I do not think that inter-ethnic ministry or ethnically diverse churches are explicitly mandated by scripture per se. However, I do think that it is implied in the biblical mandates to love our neighbors and our enemies (often times the same people), to be peacemakers, to thirst for justice, to welcome the alien, and to show no preference for any person over another. I agree completely with DeYmaz's last quote. If there is no diversity whatsoever, there is both a problem of the appearance of credibility, but also the very real possibility of a lack of biblical love for all peoples.

Couple of thoughts...
First, from my study of emerging generations, their driving factor is authenticity - they are searching, and WILL find guidance that is authentic...not age based. So, to me, it would make sense that a 40-ish leadership team would attract when authentic, because they probably bridge between some leadership experience and understanding of generations.

Second - I think NON-ethnic ministry is the mandate - but I am not naieve to think we do such a thing in our nation today. Would that we were truly "blind" to that, able only to see the man and woman. To truly approach this does take a dedicated effort - which it sounds like Mosaic is doing. This also would "reach" the emerging generations, as they would truly see the Biblical desire ILLUSTRATED, not just spoken of. (walk the walk, talk the talk)

Third - what does it mean? Well...sometimes we need to cause a fuss (or have one caused for us) - especially if what we are calling worship is not...maybe we all need a good fuss to generate some discussion and examination of what we are doing...and whether or not it is truly based on God instead of self.

Brandon,

I research evangelical churches for my job and it is really nice to hear someone point out that you don't have to be postmodern to reach people. There are literally tens of thousands of traditional churches that are being faithful with what God had intrusted them and are bringing others to saving knowledge of Christ, and all I hear from the emerging folks is complaints about it being too traditional. Thank you postmoderns for trying to reach the postmodern rebellious white youth, thank you traditional church for trying to reach everyone else! As far as the multi-ethnic strategy goes- might as well try to make the church look like it will in heaven amen?

Multi-ethnic isn't the end-all of ministry, but it was one of the most visible (and hard-fought) characteristics of the early church. We lose something when we relegate racial reconciliation to a nice side effect of Christianity that "works for some people."

Jew and gentile worshiping together made the The Way distinctive from the cults and religions of the first century. The same is true in the twenty first.

I'd be interested to hear the difference between integration and reconciliation...

To intimate that the scriptures do not explicitly require the multicultural church... is to expose the very heart of the issue. We do what we want to do. We read the Bible the way we want it to come out. When it says we're to 'imitate God', we apparently construe that to mean that God Himself is primarily self-interested and self-serving, chooses consumeristically based on our merit, prefers bigger as better, and has planned from the foundations of the world that whites should evangelize whites; blacks, blacks, and greens, green. That's his Plan A.

Or is it?

Even the surrounding culture recognizes the hypocracy of preaching 'love thy neighbor' during the most segregated hour of the week.

Yet we wonder why the Church in the U.S. is only 4% effective in making disciples with a biblical worldview. [Barna Research] Maybe it has to do with only 5% of our Christian churches being 'multicultural'. [Christianity Today]

Scripture is rife with teachings bearing on the nature of the Church -- I can't begin to cover them all here. Visit http://cityreaching.pbwiki.com/Multicultural+Church as at least a place to begin organizing our thoughts about God's design for the multicultural Church. At the very least, Jesus, in John 17 commanded it as a witness to our witness... and a witness to the Trinity.

Fact is, it is the very nature of God to be self-sacrificing. And yes, He calls us to imitate Himself.

Good article, but whey the lead pitting ehtnic over mega? Are you suggesting that to b diverse one cannot be large? Sorry if I am missing it, but the lead does not seem to fit the story which seems more about monolithic vs. ethnic. Maybe you can help me out?

In answer to your question, ethnic diversity can be one example, but not the only one. As I outline in my series on "Divine Identity," biblical diversity goes much deeper and broader.

This is the power of the Holy Spirit in action. No smooth seven steps to success or setting up seeker services for latte flavored Christophiles - just a solid missional, step by step, week by week slog which presents the Gospel in its most convincing form.

I love it!

"Is inter-ethnic ministry a biblical mandate? Or is it simply a new strategy (however noble) for church growth?"

It is neither. It is a red herring. Another distraction. Another example of putting the cart before the horse. And Leadership is obsessed with that cart at the horse's expense.

I am a native Arkansan as well (I'm originally from the northeast corner of the state but I lived in central Arkansas for four years). I am familiar with that area of Little Rock - not exactly the part of town that young, hip, "successful" people are flocking to. I appreciate your account of Mosaic Church's witness.

