GLUE

Missional ... It's Who We Are!

The following excerpt is from the book, Building a Healthy Multi-ethnic Church (Jossey-Bass/Leadership Network, 2007), p. 121-123, and speaks to the very nature and mindset of a healthy multi-ethnic church.  For a quick take on the subtle, but significant difference between building bridges to the community and being the community, skip now to the final paragraph. 

Essentially I am saying that for a healthy multi-ethnic church, being "missional" is not programmatic, something the church needs to do; rather it is identity, who the church is, and quite naturally flowing from the diversity of the body itself, which is a reflection of the community in all its beauty, need and potential.

Here are some additional thoughts ...

“Of course, the mere development of a favorable reputation is not all God has in mind for the multi-ethnic church. Indeed, the Lord would not only have us to look good in the eyes of men but to actually do good for them in his name. Coupled with the look, our actions will speak powerfully of Christ’s love for all people.

“With this in mind, (Mosaic) hosted a Thanksgiving meal in 2002 for the residents of a local trailer park; we wanted not only to serve but also to eat with our neighbors. In addition, winter clothes were made available to the residents that day. Given favorable reviews, we repeated the effort in 2003 and expanded to serve two trailer parks the following year. The growing celebration was moved to our own facility in 2005, and invitations were also distributed door-to-door throughout the community immediately surrounding the church. All totaled, some 350 people gathered for the food and festivities that year. By then, we had expanded the University District Thanksgiving Celebration (as it was now being called) to include games for the kids, as well as the involvement of local police and fire departments.

“In 2006 we again moved the location and this time served some 600–700 people on one of the busiest corners in the city. And we continued to develop the event. That year, a radio station came to broadcast live, and the owner of a local restaurant, being closed for business on that day, gave us the keys to his place, allowing people to eat inside. We even added pony rides for the children! Beyond this, a growing list of community partners, including UALR and the First Tee of Arkansas, are also investing annually in the effort—one we believe is meeting a variety of individual needs on Thanksgiving Day in Little Rock.

“On another note, I was recently approached by one of Little Rock’s city commissioners, who informed me that our church has significantly blessed the ward she serves. First, she said, we have helped to spur commercial revitalization in the area by turning around the very large and formerly abandoned space we currently occupy, namely, the old Wal-Mart. In this regard, she pointed to the fact that a national chain has just rented 10,000 square feet of this space to provide goods to people at an affordable cost. Because the long-term vision of our landlord is to carve the rest of the space up for such stores, it is as if we have fulfilled for her an important mission in being the fi rst to come and breathe life back into the building. And because we have recently signed a contract to buy a 100,000-square-foot facility that was once a Kmart just a few blocks to the east, she believes that Mosaic will play a major role in the future revitalization of the University District. Beyond these community improvements, however, she took note of the heart and passion we display for all people, young and old, Black and White, rich and poor. She sees for her ward a better day and is grateful that we have come to help make it so.

“Of course, many churches, whether multi-ethnic or not, will cite their own efforts in this regard, and all such work is truly commendable. But I have learned there is something uniquely expressed when a diverse congregation is involved. It is a silent witness—a nonverbal attraction that compels others to think well of its vision and of its presence in the city.

“Because a local church is dynamic by nature, however, I cannot say Mosaic will always be so. What I can tell you at this time is that many recognize and appreciate our attempt to share the love of God, not only through what we do but, more important, through who we are. Indeed, we do not seek simply to build a bridge to the community— we are the community. And this subtle reality is a defining characteristic of the multi-ethnic church, which wil be missional by nature. As such, it provides the congregation a unique platform and helps to establish moral and spiritual credibility throughout the city. To mobilize for impact, then, we must seek not so much to take the Gospel to the community but rather through the community by embracing an “incarnational” approach.”

 

 

 

When Was It First Observed ...

I was recently contacted by a univeristy professor looking to document the source and timing of the oft quoted statement, "Eleven o'clock on Sunday morning is the most segregated hour of the week."

Most attribute this statement to Dr. Martin Luther King; however, Dr. Billy Graham can be quoted as having said it before Dr. King.

But did you know, the observation was made far earlier in American history, in fact even before the turn of the 20th century?

I have summarized my own research on the quote in the following footnote as found in chapter one of my first book, Building a Healthy Multi-ethnic Church. In the book, I mention the quote on page 4; the footnote itself can be found on page 186.

Should you have a desire or need to use this footnote in its entirety, or in part, please include the reference information listed below as part of your citation. 

Here then is what I wrote and believe to be the best statement (currently) concerning the timing of the eleven' oclock observation:

"2. As to when and by whom this sentiment was first observed, religious scholar Martin Marty noted at the end of the nineteenth century, “White Protestants, however, did little to build bonds with [Black Protestant] churches, and racially there were at least two Americas or Christianities. Doctrinal and practical similarity counted for little. . . . Critics noted that the Sunday Protestant worship hour was the most segregated time of the week. Indeed, the once righteous churches of the North, after proclaiming triumph over the evils of slavery and the South, came during the next century to adopt southern styles of regard for Blacks and their churches, and there was little positive contact even within denominational families” (John McManners, ed. The Oxford History of Christianity [Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1990], 423)."

Mark DeYmaz, as cited in Building a Healthy Multi-ethnic Church. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass/Leadership Network, 2007. p. 186.

Whites to Lose Majority Status in U.S. by 2042

"Whites will comprise less than half of the U.S. population by 2042, about eight years earlier than previously thought, according to a report to be released by the Census Bureau. The transition, long predicted by demographers, will spell big changes for the nation's schools and work force. 

