Engaging Culture, Building Community and Transforming Lives

We are living in an ever-increasing multi-ethnic, hip-hop, and urban world. This doesn’t represent every part of the United States and beyond, but it does provide the greatest picture of a post-modern, post-Christian, and post-segregated nation. Multiculturalism is the soil that we are living in and getting dirty is not an option. There is a problem though. The church in the midst of this reality remains for the most part an institution divided by race. This is going on at a time where some believe the church in America is in crisis. There is a great need for leaders within the American church and beyond to rethink their theology and practical ministry models so that their congregations would be better positioned to engage the culture for Kingdom purposes.

I believe that in this ever-increasing multi-ethnic world, there is an opportunity for the church to be a revolutionary force of transformation in the world. I don’t believe this though for reasons of some sort of religious political correctness. I believe it is a Biblical mandate found in the closing words of the Gospel of Matthew. Here we are told to, go into the entire world and make disciples (Matthew 28:19-20). We are also given a mission which is relevant to the culture around us by the Apostle Paul as we are called, “ambassadors of reconciliation” by being, “given reconciliation as a ministry (2 Corinthians 5: 18-20).” This is vital because even though we are surrounded by growing diversity in our nation, there are great social disparities in the areas of race, class, and place.

In order to be a force of reconciliation in the world reconciliation must first take place in the body of Christ. Dr. Martin Luther Kings Jr., cast a vision by calling for the, “beloved community” during the Civil Rights Movement. I don’t believe there can truly be a beloved community without a beloved church. There can be no beloved church, without beloved beings in intimate relationship with Christ. Beloved beings are ones that have moved beyond a superficial and institutional relationship with God and have arrived at the liberating point of supernatural and intimate relationship. This kind of daily experience with God rescues us from a number of things including the matrix of a race- based society. Not rescued from the standpoint that we are caught up (this comes later), but the we are lifted up spiritually and mentally out of the limiting identities of red, yellow, black, and white to a more biblical identity of first ethnicity and nationality, but then more importantly a supernatural and eternal identity. This new identity allows us to experience the journey of being reconciled to God. It also opens us up to have right relationship with others as our brothers and sisters across race and class.

A church which purposely lives within institutional race and class segregation misses not only the beauty of living in the Christ-centered community which is the beloved church, but also limits their ability as the body of Christ to engage culture in a way that brings about the beloved community. Within this context the beloved community is the Kingdom of God manifest in the earth. The church must when all possible strive to be multi-ethnic, that it might provide a sneak preview of heaven. The church as multi-ethnic is a more pure bride of the multi-ethnic Christ. A Jesus in Black and White is a cheap Jesus and a church in Black and White is a cheap picture of the Kingdom. We must allow the Holy Spirit to place within us a passionate desire for the church to look like the eternal Kingdom where we will one day reside.

The church though is not just divided by race, but also by class. Within Black America, we this through the division between the, “Black elites” and the Black youth culture of Hip-Hop. The Bill Cosbys’ have been pitted against the Kane Wests’ of African-American culture. The beloved church; a Christ-centered and multi-ethnic community can be a force of reconciliation and righteousness in a diverse world in need of an authentic picture of the Kingdom of God. A church which embraces reconciliation, compassion, mercy, and justice positions itself to be a prophetic voice and a socially innovative movement.

It is for these reasons mentioned above that I’m so passionate about leading an evangelical, multi-ethnic, urban church with a focus on community transformation. The Sanctuary Covenant Church in Minneapolis, Minnesota is about engaging culture, building a reconciling community, and being used as a vehicle of Kingdom transformation. We are a five year old diverse congregation of close to 1,000 in weekly attendance that also has set up a separate community development corporation with a faith-based focus on economic and youth development. We put on a monthly hip-hop worship experience and see community small groups as an important vehicle for connecting in authentic relationships across race. Our hope is to ignite a reconciling movement which changes the face of the church in America.

We are in need of leaders who will engage this diverse world by planting Post-Black, Post-White churches. We are in need of leaders of existing churches who would be willing to develop strategic partnerships with churches that are ethnically different from theirs for greater Kingdom impact and community transformation. I am very hopeful and excited about the opportunity which is before the church in America and beyond if we are willing to seize the moment.

1 Comment »

1. good stuff.  it was mandatory for me to find a local church that didn’t look all one color.  once i found a pastor with a vision for a multi-ethnic church, i was all on board.  God sent Jesus to die for the WORLD not one particular group of people.  when teaching love, we should teach it without EYES.  once again, good article.  keep preaching the truth.

   Comment by Heady - Aug 26, 2008 @ 02:23 PM

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