Celebrating Potential we have in our Church: NO to etnic divides!

Last week we celebrated Cultural Diversity in our church.  It was truly inspiring to see the potential for cross-cultural ministry we have in our congregation.   I call the Church “The University of Diversity!”  It’s the place designed by god where we call come together, to learn about our differences, to celebrate variety of colors, taste, sounds, shapes, to be enriched by others.  God has designed the Body, so all different parts would be together making it work well.  Apostle Paul’s illustration to the church in Corinth says the whole body cannot be an eye, or an ear.  It is human tendency to segregate, to cling to the similar, to produce exaggerated single body parts, instead of the Body. 

The current reality of many churches sadly represents this trend, where churches divide not even because of linguistics, but because of ethnic preferences.  Philippino, Ghanaian, Ukrainian, etc – not far from here, in Toronto, where Adventist population is large enough to afford existence of independent monocultural churches this trend is considered as “contributing to the church growth.”  After all, additional Pilipino churches are opening up, additional Zimbabwean companies are springing up.  As if Kenyan worshipping with Kenyan produces better worship, than if a Jamaican comes in.  Among Caribbean churches there is also a divide, where majority of membership comes from a certain island in a particular church.

At the recent Evangelism Council at Alabama (we endured 30 hours in total on the bus with Sandra J, but it was worth it!) a panel discussion took place on a question “The Afro-American vs West Indian divide: real, imaginary or exaggerated?”  From the onset the panel answered “yes, it is real.”  A Seminar was also given on the topic of Cross cultural evangelism.  It was interesting to see facts and hear stories examining reasons for such “divides.” 

After the segregation of the 1960s there was a phenomenon described in 1970s as a “white flight,” where formerly white churches were becoming black.  Where did whites go?  The initial assumption was racist, suggesting that whites left city churches and moved to suburbs to establish their own white churches.  A few decades later demographists began to talk about Afro-American flight, where churches formerly Afro-American were becoming Caribbean, with immigrants from Jamaica “taking over.”  In some regional conferences (North Eastern) 95% of membership is from Caribbean.  Today pastors are talking about “Caribbean flight”!  In England formerly white churches, that became Caribbean, today are 85% Zimbabwean-South African.  In California Afro-American churches are becoming “drive in” congregations amidst Hispanic population, which are coming in and “taking over.”  You get the picture: we are facing the fact that the issue is more cultural than racial.

Why am I writing this on the Communion Sabbath?  Here in London (South) we celebrate our variety.  We see potential for impacting the city for God through our multicultural connections.  Are we using the opportunity?  Are we making friends across cultures here?  Imagine this scenario:  families from certain cultures living in London travel every Sabbath to Toronto to join their ethnic group for a couple of hours of “worship,” and then return home totally disconnected from the local community of faith.  How much mission is done? Will their neighbours be invited to join them one day for “worship”?  What does it say about our desire to be in heaven together?  Will there be segregated gated communities?

As we move into the New Year, dream for the church that would mirror the city, a house of prayer which would include all nations, all cultures, all people!