In terms of outreach to all colors of the rainbow, I think it is important that the church reflect the demographic of the area in which it is located. Obviously, a church in rural Nebraska shouldn't feel guilty if it is made up of only rural, white Nebraskans.

But the urban church's problem is that exactly what you allude to in your post. We allow our segregationist tendencies to separate us on Sunday morning in a way that is harmful to the body of Christ. And this is a human thing, I might add, not a specifically Southern thing.

From a Scriptural point of view, I think the parable of the good Samaritan is helpful in this regard. Who is our neighbor? Not just those who come from our own 'cultural context'. And I think the church should use that notion to find a way to incorporate those of different backgrounds (whether ethnic or socio-economic) into its body.

Chris, in response to your question about the difference between integration and reconciliation I would recommend anything by John Perkins of Jackson Mississippi. He has lived this out in his life and ministry. This post and DeYmaz's thoughts also remind me of Paul Louis Metzger's latest book "Consuming Jesus". (Perkins wrote the afterword for Metzger's book.) Here is a link for more info.
http://new-wineskins.org/About/consuming-jesus.pdf
I am more and more finding myself hoping for and seeking out more fellowship/life with people who don't look like me. It's exciting being on this journey God is taking me on.

I'm saddened by the contempt for those advocating post-modern worship, and by the way Brandon and (the first) Nate make what I believe are unfair characterizations of emergent/postmodern voices.

Yes, emerging church voices are too often contemptuously disimissive in our criticism of the evangelical mainstream. Yes, we are too often too culturally and ethnically homogenous.

However, Mark DeYmaz's words about his church's refusal to use marketing strategies, and his observation that mono-cultural churches will struggle to maintain "credibility" sounds very postmodern to me. Mosaic doesn't sound anti-postmodern in the least.

Why do we have to make this out to be a contest, a zero-sum game where I can only win if you lose? We are all working together in the work of Christ. We should offer criticism to sharpen one another, not to tear each other down to justify ourselves.

Here are some facts. The United States is made up of the following ethnicities by percentage.

Non-Hispanic whites-66%
Hispanics- 13%
African American 12%
Asian 4.5%
Other 6.5%

There are many churches in the U.S. that are, for whatever reason, predominanly African American or Hispanic. There are also places where there are higher than average and lower than average percentages of African Americans and Hispanics. So the pool of ethnic minoroties available to attend church in say, Wyoming is minimal.

Your so called Biblical mandate, in most of the nation, is a victim of statistical impossibility. Simple math.

Concentrate on the reconciliation God has made available for man to Himself. The rest will take care of itself.

I do believe in this young pastures vision.. were there are no jew nor gentile, I do believe as well that all are called to worship and give praise. I am not against... worship with all.. for there are no respect of persons... nor am I against marketing and spreading the news " Go out in the Highways and preach ", and it is our duty to have our doors open and bare fruit for our fathers kingdom, but see God calls us out of the old life.. " Old things pass away and ALL things become new." I do have a cry within my heart for this generation that is being led away from what the word really says.... I think back to scripture were it indicates " but who will hear us" - Many shall turn away and turn to their own lusts.... My heart aches. We must stick to the word. Obey Gods calling.... DISECT and teach... Raise up, and build. It says that His word is Sharper than any two edged sword. That means it pierces and divides. It may seem nice and cozy for anyone to lead us in scripture... possibly take only what applies and not the whole. Brothers and sisters be not led astray with itching ears, but RIGHTLY divide the word of truth amongst your peers.
May God richly bless you and teach you.

Wonderful post brother.
I hope that we will be a diverse community of believers striving to do His will in our lives. I hope that we will all understand the urgancey of being missional. I hope we will get out of our pews, and church walls and reach those who need Jesus Christ. I pray that we will understand we are now living in a post-Christian society that desprately needs Jesus Christ. I pray we will make disciples. I want you to know that you and this ministry is always in my prayers.
In Him,
Kinney Mabry

"There are also places where there are higher than average and lower than average percentages of African Americans and Hispanics. So the pool of ethnic minoroties available to attend church in say, Wyoming is minimal.
Your so called Biblical mandate, in most of the nation, is a victim of statistical impossibility. Simple math."

I think an accurate statement is that the mandate is a victim of a concentration of racial population demographics, and that is the unfortunate reality.
I think if we serve G-d as we're suppose too (what a novel concept there!), whether the people in the church next to us, or the Indonesian neighbors next door to our house we won't see "gaijin" everywhere we look, we'll see what we're suppose to see...the reflection of the divine in their faces.

