is slowly disappearing.
Maybe when one takes the time to dig deeper into this phenomenon, one may say that the current structure of the SDA church is not providing a comfortable and peaceful place where African American men can be spiritually nurtured. This is not just a challenge for the women who often may be looking for a life partner, it is also a challenge for other African American men who are looking for friendship, leadership, and a social justice environment which understands their unique and important needs.
Thus, maybe we, like Jesus did for Nicodemus, arrange our structure of the church to better meet the needs of African American men. Jesus took the time to create a time and a location which fostered a safe and nurturing environment where Nicodemus was able to learn the truths about him and his plan for Salvation.
Suggested Ways to Meet African American Men
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Understand the social risk of African American Men when it comes to addressing their unique needs of being the "Shepherd" in their own homes in 2026.
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Provide more social outings for African American men in the church such as bowling, golfing and basketball.
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Have discussions via text messages or in person on how to deal with the stresses of being African American men in the United States.
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Provide mentorship in which older African American men reach out to younger men.
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Continually discuss ways in which African American men can navigate through the political and economic systems that they are facing in their lives.
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Seek ways to address the skill, strength, or resilience of fathering in our current world, including situations which include blended fathering, step-parenting, and parenting alienation issues which African American men are dealing with in their lives.
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Discuss full life issues from the birth to the grave — how to live in such a manner in which one is able to die in peace — insurances, wills, trust and other family matters which pertain to African American men.
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Enlighten African American men on the various changes and nuances that are present in their dating and marrying relationships in our current world.
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Utilize more Afro-centric photos and images when doing presentations and sermons, building the church's website, and in enhancing the beautification of the church.
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Be open about the implications of the changing cultures that are happening in our churches as it relates to the Regional conferences becoming more international and how those changes strengthen and challenge African American men.
Finding ways to make African American men more comfortable in experiencing Jesus in Church should be paramount in our evangelism and within all of our activities within the Seventh-day Adventist Church in North America. Yes, like Jesus took the time to make Nicodemus feel comfortable in reaching out to his unique needs at night, the SDA Church must do likewise in adjusting its structure to meet the unique needs of African American men.