Over the next four decades the non-Hispanic white population will get older, eventually going into decline between 2030 and 2040. Minorities will become a majority of the population aged zero to 17 years first -- in about 15 years -- and move up through age groups for there. 

'We are going to become more diverse in more parts of the country and in more of the age structure sooner,' said William Frey, senior demographer at the Brookings Institution, a Washington think tank."

Read the entire article by Conor Dougherty as orignially reported in the wall Street Journal, August 14, 2008.

So here's the question: how are you and your church beginning to adjust? 

For in an increasingly diverse and cynical society, people will no longer find credible the message of God's love for all people when it's preached from segregated pulpits and pews.

Throuhgout this blog, you will find helpful resources meant to inform and inspire you toward a present future related to growing movement toward multi-ethnic churches in the U.S. and beyond.

For more specific interaction, my books Building a Healthy Multi-ethnic Church (Jossey-Bass / Leadership Network, 2007) and Ethnic Blends (Zondervan / Leadership Network, April, 2010) are available via Amazon.

Latest Stats Confirm the Growing Movement!

The following quote is from the forward to Ethnic Blends: Mixing Diversity Into Your Local Church, a new book on the subject of multi-ethnic churches by Mark DeYmaz and Harry Li scheduled for release by Zondervan/Leadership Network in April 2010.

"In 1998, a national study of American congregations found that just 5% of Protestant churches were racially diverse (no one racial group is 80% or more of the congregation).  No differences existed between large churches (1000 or more attenders) and other churches.  When this same study was conducted in 2007, a major change was revealed.  Large Protestant churches were three times more likely to be multiracial in 2007 than in 1998.  And if we focus just on evangelical churches, large congregations were five times more likely in 2007 than in 1998 to be multiracial.  This is seismic change in such a short time.  These changes have come about do to a spiritual movement that has emerged and is discussed in Ethnic Blends.  Large churches typically are the bellwether of change to come throughout Christendom.  More change, then, is coming.  An old system is crumbling, and a new one—the multiracial congregation—is emerging."

  Michael O. Emerson, Ph.D., Allyn and Gladys Cline Professor of Sociology

  Director, Center on Race, Religion, and Urban Life / Rice University 

 

25 FAQs re. the Multi-ethnic Church

As a special bonus for those of you tuned into The Nines today, here are 25 questions I am frequently asked to address by those who hear me speak in a live audience setting. In addressing them here, I hope to provide you with a quick reference guide for your own benefit or the benefit of others you are helping to understand such issues.

1. "What exactly do you mean by the term, ‘multi-ethnic’?”

In short, I intend it as general and inclusive of ethnic, economic, educational and generational diversity within a local church. In fact, I believe that ethnic and economic diversity are two sides of the same coin and that educational privilege is most often a factor of economics. So when I'm talking about a multi-ethnic church, I’m thinking of one that reflects diversity in a variety of forms beyond ethnicity. In the introduction to my first book, Building a Healthy Multi-ethnic Church, I provide a more thorough explanation of the term from my perspective and also explain why I use it, and not “multi-racial” or “multi-cultural,” when speaking of a diverse congregation.

2. What defines a church as “multi-ethnic?” How is it measured? 

Leading researchers and sociologists in the Multi-ethnic Church Movement, such as Michael Emerson, Christian Smith and George Yancey, define a multi-ethnic (or, multi-racial) church in terms of an 80/20 rule. In other words, when a congregation reaches 20% diversity, they will describe it as being multi-ethnic/multi-racial. For example, that 20% could represent White people in an African American church; or it could represent a more general population that is 10% African American, 5% Latino and 5% Asian in a congregation that is otherwise 80% White. In either case, that’s where they draw the line because as sociologists, they understand that when a population reaches 20% diversity in any organizational setting – whether in a business or a school, a city, state, nation, church or other association of any kind – its culture will be forced to change or adapt for its own survival and growth.  So that's where and why the sociologists see a significant tipping point at 20%; and I most certainly understand.

For practitioners like myself, however, this bar is practically too low for our purposes; indeed, we seek much healthier percentages of diversity both to manifest and mature the vision. And while 20% diversity is certainly a worthy goal or achievement for any congregation, it will not eliminate the perception of homogeneity for minority seekers entering the doors for the first time.

Beyond the congregation, we must also consider the diversity of leadership when measuring the multi-ethnic nature of a local congregation. For a church’s willingness to empower diverse leadership - not only in the pulpit or on the platform, but also in positions of responsibility and power throughout the whole - is clearly a measure of health and significance in this regard. However, let me be clear: measuring the multi-ethnic-nature of a church is not at all about quotas; rather, we should measure the heart and intention of leadership. In other words, a theoretical continuum of transformation exists where on the one side there are churches that don't want anything to do with others not like them and on the other side, the unity and diversity of heaven. In between these two extremes, there’s a lot of room for us all to progress! The aim of a healthy multi-ethnic church, then, is to consistently demonstrate its heart for all people, one that reflects the love of God for all people to the best of its ability.

Therefore in the end, whether we’re talking about the diversity of the congregation or its leadership team, perhaps the most important thing to measure is a church’s intentionality in both word and deed. Beyond that, we must trust God for Ethnic Blends.

3. "Isn’t it enough to reflect the local community in terms of diversity?”

