Multicultural Worship: Missional Cultural Diversity

In my work as a culture coach for churches and faith-based organizations, I am often asked this question. Do you believe that the Church should reflect the community that it is surrounded by and if so, does a church surrounded by a homogeneous population need to pursue diversity? 

Let’s break that down. Should a church ONLY reflect the community that surrounds it? NO! Absolutely not! Our model of the saints worshipping in Revelation Chapter 7 – a beautiful diversity of all of the different types of people that God has made. The goal in both established churches and prospective church plants is that they reflect the diversity God created. A church should represent the community around it, but it shouldn’t stop there. Not now. Not in the chaotic, tumultuous days in which we find ourselves. The opportunity to reach out is endless. Why stop at just our local communities? 

On the one hand, a church should reflect the community by which it’s surrounded. If your community of faith is not, that could be a sign that your strategy is not connecting with or impacting that community. We often see this in cities where well-meaning young, mostly majority-culture, church planters come to plant their new church. Despite launching their church in areas full of non-majority people, the church frequently does not reflect that diversity. That’s not a judgment; it’s a sign. Perhaps something is amiss. Maybe there is a blindspot. Maybe there are several. 

Our Vision Is Too Small

Recently, it seems that when it comes to cultural diversity in our churches, our vision becomes very small. We begin to believe and act like our reach is severely limited. It’s an interesting phenomenon because it stands in stark contrast to a given church’s mission or vision statement. Many such statements speak about planting churches, reaching the world for Christ, reflecting the oneness of Christ or the power of Christ! Doesn’t that sound gigantic and amazing? Doesn’t that sound like a church of which you would want to be a part? 

More often than not, however, such grand statements quickly erode. We can go from reaching the WORLD for Christ to, “I’m sorry I can’t do cultural diversity because I need to reach my community that is only within a 5-mile radius of where we are located.” 

Once we adopt such a mindset, particularly as leaders, things stop adding up. We proclaim a big vision of reaching the world, but we don’t own it. Our words aren’t strong enough to prevent that vision from shrinking in impact and size when it comes to cultural diversity, racial reconciliation, and multicultural effectiveness in our churches. Why do we shrink back into the limits of homogeneous church communities? In the United States, surely there is more, isn’t there? Certainly, we still have the vision as a church to reach the world, the nations for Christ, yes? Not just people who look like us, ethnically or culturally? 

My question for Christ-followers is: why are we working hard to find ways to absolve ourselves from engaging in ministry that is multiculturally effective or culturally engaging? Why are we spending more time working to come up with reasons for our churches not to begin learning about this type of ministry? Why are we not engaging our collective creativity to realize and consider all of the opportunities that lay ahead for Christ-followers in an unbelieving-ever-divisive world? Let’s be honest. Most of us would rather tackle generational diversity than ethnic and racial diversity. Our perception of the learning curve is so steep; we don’t even want to begin the process, at the risk of quitting in the middle. Most of us are trying to get services done, hospital visits made, children’s curriculum written, and the volunteer schedule filled so we can make church happen. To think about “adding” this to the list of to-dos is more overwhelming and soul-crushing that we’d like to admit. That’s right, I said it. Soul-crushing. Most of us would rather not pursue this type of ministry because it’s hard. But remember this truth—we do hard things all the time.

Remember this:

Christ is the unifier. He lives in us. Therefore unity resides in our very being if we are people of the Spirit. Lean in and learn openly. Jesus is leading us somewhere.  

Fear keeps us from pursuing that which Jesus has asked of us. 

Fear of losing people who give a lot of money.  

Fear of closing your doors. 

Fear of being called political.  

Fear of looking stupid as a leader because the learning curve is so high. Yes. I just said that because it’s true.  

I’m keeping it real here brothers and sisters. This list is not even close to being exhaustive.

What are we so afraid of? No. Really. After reading this article, think or journal about your fears. Be honest. Don’t judge them, but you must name them. 

Opportunities Are Everywhere. Limitations Are Only In Your Mind. 

This is an exciting time when it comes to multicultural ministry effectiveness. Did you know that in 2019, there are no limitations to your church community, your senior leadership team, or your worship ministry becoming multicultural? There are no boundaries for your church or ministry or even your personal life to reflect the beautiful, ethnically diverse, Body that God has created. But, you must seek, ask, and knock. Missional cultural diversity can be achieved in the cornfield, the city, or the cul-de-sac [topic for the next issue].  

Let us resolve to spend more time each week thinking about and considering the vast array of opportunities that surround us in becoming multiculturally effective. Let us not bend and shrink back under the fear of the division we see in our country and our world. We have Christ the Unifier living, dwelling, abiding within us. Don’t let anyone lie to you. None of this work is easy. After 20 years of building a multicultural, faith-based community, however, I have found this to be some of the most important, rewarding work I’ve ever done. It could be the same for you. 

Does a homogeneous community need to pursue diversity? Yes, of course!  

First, this is God’s heart for His church—that we would be one, that we would be united as brothers and sisters. Jesus says in John 17 that unity and oneness is the way that an unbelieving world will know that He loves them. If Jesus prayed this in the garden to His Father, don’t you think it’s important enough for us to take up? Being multiculturally effective as a church community and ministry is vital today. It is the most relevant thing that you can do in 2019. You don’t even have to pray about this one. Do you know why? Because Jesus already said it. You don’t need to ask Jesus in prayer if He wants His Bride, His Church, His Body to be unified. YES is always the answer. We don’t lean into this work because we happen to have racial problems. We don’t lean into this work because a diverse worship team looks more impressive on our website and Instagram feed. We lean into this work because Jesus has asked us to. It matters to Him. Therefore, it needs to matter to us.  

Second, the question is not whether or not we should pursue diversity. It should be why would you not want to? Why would we NOT want to continue bringing people together across great divides, worshipping Jesus together? Why would we not desire to create safe houses of prayer and praise for the nations, becoming a church where the community runs for safety, integrity, and insight when racially-fuelled events happen? I mean, isn’t that the kind of church you want to build? Isn’t that the kind of reputation you’d like to have in your community? I would! That sounds like the heart of the Jesus that we both serve. 

Originally Published in Worship Leader Magazine Vol 28 No 3