Nate #1 writing to Nate #2,

Maybe I came across a little more critical of postmoderns than I intended. I apologize for my lack of clarity. I was hoping to increase awarness that postmodern's are not the only ones trying to reach people. And we need to remember our more traditional brothers and the work they are doing for the kingdom. I complement the emerging church movement in it's passion for reaching a demographic that is frankly (in my eyes), probably the hardest to reach!

Your more traditionally minded brother in Christ, nate

The distinction between integration and reconciliation is vast and seldom understood in most churches today. Unfortunately, the word integration was mostly misused in the past and now has fallen out of vogue with most Afro-Americans. As a concept, I have seldom heard of it being rightly practiced.

When most people use the word integration what they really mean is race or ethnic mixing. If you merely look at the externals of a given group all you can easily determine is the percentages of each group that are represented. Such a mixture or gathering is not what integration would entail. A mixed group is the prerequisite for diversity, but unless there is a sharing of power and influence, then there will be no integration. The root of the word integration is integer from which we get the concept of integrity. A mixed or diversified group may or may not show respect for all of the subgroups of which it is composed. Integration, on the other hand, presupposes the integrity of its parts. The subtle, but deadly, patronizing attitude which Brandon describes in the final question of his post, clearly displays one of the major obstacles to establishing and building healthy multi-ethnic/multi-cultural congregations today.

Here's my question, for those who desire to pursue this integrated vision: "Are we willing to accept Jews as Jews and Gentiles as Gentiles, or in other terms, we will rightly receive all ethnic groups as equal with the one condition being that we all must submit to the precepts of the Kingdom?"

Shlomo

Being one who works in marketing professionally, and one who makes up the "younger generation", a lot of this stems from the PC stuff that was crammed down our throats growing up. Look at any advertisement involving people. You have to have one white person -- and it usually will be female -- one male, one handicapable individual, one black/African American, one additional non-white, one 65+, and one youth. Mix these up in any combination, and you should reach your target audience.

There is truth that what you see is what you will get. Perception creates reality. And if you only have white people around to make up your church, then that is what you will have. However, many of the megachurches are made up of middle-to-upper-class white Protestants due to the location out in the suburbs. Simple fact. And many in my generation are tired of seeing it and seeing congregants sitting back and doing nothing.

Those my age and younger are getting more and more mixed racially -- through blood, through neighborhood, and through friendships. Just how it is. We are moving back to the cities where races are more mixed and because 'social justice' is a bit more prevalent in those areas -- because it's something we feel strongly about. We don't like being isolated. That and many of us can't afford the lifestyles of our parents.

Whether or not this is 'biblical' over another type of ministry should be irrelevant. We have been called to Go and Make Disciples wherever we are planted, wherever we put our feet. If we decide to go the Affirmative Action route -- black, white, green, brown, purple, I don't care -- and put someone in a post because we need to fill a quota, then it is racist and it has no place. If we do it for the advancement of the Kingdom and that more shall be welcome, then I pray that our motives be found pure.

I realized that I have not addressed the questions, so here are my thoughts:

“Is inter-ethnic ministry a biblical mandate?”

I dunno, Paul, in his epistles, certainly seems to be into "inter-ethnic ministry."

“And what does all this mean for your church if, like mine, it's full of white folks who welcome worshipers of other ethnic backgrounds, but only (as DeYmaz observes) they agree to worship the way we do and not cause a fuss?”

Ah, now we come to it…conform or be cast out? Yield to the tyranny of the majority and their self-entitled ways, or bow to the maker of all that is seen and unseen and hope for a change in the hearts of fellow congregants? What is the individual to do? We recognize the problem, and yet nothing is said?

The answer you are seeking islove…love is a choice, not an emotion, it is something we choose to do, and to love someone who doesn’t dress like us, coif their hair like us, attain the same financial station as us requires more than platitudes and well-wishes.
Love takes more than a “here’s a twenty” or “hey, here’s a card with a phone number on it.”
Love is dirty, messy, and foul-smelling.
It intrudes on our space, it calls to us when we would rather ignore it, and it dies just as easily when ignored.
Paul wrote all the glowly things about what love is like, but it was Y’shua who pointed out whom we are to love… "love your neighbor as yourself.”
Would we and our churches deny a man of poor descent, of poor means, with not a lick of understanding of English, or knowledge of our cultural ways the message of G-d because his culture offends our American sensibilities?
I hope not, and yet…the question lingers…like an accusation of infidelity…sure we can deny the charge all we want, but could we convince G-d of our innocence?