More often than not, it’s White pastors who will ask this question and have as their goal a church that reflects (in percentages) the demographic make-up of the community in which they minister. And while I certainly understand the sentiment, it’s not a mindset I recommend you embrace or espouse in seeking to build a healthy multi-ethnic church.

In the first place, minority pastors will rightly point out that White pastors (though well-meaning) may sing a different tune if and when demographics in their community shift. In other words, such a statement provides spiritual cover for many pastors in support of the status quo and so long as their own people represent the majority culture. But what might these same pastors say when the neighborhood changes; if, for instance, the majority of people living within it become Latino or Black? Or what if a church hires a minority pastor? Will they remain to follow? 

Beyond this, such a mindset is too limiting when considering the church as a reflection of the community. For instance, I was speaking in San Diego recently when a pastor raised the issue: "I'm in a county that's 97% White," he said, implying that it was impossible for him to pursue the multi-ethnic vision. Yet, I reminded him that we should be concerned with economic, educational and generational diversity, as well. Indeed in every town, someone owns the shop and someone sweeps it! “So how,” I asked, “is your church attempting to accommodate those who may not have the same socio-economic status or educational background as the majority of your people?”

The point is we cannot overlook such things in seeking to build a healthy multi-ethnic church.

4. "Is there one dominant culture in a multi-ethnic church or does it develop a culture all its own?" 

While there may be a majority of people from a particular ethnic or cultural background, there is no dominant culture in a healthy multi-ethnic church. In other words, no one culture – majority or not – should be allowed to shape the whole to the exclusion of others or to exercise influence with their own preferences in mind.

Having said that, I am not at all suggesting that people “check their cultures at the door.” In fact in heaven we're told that there will be people of every nation, tribe, people and tongue singing and worshiping God together with one voice (Revelation 7:9). This is our goal, as well: diverse individuals walking, working and worshipping God together as one for the sake of the gospel.

So then, we’re not at all trying to eliminate culture from the equation; rather, we seek to accommodate various forms, traditions and expressions of diverse cultures into the very fabric of Mosaic. And by so doing, I suppose, we have developed (like all churches) a culture or climate uniquely our own; that is, our own ethos and values, our own understanding and way of doing things, etc. In fact, this unique development of culture or climate within a church was really at the heart of the Homogenous Unit Principle as it was first defined, and long before it was co-opted to address only issues of race and class. But that’s another story!

5. What’s the difference between a “homogeneous church” and a “segregated church?”

I've honestly never thought too much about the difference, although I’ve heard both terms thrown about loosely. In pausing to consider this, I suppose some speak of a “segregated church” implying that it is so intentionally; whereas others, in speaking of a “homogeneous church,” simply recognize that is perhaps for other reasons including location, worship style or philosophy of ministry. Indeed, I believe (by these definitions) that most churches are not so much “segregated” as they are “homogeneous,” philosophically applying the Homogeneous Unit Principle in order to grow the church quickly. If there's any nuance in the terms, then, I believe it is one of intentionality. However, most people probably use them interchangeably and don't think too much about it.

6. “Isn’t there a need for ethnic specific congregations ministering to 1.0s?”

Of course, this has been the conventional wisdom for longer than most can remember. And I understand both the need and desire to become incarnate in a culture for the sake of the gospel; that is, in order to reach it through language, music, tradition or custom. Indeed, some will argue, Isn’t this what Jesus did?

In a word, yes.

But think about it: the specific focus of Christ’s ministry was (in terms we understand today) evangelism and discipleship among the Jews, the foundation upon which others would later establish local churches inclusive of Gentiles. In other words, when evangelism and discipleship is selectively the goal, absolutely go for it! Knock yourself out in extending the love of God to individuals and/or entire people groups. But if you intend to take the next step forward, that is to launch or lead a local church, recognize that the New Testament in no way allows for such exclusivity as an option. Rather, the local church is to reflect the love of God for all people in very real and tangible ways beyond race or class distinctions. And it’s the responsibility of pastoral leaders to ensure that it is so.  

7. “What about the church in Jerusalem?”

You mean the one who’s leadership was commanded to go – that is, to lead the church - into all the world and to make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit … into His love and into His church? You mean the homogeneous church that God then had to persecute in order for those involved to obey His command and to leave Jerusalem, that is the city and culture in which they were most comfortable, for the sake of the gospel? The one whose witness and model was later surpassed by the diverse and missions-minded church at Antioch, led by none other than Paul, himself; the chief architect of all that was and remains the church as Christ intended it to be? 

8. “Okay, I get your point. Are you saying, then, that ethnic specific churches are somehow wrong or bad?”

No; only that the purpose should be short-term evangelism and discipleship of 1.0s, for instance, and not the entrenchment of mindsets and attitudes that justify the long-term exclusivity of an entire congregation. And it’s the long-term that such churches would do well to keep in mind.

For instance, ethnic specific churches in the United States have at least two issues to deal with which are fundamentally problematic and better addressed within the context of a multi-ethnic church.

First, as a Korean pastor once told me, these churches can unintentionally divide the family. For instance, let's say a man - an American soldier – meets and marries a Korean woman while stationed overseas, and they then come to America. Assuming they are believers, and in most instances, the Korean woman will look for a Korean church to attend. Furthermore, let’s say the American only loves the woman, and not necessarily the culture; that is, he does not speak Korean, understands very little about their customs and cannot bring himself to eat Kimchi!

Now certainly, he is willing to pursue cross-cultural competence in these and other areas for her sake, and with this in mind sometimes attends “her” church. But overtime, she ends up going alone and he finds his own church, or stops going altogether.

