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!

Celebrating Cultural Diversity of our Church

For the past eight years we had celebrated cultural diversity of our congregation. Today as we enjoy sights of different country flags being brought into the sanctuary, tastes of food from various places, sounds of praise in diverse languages we ought to also reflect on our duty to further the Gospel Mission.

Earlier this week news networks reported on the census from Jamaica where the Seventh-day Adventist Church is the largest religious denomination. A total of 322,228 individuals or 12 percent of the total population are reported to be Adventists. The second largest category is “Pentecostal” with 295,195 represents a cluster of denominations and independent congregations, as does the third largest category “Churches of God” at 246,838.  Jamaica is part of the Inter-American Division with the largest membership – 3.5 million.  Adventist education plays very important role in church growth in this region.  Today we see people from Caribbean and Central American countries leading the flag procession.

Second largest church is in South Africa.  Adventist churches in Africa were reorganized in 2003 because of the rapid growth.  South Africa region has 3 million Adventists, followed by the East-Central Africa with 2.8 million believers.

The fourth largest church is in South America, with Brazil leading the work.  Over 2 million Adventists worship there. 

Southern Asia, mainly India, has 1.5 million members.  However given the large population of the territory, the saturation ration is much lower than in above mentioned regions.  North American Adventist is sharing 6^th & 7^th place my membership with South-Asia Pacific (Philippines & Indonesia) with about 1.2 million.  However, the North American church still sends most missionaries, and provides substantial financial funding for the world mission.

West Africa has only 900,000 believers with Ghana being the main centre.  Muslim population in many countries is impeding the growth of mission.  And Adventist influence is not as felt as in Eastern and Southern African countries.

North Asia Pacific (China, Japan, Korea, Mongolia) are growing rapidly, with 700,000 Adventists present.  Chinese believers meet at homes and many churches are led by women.

Australia, New Zealand and Pacific islands are 10^th out of 13 world Divisions by membership, with about half a million believers.  The largest segment of church, 60% are living in Papua New Guinea.

Three world divisions operate in Europe. They were reorganized this year in October.  Largest with 200,000 believers, Inter-Europe includes Western & Southern countries, Mediterranean basin.  Euro-Asia with 150,000 members covers the territory of former Soviet Union and Afghanistan.  Trans-Europe is the smallest division, with 80,000 members, covering the Scandinavia, British Isles, Balkans & Baltic.

A new development took place this year at the annual session – a Mission Field unit was created, called MENA – Middle East & North Africa, where less than 4,000 Adventists are present among a half a billion population.  This region is predominantly Muslim and the work of the Gospel is dangerous.  Our local diversity in London is a tool for mission, as we connect people from all around the world and influence our neighbours, some from un-entered or under-represented regions. Majority of Adventist church today comes from the southern hemisphere, from tropics.  Adventist majority today is not White Anglo-Saxon, nor European. It’s time for mission responsibility to turn.

TONIGHT: Setting Goals for future direction

Last week I shared with you the 6 strategic goals set by the Adventist Church in North America. As we reflect on the need to seek the lost, to bring prodigals back we must be willing to embrace sinners coming to Christ.  We cannot afford to have an inauthentic, judgmental Christianity.  The fellowship in our church must be genuine, or it will turn people off and away.

 Tonight at 7 pm we will come together as a church in the Business session to discuss our future direction, our goals and plans for 2013, and further to 2020.  In preparation for the specific goals we will share I invite you again to reflect on these 6 goals:

1)      “Retention of young adults … through a revitalized campus ministries program along with [local] church activities that engage their interests and energies.” are we connecting with students at Western, Fanshawe?  What are we doing to bring back a lost generation of our kids born between 1980 and 1992, who are not in worship anymore?

2)       Extending “Adventist education [to] everyone using innovative online modalities to increase enrollment of school-age children and youth” as well as “enable the local church to serve as a key community learning center.”   what would it take to get our grades 1 through 8 children into discipling environment of Adventist Church School?  What classes can we offer to community in our facility, parenting, budgeting, cooking?

3)       Expanding “the potential and practice of women clergy” including “better member education, increased mentoring and [improved] recruitment, support and affirmation” from Church administrators.  are we ready to embrace priesthood of ALL believers, regardless gender, age?

4)       “Evangelism and outreach specifically targeted to large cities and native-born [North] Americans.” In the NAD territory four out of five residents live in the metropolitan areas and three out four are native-born, not immigrants while Adventist growth is concentrated among immigrants and local churches are more likely to be in non-metropolitan communities.  notice the explanation: today’s natives of Canada are also white european descendants who lived here for a few generations.  Are we reaching Canadian population with the Gospel?  With London being 15^th largest city in Canada how can we get involved in urban ministry?

5)      Develop “a coherent media strategy with an emphasis on social media” instead of traditional television, radio and print formats.  how can we improve the use of internet media for communicating the Gospel? could we invest in purchasing better video cameras to broadcast our teaching services?  Are we tapping into youth networking to witness?

6)       Continue to evangelize “emerging immigrant people groups” where the Adventist Church has had the most significant response in the last three decades. how can we invest into relationships with new immigrant communities coming to London? 

Setting Goals for future direction

At the Board meeting on Monday I shared with our leaders the 6 strategic goals voted by our Division leaders (North American Adventist Church executive team) on November 6.   In a keynote sermon preceding meetings, president Dan Jackson spoke against “inauthentic, judgmental Christianity” and urged all to face the fact that “genuine fellowship is often lacking our churches … it is not seen and experienced in the way we treat those who disagree or in the way we treat one another … and it is killing us. It turns people off.”

 Next Saturday night we will come together as a church in Business session to discuss our future direction, our goals and plans for 2013, and further to 2020.  As you think what we can do for the community around us, I invite you to consider these 6 goals set for all churches in the North American division of our world-wide church.

1)       “Retention of young adults … through a revitalized campus ministries program along with [local] church activities that engage their interests and energies.”

2)       Extending “Adventist education [to] everyone using innovative online modalities to increase enrollment of school-age children and youth” as well as “enable the local church to serve as a key community learning center.”

3)       Expanding “the potential and practice of women clergy” including “better member education, increased mentoring and [improved] recruitment, support and affirmation” from Church administrators.

4)       “Evangelism and outreach specifically targeted to large cities and native-born [North] Americans.” In the NAD territory four out of five residents live in the metropolitan areas and three out four are native-born, not immigrants while Adventist growth is concentrated among immigrants and local churches are more likely to be in non-metropolitan communities.

5)       Develop “a coherent media strategy with an emphasis on social media” instead of traditional television, radio and print formats.

6)       Continue to evangelize “emerging immigrant people groups” where the Adventist Church has had the most significant response in the last three decades.

Each one of these goals is significant and important to our congregation.  We have scores of young adults related to our church families, living in the community yet not joining this body of Christ with a mission.  We have a church school with excellent teachers, Patricia and Dayna, ready to invest more in your children.  Are you willing to sacrifice to give your children a protected environment for a few more years, to allow their spirituality mature?  What would it take for us to connect with rapidly growing immigrant community in our urban setting? (London is 15^th city in Canada by population size!)  Prayerfully consider how you may make an impact for Christ where you are.