Thomas & Dita Rose

 

Revolutionary: Thomas & Dita Rose
Occupation: Worship Pastors

Contribution:
“Every person, from every culture, has the opportunity to enrich someone else’s life. When we choose to do life together, in diversity, we are embracing the excitement and creativity that sort of life brings to exalt Christ.”

Thomas grew up in Charleston, South Carolina, in an African-American subculture. Everyone around him had a very “black” life, and he had no reason to branch outside of that until his grandparents moved into an all “white” neighborhood. Though Thomas became friends with those outside of his own race, his grandmother was insistent that “those kids” didn’t come inside the house.

Dita, meanwhile, was raised in a very southern culture outside Charleston, one in which her family was polite to those from other races, but certainly not accepting. For her family, their hired workers from different races were not allowed to enter her house and Bill Cosby was not allowed to be on the TV.

When Thomas and Dita formed a relationship in college, they had to reconcile the views they had grown up accustomed to in their culture with their relationship to each other. The clash came through the distrust and disapproval of their families. But Thomas and Dita had started to have some revolutionary ideas, that loving someone as Christ would was about loving the person the way they are no matter what culture they come from.

The Rose’s marriage is not one of bliss. But through the long years of struggle, they have seen their relationship open up the minds and hearts of their families for the exaltation of Christ. They serve as worship pastors now in a multi-cultural congregation in an urban setting, where they continue to seek unity in the church for the exaltation of Christ.

To learn more about Thomas and Dita and Mosaic, visit mosaicnashville.org.