In formally partnering or outright merging with a multi-ethnic congregation, such a situation can be avoided altogether by visionary church leaders concerned for both individuals and the people groups they represent.

And of course statistically, ethnic specific churches tend to lose their second and third generations over time. In other words, they are often ill-equipped philosophically or practically to serve the needs of children growing up in the United States going to school in diverse environments, speaking English and in so many other ways, Americans by the time they are of the age to make their own choices regarding church. Ultimately, then, the church risks its overall health and long-term potential for growth in an increasingly diverse society. 

9. "How do you deal with the differences in language?"

Currently about twenty percent of our Sunday morning attendance is Latino; consequently, we are a bi-lingual church. How I wish at times, though, we were like some of my colleagues in the bigger cities dealing with even more significant language groups within the church! Yet by and large, we all do similar things. So, for instance, our signage, our bulletins, even the slides and power points used in worship, etc., are all produced in English and Spanish. And we provide for simultaneous translation for individuals, delivered over transmitters and headsets, much like the United Nations. In addition, we accommodate the Deaf and Hard of Hearing community by providing interpreters in the 10:45 am service and even, their own screen.

10. "How many services do you have and do you provide translation at each one?”

Currently, we have three services and, no, we do not provide translation at each one. The message at 9:00 am is delivered in English without translation. At 10:45 am, we provide Spanish and ASL interpretation as described above. And at 12:30 pm, the message is delivered in Spanish without translation. 

11. "Are the messages the same at all three services?”

Yes in passage and principle; but who delivers it changes from week to week and from morning to afternoon. For instance, we have three English speaking teaching pastors (White, Asian and African American) and three Spanish speaking teaching pastors at Mosaic. On a rotating basis, one of the English speaking teaching pastors will speak on any given day at 9 am and 10:45 am, while one of the Spanish speaking teaching pastors will speak the same day at 12:30 pm. As mentioned, the message he delivers at that time will be the same in passage and principle as the one delivered in the two morning services’ yet he can illustrate or explain it beyond that in any way he wants. In other words, the message at 12:30 pm is not identical but fraternal in nature, though essentially people at all three services have heard the same thing.

12. "How do you make that work?”

On Monday afternoon, the two individuals that will be speaking on the following Sunday, meet to discuss and determine the specific direction of the message. At that time, they lock in the key text and principles they’ll want to communicate in line with the overall theme of the current series. In addition, they may touch base again on Thursday after they have had time to think more about it. Finally, the Spanish-speaking pastor may attend one of the morning services to hear his English-speaking colleague’s message before the 12:30 pm service.

13. "What about the music?”

Music at the 12:30 pm service is led by a Latino worship team and differs in set, style and feel from the music provided at the 9:00 am and 10:45 am services.

14.  “How do you handle differences or preferences in music and preaching styles?”

In terms of the pulpit, I was already a big proponent of team teaching prior to planting Mosaic; that is, a situation in which a church empowers two or three different pastors to share the responsibility of preaching from week to week. When applied in the context of a multi-ethnic church, I have found that it brings a whole new level of blessing, diversity and strength to that area of the ministry.

Currently at Mosaic, our teaching team includes an African American (Steven Weathers), a Chinese American (Harry Li) and a White American (me). On a rotating basis then, one of the three of us will teach (in English) at the 9:00 am and 10:45 am services from week to week. In addition, we have two Latinos on staff (Cesar Ortega and Osmani Silva) who are very good teachers also and who share our vision, values and theology. Together with another Hispanic member of our church (Alberto Acacio), they are responsible for teaching (in Spanish) at the 12:30 pm service each week.

Likewise in terms of music, the style and format varies from week to week at Mosaic, as does who’s leading. The value is to promote a spirit of inclusion and, as well, to pursue cross-cultural competency in and through our worship as best we can. Of course, we are dependent on the gifts, talents and abilities of those who are available to us at any given time; and church planters will be limited in this regard at the start. Yet even after a multi-ethnic church is fully developed, you may never be able to consistently represent all of the various traditions within your congregation. Getting to the point where more than one style of music is part of the flavor of your church, however, is essential to communicating who you are and what you value to others and, ultimately, to attracting them to the vision.

One way or another, you will have to consistently communicate with your body, teaching them to remember that when it comes to music “…it’s not at all about what you like or prefer; rather, it’s about creating a church for all people according to the will of Christ and about others coming to know Him as we do.”

15. “You make a distinction between revitalization and transformation when speaking of the multi-ethnic church; what’s the difference?”

I use the term revitalization to describe the work of restoring local churches in decline or otherwise dead in the water through the multi-ethnic vision. When I speak of transformation, I am describing the work of establishing the vision in an existing and healthy, but otherwise homogeneous church. Together with church planting, these two concepts are thoroughly discussed in chapters 11-13 of my book, Building a Healthy Multi-ethnic Church (Jossey-Bass/Leadership Network, 2007). 

16. “So planting, revitalizing or transforming; which is easier?”

Obviously, each comes with its own set of opportunities and challenges, and I don't know if you can say that any one of them is easier than the other. I suppose it depends on one’s perspective at any given moment.

In planting a church you begin from scratch and therefore, can clearly articulate the vision for each and everyone who comes right from the start. And of course, you don't have to deal with transformational issues such as established DNA that has to be re-encoded, individuals who did not sign-up specifically for the journey, or existing staff who may or may not get it, etc. Nevertheless in a transformational situation, infrastructure is already well-established: there are people, programs and facilities that can instantly be reconfigured to promote and establish the new direction. And if you are one who has planted a church before, you know the struggle to find good people, solidify leaders and obtain the necessary resources not only to survive, but more importantly to thrive in the years ahead. Man, I don’t miss those days at all!

