concerns of the European population residing in them and the interests of the overseas metropolitan centers - mot from the needs of the local population" (Tonna 11). This kind of development caused great problems in cities, many uniquely different than the American city. It is easy to base all assumptions about the city and urban areas on the model seen in the North America but that would be a fallacy. The urban area is spreading at record rates all over the world. Two-thirds of all the Third World metropolises - forty-eight out of seventy-two - are in Asia. All told, some 132 million persons live in these 45 cities. Sixteen Latin American cities have a population exceeding 1 million. And even in Africa the urban area is growing. There are now seven African cities with a population exceeding 1 million (Tonna 12-14). The process of urbanization is continuing even today. However, the knowledge the history cities does not necessarily negate a knowledge of the culture of cities.There are many paradigms that make up the culture of the urban area. Traditionally cities have been recognized by poverty, racial tension, and a generally lower quality of life. Of all the negative aspects of city life the one, steady, underlying current is a low socioeconomic status. Hurst tells us that "…socioeconomic status is (1) a continuum of inequality between classes, (2) partly the result of subjectures as well as objective conditions, (3) multidimensional, and (4) non-conflictive in nature" (Hurst 10). It is this low SES, however, that leads many urban dwellers into a state of conflict with many of the white, middle class, evangelicals who venture out to minister to them. On of the first fallacies in urban ministry is a lack of understanding of the conflict that exists between what the messenger unwittingly represents. The church is comfortable accepting the expenditure of vast sums for war and larger police forces, even though thi...