Richard Dennis Miller,

Your two points are well-taken, particularly your second one. Whether or not racial reconciliation and ethnic diversity will be a part of your church mission will have a lot to do with geography as anything else. For example, living in rural Missouri, these would be futile objectives. But I live in St. Louis, Missouri, a very ethnically diverse city, yet one that is also very segregated and suffering from tremendous racial and social strife. We recently had an black man open fire on a city council, killing 6 white people, in a municipality where racial division has long been a problem (not that I am in anyway blaming the community for the reprehensible act of one man). Too many churches in this city - segreagated into black, hispanic, asian, white - are all doing God's work parallel to one another, when perhaps we could be better salt and light to the community if we worked and worshiped together. And I don't see how our biblical mandates to be peacemakers can allow us to just let racial reconciliation "take care of itself." The day I was justified, I did not cease to be a sinner. I still need daily exhortation and guidance as to how to live out the Gospel. And it seems to me that racial reconciliation is, at this time in our history, one of the ways we need to live out the Gospel.

Why am I referred to by the color of my skin? Why is my only choice(in most cases, anyway) "white" when filling out forms? Why is most every other ethnic group described in such a way as to have culture (traditions, celebrations, rituals and the like) attributed to it, ie: african-american, asian american, Hispanic, native-american)? Non of these are described by color. Save one: white!

This whole conversation, westernized to the core, even allows for the sweeping statment, "Because a church led by a white pastor will likely only reach white people..." ONLY REACH WHITE PEOPLE...?? Now that has got to be the worst thing a church could possibly do: reach white people. I mean all of us know that when a group of white people are together without any "minorities" accounted for, they have to be close-minded, self-focused, the "world can go to hell" kind of people. Of course, the word "likely" softens the blow some. But isn't it true that a church led by an african-american will "likely only reach african-americans."

"And what does all this mean for your church if, like mine, it's full of white folks who welcome worshipers of other ethnic backgrounds, but only (as DeYmaz observes) they agree to worship the way we do and not cause a fuss?"

Well, I would say that it might not have anyting to do with color, as much as it does with selfishness and cultural preferences. And every ethnic group struggles with these. Why? Because we are all human made in the image of God. And the kicker? None of us will be judged by the color of our skin or by where we were born. We will be judged by one thing: whether we are known by God.

It's late in St. Louis where I find myself tonight just prior to this year's Ethnic America Summit (c. http://www.ethnic-america.net/) at which I will be speaking with colleagues from the Mosaic Global Network later this week on the multi-ethnic church (c. http:www/mosaix.info).

Please know that I have just read (with interest) all of the posts associated with Brandon's reflections and greatly appreciate the dialogue and concerns. Indeed, they represent discussions taking place increasingly throughout North America and beyond.

In one way or another, much of this ground has been plowed in the following books that we most often recommend to those truly interested in the roots and future of the coming integration of the local church. We recommend you read them in this order: 1) Divided By Faith (Emerson); 2) United By FaithEmerson, Yancey, et al; 3) One Body, One Spirit (Yancey); 4) Building a Healthy Multi-ethnic Church (DeYmaz).

Of course, I am more than willing to have any of you interact with me personally after you have read my book. In so doing, you will more thoroughly understand my heart and passion for the multi-ethnic church. Once you have done so, please don't hesitate to contact me if you would like to speak further.

If you are heading to the Exponential Conference in Orlando later this month (at which we will also be presenting), please stop by and say hello at one of our workshops or at the MGN booth.

Thanks again for your observations and interest,

I want to jump in as a member of Mosaic Church here in Little Rock. Most everyone seems to be focusing on the ethnic part of the post. We are that but also economically diverse. We have some very well to do folks along with homeless people that come in to worship. And when they come they are welcomed and loved on just the same as anyone else.

Our staff reflects the congregation as well as the other leadership. I have been a member of this body of belivers for less than a year after coming from a all white church in the same city. We are here to know God and to make Him known. To reconcile man to God thru the saving grace of Jesus Christ.

No, there are areas that the demographics do not allow for this type of church as far as ethnicity but the economic part can happen. An wealthy white, black or whatever race in an area can welcome the less economically advantaged of the same. It's not rocket science just following God's commands. To know more about our heart for the people check out the web site at www.mosaicchurch.net

I did not move to Mosaic to make me feel good. When you walk in the door you feel the love of Christ and the people are genuine. We have a passion for all people. one last thing is that not everyone lives in the area. There are some that drive an hour or so one way to come and worship the Lord of Lords.