In some cases, then, revitalization may offer the best of both worlds: a measure of stability and people longing to see “their” church renewed. On the other hand, they may be the very ones holding it back!

So, pick your poison!

17. "If you are planting a church, how can you diversify from the start?" 

I’m often asked this question by those who know that we made a decision early on not to launch Mosaic formally until individuals representing three different cultural backgrounds could be paid. Beyond that, it speaks to attracting diverse individuals to the church. So let me address both concerns.

In terms of staffing, it’s so important to “put your money where your mouth is” right from the start. Yet how can this be done in a church-planting situation? In our case, those of us who first came on staff raised money like missionaries. By so doing, we were not only able to empower diverse leadership immediately, but also to devote ourselves fully to chasing the dream without wondering where our next meal would come from! Indeed when planting, there are few other ways to so quickly build or diversify a vocational staff team. This also allowed us to open the church with a visible display of our intentions, which in turn helped us to more quickly attract diverse members to the church.

Overtime, then, the offerings grew and we were able to capture the salaries through a budgeting process. However, some who are currently on our staff – including me – still generate a portion of their compensation from outside the church. This enables us to stretch the internal dollars even farther.

The other thing to keep in mind is that not everyone functioning in a position of leadership, responsibility and authority must (or should) be paid. And you will limit the development of your multi-ethnic efforts if you do not empower the laity, as well. Of course Paul spent time in bi-vocational service and likewise, we empower a number of people to serve in high levels of leadership at Mosaic – including as members of our staff – who are not paid a dime. In such ways, then, you can diversify both your leadership team and your congregation right from the very start. 

18. “Do you advertise the diverse nature of your church?”

Interestingly, we have chosen from the very beginning not to advertise the church as you might otherwise expect, but rather to allow it to grow through word of mouth. When we have advertised, we have done so almost entirely by reaching out evangelistically through Latino and Asian publications in our city. I think this has helped us to grow diverse in a way that has not been otherwise forced. It has forced us to depend on God to make the dream come true in His way and in His time.

19. “How critical to achieving the vision is a diverse staff or leadership team?”

I can't underemphasize it enough! Basically, credibility begins and ends in what is modeled from the top. If diverse leaders cannot walk, work and worship God together as one, there is little hope that a diverse congregation will be able to either.

20.“What about churches whose membership is diverse but whose leaders are not?"

Well I see them as on their way, yet having some way to go in truly becoming a multi-ethnic church for the sake of the gospel. Indeed, I encourage them to press on to maturity in this regard. For reasons I have previously discussed, empowering diverse leadership is the third core commitment of building a healthy multi-ethnic church.

21. “How can you find diverse people to join your staff without knowing any?”

You’ll have to get beyond your own circle of friends and go outside your sphere of influence in order to do so. Begin by inquiring as to what churches in your city – different from you in race or class - share a similar theology, vision, mission, values and passion for Christ. Secondly, contact the pastor or existing leader and arrange a to meet them, preferably over a meal. When you first meet them, greet them with humility and respect. At some point, then, share your heart and vision for developing a multi-ethnic church. Invite their thoughts and more importantly their blessing. Assuming you connect, ask them to consider their own contacts and recommend others for you to call. In such a way, you will begin to find your way to diverse men and women of peace who share your heart and vision for the church, as well as your theology. In fact, this is how we found Steven Weathers (African American) who is currently one of the teaching pastors at Mosaic.

Of course, you can also reach out to those you know and trust across the country asking them to connect you with diverse others they know and trust. In so doing, you can expect to find your way to potential candidates.

Keep in mind, however, that even if no potential candidates come from such inquiries, it is equally important for you to begin and later build upon new relationships you initiate with diverse leaders in your city or throughout the country that you contact.

22. “What have you learned through sharing the vision with others?” 

I think one thing I’ve learned is to be more gracious in my presentation, and more patient with other who aren't yet there in terms of understanding the Biblical mandate or multi-ethnic nature of the New Testament church. In the early days, I think I unintentionally offended people by casting the vision in a way that may have been seen by some as condemning of other congregations that weren't doing it the way we were, or understanding it the way we did, etc. Likewise, I have learned that it’s not my job to deconstruct the understanding of others, only to promote the vision as best I understand it and more importantly, to lead out in example beyond explanation. I have also come to understand that it’s not an either/or but a both/and in terms of developing diverse communities within our own multi-ethnic church. 

23. “Shouldn’t the church focus on personal salvation rather than social issues?” 

Shouldn’t the church focus on both? I mean beyond the great commission (Matthew 28:19, 20), we have also been instructed to care for orphans and widows (James 1:27), to do justice and love kindness (Micah 6:8) and to recognize the sanctity of life (Psalm 139:13-16), etc. In other words, it’s not an either/or in my mind, but a both/and.

Having said this, I’ve made it clear in both writing and speaking that I’m not promoting or pursuing the multi-ethnic vision simply because Tiger Woods is bi-racial and somehow reflects the changing face of America; or because Rodney King once petitioned us all to get along; or because neighborhoods are changing and by the middle of the twenty-first century, one in two people in the United States will not be White. Rather, it’s because I believe the unity and diversity of the multi-ethnic local church – an authentic and tangible display of the love of God for all people – provides us the most effective means for reaching the world with the gospel, as made clear by none other than Christ himself on the night before he died (John 17:20-23). In other words, the intrinsic desire of a healthy multi-ethnic church, its very motivation, is to see people come to know Christ in a personal way.

