Ethnic Blends: Mixing Diversity into Your Local Church
As far as books about the church go, this is one that ought to be required reading! I thoroughly believe their thesis, that to effectively speak into culture (and to maintain some kind of relevance and authority) the church must become a heterogeneous body composed of every ethnicity, not the homogenous body it currently is. This is the image of heaven, when people from “every tribe, tongue and nation” will be joined together as one, being the body of Christ and enjoying Him forever.
As background, I work at a church that has very little (like two to four people out of 200) diversity. On an average Sunday in our little town, we have one to three Hispanic individuals, one Asian, and possibly one other race represented. Are there a couple of Anglo's who add diversity to our congregation because of their immigration? Yeah. Do we do a lot of things to allow us to build bridges (how many churches that are 90+% white and English speaking invite Mexican pastors who speak very little to no English to preach from their pulpit?)? Yes. But does that change our church into a diverse mirror of heaven? Not much!
Mark DeYmax and Harry Li know the struggles of becoming a diverse church that seeks to mirror who God is. They have a congregation that is intentionally diverse in color, ethnicity, language, nationality and economic status. Did that just, “happen?” They tell us that it was no chance creation but an intentional vision and desire that allowed Mosaic to become something different from the status quo. Now, the big question they pose is one I consider already answered by most, but must be asked: should the church move beyond the status quo of homogeneity into intentional diversity?
I would say that most people believexxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx the answer is an unreserved yes, but the makeup of most churches in the United States says otherwise. The authors note that Martin Luther King Jr.'s commentary is still correct: Sunday is the most segregated portion of the week, particularly the 10am-12pm time slot! Most churches are made up of over 80% a single ethnicity, with few crossing those lines. I have to look no further than my old hometown church to see the truth in that number. The two traditional and contemporary services were at least 98% white, because seeing someone of another race at any of those services was always a rarity growing up! The Korean service catered specifically to those of Korean heritage, making it a very homogenous bunch as well. The only service that showcased diversity was the international service (to cater to the multitude of students who came to the university): they did sermons, worship, and everything in a multitude of languages celebrating the diversity they had. Does this mean the church overall wasn't committed to “making disciples of all nations?” Not by a long shot! Instead, they were trying the best way they knew then including quarterly services that rotated from the Missionary Baptist church (98% African American) to our church (98% Anglo American) and had the other churches pastor preaching!
Thus, “Ethnic Blends.” The idea that diversity will simply happen has been proven wrong. If that were the case, churches would mirror the rest of the nation and be a mixed up “melting pot.” So, the point is simply to showcase an intentional method to diversity that will make the Church a mirror of heaven and allow it to continue to make a difference in the current era. Because the way things have been done isn't working, necessitating a change in structure, ideas, and methodology. The book then is made up of the groundwork (a summary of Mark DeYmaz' prior book: Building a Healthy Multi-Ethnic Church) followed by practical answers to overcoming the obstacles that will crop up if attempting to become a multi-ethnic church. Several of the chapters are amazing, as they cover thoughts I personally, had never even imagined! Thinking about student ministries, my stomping ground, as a potential source of conflict seems odd, but when it comes to parents and their kids (or my own kids!) it makes perfect sense. Being prepared for things like that, instead of being surprised by some of them, should allow many to navigate the rapids as they create blended churches that are mirroring heaven, where people of “every tribe, tongue, and nation” are joined in one song honoring God...
If you're looking for a map leading to the multi-ethnic church, this isn't it. However, if you're looking for a guidebook from someone who has been there to help your journey, this is the book for you...
As background, I work at a church that has very little (like two to four people out of 200) diversity. On an average Sunday in our little town, we have one to three Hispanic individuals, one Asian, and possibly one other race represented. Are there a couple of Anglo's who add diversity to our congregation because of their immigration? Yeah. Do we do a lot of things to allow us to build bridges (how many churches that are 90+% white and English speaking invite Mexican pastors who speak very little to no English to preach from their pulpit?)? Yes. But does that change our church into a diverse mirror of heaven? Not much!
Mark DeYmax and Harry Li know the struggles of becoming a diverse church that seeks to mirror who God is. They have a congregation that is intentionally diverse in color, ethnicity, language, nationality and economic status. Did that just, “happen?” They tell us that it was no chance creation but an intentional vision and desire that allowed Mosaic to become something different from the status quo. Now, the big question they pose is one I consider already answered by most, but must be asked: should the church move beyond the status quo of homogeneity into intentional diversity?
I would say that most people believexxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx the answer is an unreserved yes, but the makeup of most churches in the United States says otherwise. The authors note that Martin Luther King Jr.'s commentary is still correct: Sunday is the most segregated portion of the week, particularly the 10am-12pm time slot! Most churches are made up of over 80% a single ethnicity, with few crossing those lines. I have to look no further than my old hometown church to see the truth in that number. The two traditional and contemporary services were at least 98% white, because seeing someone of another race at any of those services was always a rarity growing up! The Korean service catered specifically to those of Korean heritage, making it a very homogenous bunch as well. The only service that showcased diversity was the international service (to cater to the multitude of students who came to the university): they did sermons, worship, and everything in a multitude of languages celebrating the diversity they had. Does this mean the church overall wasn't committed to “making disciples of all nations?” Not by a long shot! Instead, they were trying the best way they knew then including quarterly services that rotated from the Missionary Baptist church (98% African American) to our church (98% Anglo American) and had the other churches pastor preaching!
Thus, “Ethnic Blends.” The idea that diversity will simply happen has been proven wrong. If that were the case, churches would mirror the rest of the nation and be a mixed up “melting pot.” So, the point is simply to showcase an intentional method to diversity that will make the Church a mirror of heaven and allow it to continue to make a difference in the current era. Because the way things have been done isn't working, necessitating a change in structure, ideas, and methodology. The book then is made up of the groundwork (a summary of Mark DeYmaz' prior book: Building a Healthy Multi-Ethnic Church) followed by practical answers to overcoming the obstacles that will crop up if attempting to become a multi-ethnic church. Several of the chapters are amazing, as they cover thoughts I personally, had never even imagined! Thinking about student ministries, my stomping ground, as a potential source of conflict seems odd, but when it comes to parents and their kids (or my own kids!) it makes perfect sense. Being prepared for things like that, instead of being surprised by some of them, should allow many to navigate the rapids as they create blended churches that are mirroring heaven, where people of “every tribe, tongue, and nation” are joined in one song honoring God...
If you're looking for a map leading to the multi-ethnic church, this isn't it. However, if you're looking for a guidebook from someone who has been there to help your journey, this is the book for you...
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