Given our nation’s current trend toward polarization, author and pastor Lisa Washington Lamb’s new book Blessed and Beautiful: Multiethnic Churches and the Preaching that Sustains Them asks one of the most salient questions of the day; What does it take to create and maintain healthy, multiethnic churches?
She writes, “Ethnic-specific churches have historically been strong settings for transmitting and preserving values and traditions, especially for marginalized minority communities. Are multiethnic churches able to do the same?” (1)
Far too often, churches pull toward one of two extremes: creating and fostering a monoculture which preserves and protects the ethnic/social identity of one particular people group (e.g., white, suburban, upper-middle class) or presenting as multicultural but by means of actually diminishing cultural distinctions within the congregation. If Lamb is correct, and I think she is, a third option exists—one that is biblical solid, relationally robust—and rarely achieved.
According to 2 Corinthians 5:18, God has reconciled himself to us through Christ and then given us the job of bringing reconciliation to the world. For true reconciliation to happen, the church must refrain from both eliminating ethnic differences (having an African American worship leader in a predominately white church but then subtly communicating that she must tone down her blackness) or circling the wagons to prevent “outsiders” from entering our midst. Randomly walk into a dozen houses of worship across the United States and you will see, this is not easy to pull off. Both humility and intentionality are essential ingredients if we want to create healthy churches which represent every tribe and every tongue.
to read the remainder of this review, please go to Englewood Review of Books.
Hi, Dorothy.
Good review of a seemingly good book.
Interestingly as an aside:
The book is from the Lloyd John Ogilvie preaching series.
My spiritual path never came up in our conversations while at the Vineyard.
I became a Christian at Hollywood Presbyterian in 1976-1978. Ogilvie was the pastor then. Although a professional, I was a member of the College Department (built up by Henrietta Mears).
Also, Louie Zamperini was there doing a number of different ministry things. I’d see him around and would say, “hi,” but never really talked. Some of the publishing staff told me his basic story. But, I never really “got” the depth of his story, being as shallow as I was/am. It’s been really good to see his book and then the movies come out.
Take care.