May I also reiterate that I do not believe a healthy multi-ethnic church should be focused on racial-reconciliation, but rather on reconciling men and women to God through faith in Jesus Christ and on reconciling individuals collectively to the principles and the patterns of the New Testament local church.  If we make these two works of reconciliation our priority, we can expect that many wonderful blessings will follow including such things as racial reconciliation and community transformation. 

24. “What about undocumented immigrants? How do you deal with this issue?”

Of course, there’s a lot of confusion, emotion and misunderstanding concerning this issue, both within the Christian community and society as a whole. But concerning the church, here’s basically what you need to know.

A.  As a pastor, you are under no legal obligation to ask or to know whether or not those you serve have legal status in this country.

B.  As a pastor, you are under no legal obligation to ask or to know whether those who voluntarily serve the church have legal status in this country.

C.  As a church, you are legally free in every way to serve the spiritual, emotional, material or physical needs of individuals regardless of their immigration status in this country.

D.  As a church, you are legal bound to ask for documentation when pursuing someone for hire.

E.  As a church, you cannot knowingly hire someone who is undocumented.

Therefore, outside of the times we’ve had to turn good but otherwise undocumented applicants away through the hiring process, we have not restricted our ministry to individuals - or the ministry of others within the church - in any way based on what we may know about their legal status.

25. “Are there any tools you've used to check the demographics of your city?”

Yes; and of course, thanks to the Internet such information is only a click away. You can go right to the source by visiting the U.S. Census Bureau’s website at www.census.gov. On their home page, click the link “American FactFinder” and type the name of your city in the search window. It’s that simple. Or if you prefer a less clinical view of things, MuniNet Guide (www.muninetguide.com) is another great source for demographic information. Simply type the name of your city in a search window right on their homepage, and you’re on your way.

 

Live Interview w/ Mark DeYmaz & Efrem Smith

Recently, I received a request to post this link to a live interview Efrem Smith and I gave as part of the festivities as the Exponential Conference in Orlando, FL (April 2009). Efrem is a good friend of mine, the pastor at Sanctuary Covenant Church in Minneapolis, MN and co-author of the book, Hip Hop Church. Together, we are part of a growing leadership seeking to catalyze the movement toward multi-ethnic churches throughout America and beyond. For those interested, I believe you will find this helpful. 

Unity as Confirmation: Jesus Is the Christ!

Literally hundreds of prophecies are recorded in the Old Testament concerning the coming of an “anointed one,” or Messiah. Beginning with Genesis 3:15 and subsequent to the fall of man, they speak of a Messiah, a Savior, who would one day be sent from God to destroy the serpent, abolish evil, and redeem mankind. In so doing, the Savior will restore man to a place of prominence in the divine order and, more than that, to a personal relationship with his Creator. In addition, the prophecies point to a coming Savior who would not only deliver the Jewish people from destruction but grant to people from every nation, tribe, and tongue the gift of eternal life as well.

The question, however, has always been, Who is the Savior and how will we know? According to Christ, the answer to these questions will be plainly manifest in and through the unity of believers: “If they [we] will be one,” he prayed, then “the world [will] know that You sent Me.” Yes, if we unite as one in mind, love, spirit, and purpose, the world will experientially understand that he is truly the Savior of the world. For only the Messiah, the Prince of Peace, can redeem mankind—men and women from every nation, tribe, people, and tongue—and unite them as one before the Father, thereby establishing peace on earth, goodwill toward men. In this sense, his use of the word sent, a translation of the Greek word apostollos is intentional. As we have already seen (John 17:4) and here again (John 17:23), Jesus is referring to himself as the personal, authoritative representative of God in language these men clearly would have understood.

In addition and through the oneness of future followers, Christ foresees that “the world will know that You love them.” Although today we take this for granted, we should remember that at the time of this prayer, the fact of God’s love for all the world was, in general, a radical concept to the Jewish mind. In that day, most Jews believed that YHWH was their God, that he loved their nation exclusively. From their perspective, then, “the Egyptians have their gods, the Hittites have their gods, the Phoenicians have their gods, and we, the Jews, have our God.” In contrast, it was not God’s love but God’s wrath that they believed would one day befall the rest of mankind. So when Christ prays for the world to “know” God’s love, he is speaking directly to the fact that salvation is not just for the Jews. And he says that all mankind will experience his love when men and women of diverse backgrounds are willing to walk together as one in Christ. In so doing, believers manifest the reality that, “He Himself is our peace, who made both groups (Jews and Gentiles) into one and broke down the barrier of the dividing wall” (Ephesians 2:14). 

On the night before he died then, Jesus Christ delivered to us the most effective means for reaching the world with the Gospel. He did not ask us to write books, bring evangelists to our cities, or put fi sh emblems on our cars. Nor did he instruct us to win the world through large churches built by and for a specifi c segment of society. For that matter, he did not pray that we would be “seeker-sensitive,” “postmodern,” “emergent,” or “purpose-driven.” Rather, he called us to be one; then, he said, the world would know God’s love and believe. 

Yes, in the twenty-first century it will be the unity of diverse believers walking as one in and through the local church that will proclaim the fact of God’s love for all people more profoundly than any one sermon, book, or evangelistic crusade. And I believe the coming integration of the local church will lead to the fulfillment of the Great Commission, to people of every nation, tribe, people, and tongue coming to know him as we do. 

This, then, is the core of our message. This is the prayer of Christ.

This article is reprinted in part from the book, Building a Healthy Multi-ethnic Church (Jossey-Bass/Leadership Network, 2007) by Mark DeYmaz.

What Can Be Learned From John 17 (Part III)

Christ and His Church (John 17:20-26)

In the final section of this prayer, Christ reveals that this same oneness of mind, love, spirit, and purpose will be equally vital for all those coming after the disciples—those who will, likewise, embrace the message and the mission: “I do not ask or pray on behalf of these alone, but for those also who believe in Me through their word” (John 17:20). The question is, Just who does he have in mind? You know, no matter how many times I consider the answer, I am always amazed. On the night before Jesus died, he prayed specifically for me, and he prayed specifically for you. Indeed, he prayed not only for his apostles, but for all those, like us, who have or will someday come to know him through their word. For from the oral and written testimonies of the first apostles, the Gospel message has gone forth. On and on it has been extended for two thousand years down to the present day with the result that you and I now believe. Yes, from the Father to the Son, to the eleven men in the room with him that night, to and through the countless hands of untold saints throughout the centuries, the message and the mission of the Gospel has come down to you and me. Indeed, the race is now ours to run; the baton has been passed to us. 

Such understanding, however, leads to a second and equally profound question: Just what did Jesus Christ pray for us on the night before he died? Remarkably, he prayed just one thing and one thing only: three times in three verses (17:21-23), he prayed that we would be one. Now as both scholars and students of the Word know, any time something is repeated in the text, it is done so for emphasis. Stressing the importance of his words, then, Christ prayed first that we would “be one” (John 17:21), then a second time that we would “be one” (John 17:22), and finally, that we would be “perfected in unity” (John 17:23). Let’s break this down for a moment. 

First, Christ prays that “they may all be one.” As mentioned earlier, he is speaking of all those who would come after the disciples who would believe in him through their word. Quite simply, this refers to any and all who would later embrace him by faith and receive eternal life, regardless of who they were, from where they had come, or in what century they lived. All those who believe, then, have been called to be one and, as we are fond of saying at Mosaic, "All means all!" In addition, the word perfected is translated from the Greek word teteleiomenoi (the perfect-passive subjunctive of the word teleo), which, in this context, means “to become mature or, completely one.” According to the Linguistic Key to the Greek New Testament, “use of the perfect [tense] indicates a permanent state as the goal and final result.”1 In other words, Christ intends for us (believers) to become mature in our faith, completely united as one and one with the Father (John 17:21). Yet there is something even more profound to be revealed in the exegesis of this passage. Indeed we must ask, Why does Christ pray so fervently for future followers to be completely united as one?  

It is significant to realize that Christ prayed we would be one for two very specific reasons, or “so that” two things will occur. The words so that in verses 21 and 23 are translated from the Greek word, hina. This word, a preposition, is used linguistically to introduce what Greek scholars refer to as an “hina clause.” When used, the word points to the intended result or purpose of something and, in a broader sense, is used to introduce a “purpose clause.” According to H. E. Dana and J. R. Mantey, writing in A Manual Grammar of the Greek New Testament, “The function of a ‘purpose clause’ is to express the aim of the action denoted by the main verb. This aim may be of a deliberate design ... or merely of contemplated results.”2

In other words, an hina clause introduces an “if–then” propositional truth. In essence, the proposition can be stated as follows: If  X occurs (though there’s no guarantee that X will occur), but if X does occur, then Y is the guaranteed result. With this in mind, we can paraphrase John 17:21–23 to read: 

    "I also want to pray for those who, in time, will come to believe in Me through the witness

of My disciples ... I pray that those who come after them will be completely united as one. 

There is no guarantee that they will be one; but if they will, then two things will certainly result. First, men and women throughout the world will recognize that I am the promised Messiah. In addition, Father, men and women throughout the world will recognize that You love them. Consequently, they will respond to Your love

and receive eternal life through faith in Me." 

On the night before he died then, Christ prayed specifically that future generations of believers would be one so that the world would know God’s love and believe. In this way and by this means, Christ stated that his mission would be accomplished through others and, ultimately, his Father glorified. What Jesus intends for us (the local church), then, is clear: we have been called to be one for the sake of the Gospel. It may not be easy, but it is biblical, and it is right. Therefore, we are to “walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which [we] have been called” (Ephesians 4:1). 

Indeed, when men and women of diverse backgrounds walk together as one in Christ in and through the local church, they uniquely reflect the Father’s love on earth as it is in heaven. More than that, their oneness of mind, love, spirit, and purpose proclaim the Gospel in a most powerful and compelling way. For as his own union with the Father uniquely empowered Christ to proclaim God’s love for the world, our union with fellow believers uniquely empowers us to do the same. Yes, in pursuing the “perfection of unity,” we will see the world saved. 

1.  Fritz Rienecker and Cleon L. Rogers,  Linguistic Key to the Greek New Testament  (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1976, 1980), 256. 

2.  H. E. Dana and J. R. Mantey, A Manual Grammar of the Greek New Testament  (New York: MacMillan, 1927, 1955), 283.

This article is reprinted in part from the book, Building a Healthy Multi-ethnic Church (Jossey-Bass/Leadership Network, 2007) by Mark DeYmaz.

What Can Be Learned From John 17 (Part II)

Christ and His Disciples (John 17:6–19) 

   

In the second section of the prayer, Christ turns his attention to the eleven men who were there with him that night (Judas having left to betray him [John 13:21–30]). These disciples are, in context, the “men whom Thou gavest Me out of the world” (John 17:6). They had received the message of Christ as having come from the Father and had “believed that Thou has sent Me” (John 17:7–8). In other words, they had received eternal life and were, therefore, among the first fruits of Christ’s mission and its success. Furthermore, they were the ones to whom he would now pass the baton. 

So having fi rst prayed for himself, what does Jesus next pray for his disciples? Knowing that he would no longer be with them “in the world” (John 17:11a), he prays that the Father would “keep them in Thy

name . . . [so] that they may be one” (John 17:11b). As John 17:12 makes clear, Christ asks the Father to guard these men, that is, to keep them firm in faith so that not one of them would fall away. In addition, he prays that they would be one or, as Paul later expounds, “of the same mind, maintaining the same love, united in spirit, intent on one purpose” ( Philippians 2:2). In other words, from now on it would be up to them to carry on the work and, as Christ’s ambassadors, to proclaim eternal life throughout the world 

(Matthew 28:19, 20; Acts 1:8). According to his prayer, remaining firm in God by faith and walking together as one would be essential for accomplishing the mission. 

Jesus also asks his Father to “keep them from the evil [one],” knowing that the world (those who reject the message) would hate them and the Word of God, which they would proclaim (John 17:14–15). Thus he 

describes the disciples as “not of this world” (John 17:16), that is, in faith and focus different from the rest. So to the Father he prays, “sanctify them in the truth” (John 17:17). 

Finally, he commissions them to the task: “As Thou didst send Me into the world, I also have sent them into the world” (John 17:18). So first (John 17:1–5), Jesus states that he was sent from God to proclaim the message of eternal life throughout the world and to offer salvation for all those who would believe. In next praying for his disciples (John 17:6–19), he commissions them to carry on this mission, and in so doing, he reveals his belief: the success of their efforts will depend on the Father “keeping them in Thy name,” and on their “be[ing] one” (John 17:11). It should go without saying that these men did, in fact, live out their commission. They remained true to the Father in faith and advanced the cause as one. With this in mind, Christ reserves his final words for those whose lives these men would affect throughout history. 

This article is reprinted in part from the book, Building a Healthy Multi-ethnic Church (Jossey-Bass/Leadership Network, 2007) by Mark DeYmaz.

What Can Be Learned From John 17 (Part I)

For centuries, the prayer recorded in John 17 has been widely referred to as the “high priestly prayer” of Jesus Christ. In his book,  Reflections on the Gospel of John , author Leon Morris notes, “In the early fifth century, Clement of Alexandria said that in this prayer, Jesus was a high priest acting on behalf of his people.” 

It is interesting that this is the longest of all the prayers attributed to Jesus and an appropriate conclusion to what’s known as the upper room discourse (John 14–16). With this in mind, some also believe that Jesus intended his words to be overheard by the disciples in order to provide them further hope and comfort. Be that as it may, the prayer marks the passing of the baton to those, both then and now, who are tasked with the responsibility of carrying on the work begun by Christ, namely, of proclaiming eternal life to all men (John 17:2). 

In addition, remember that Jesus had just shared a final meal with His disciples. He had just washed their feet, reinterpreted the Passover, and dismissed Judas, who would betray Him. Therefore, it is an emotional and significant moment, the night before Jesus would die. 

The entire prayer can be divided into three sections. First, Jesus prays to the Father on his own behalf (John 17:1–5). Next, He prays to the Father on behalf of His disciples, that is, the eleven men left in the room with Him in that moment (John 17:6–19). And finally, He prays for “those also who believe in Me through their word” (John 17:20–23). Over the next two weeks, I want to break this down a bit and discuss each section with a view toward readers understanding just how Christ envisioned the multi-ethnic church. and why for Him it was essential for us all to be one.

Christ and His Father (John 17:1–5) 

In the first section of the prayer, again we note that Christ prays for Himself: “The hour has come. Glorify Your Son, that the Son may glorify You, even as you gave Him authority over all flesh, that to all whom You have given Him, He may give eternal life” (John 17:1–2). Here then, Jesus defines His mission and its scope. He had been given “authority over all mankind” and to all those the Father has given Him, He will, in turn, give eternal life (see also Ephesians 1:3–7). As John 17:3 makes clear, eternal life is to “know You [the Father], the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.” And knowing God, in this sense, is a matter of faith. 

The term rendered “know” is a translation of the common Greek word ginosko meaning simply, “to know.”  To know, in the full sense of this term, however, means to learn or acquire knowledge through experience. In other words, Christ does not so much pray that these will come to know God intellectually (the term oida in the Greek) but rather that they will come to know God more fully in and through their own personal experience. In order to know God experientially, we must come to know His Son, by faith, that is, Jesus Christ who has been “sent” by the Father. The term sent  is a translation of the Greek word apostello, which translated means, “one who has been sent as another’s personal [and] authoritative representative.”

  

As He begins to pray, then, Jesus makes it clear that He has been sent to represent God on earth and to proclaim (in person, word, and deed) the message of eternal life to all mankind. Indeed, this was His mission, and it is the theme of this prayer. Yes, Christ desires that people everywhere will come to know the Father’s love, embrace him by faith, and receive the gift of eternal life. This remains today the passion of his heart. 

This article is reprinted in part from the book Building a Healthy Multi-ethnic Church (Jossey-Bass/Leadership Network, 2007) by Mark DeYmaz.