Building a Healthy Multi-ethnic Church: Mandate, Commitments and Practices of a Diverse Congregation

by Mark DeYmaz, George Yancey (Foreword)

Through personal stories, proven experience and a thorough analysis of the biblical text, Building a Healthy Multi-ethnic Church illustrates both the biblical mandate for the multi-ethnic church as well as the seven core commitments required to bring it about. Mark DeYmaz, pastor of one of the most proven multi-ethnic churches in the country, writes both from his experience and his extensive study of how to plant, grow, and encourage more ethnically diverse churches. He argues that the "homogenous unit principle" will soon become irrelevant and that the most effective way to spread the Gospel in an increasingly diverse world is through strong and vital multi-ethnic churches.

Genres: Church, Christianity, Theology, Christian, Religion, Leadership

240 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2007

Reviews

[ReadingMama · Rating 4 out of 5]

Since this book was used for my small group's Bible Study material and we had homework weekly, I am just submitting my homework assignments here:

Chapter 10: Mobilize for Impact
Just returned from my home church, attending yet another funeral of dear friend’s dad who has finally overcome the past 20 years of struggle with Alzheimer’s disease and went home to be with the Lord… The church was filled with sea of white hairs and it was a gathering of homogeneous unit, especially of senior citizens. One thing that I have noticed is that when the church is not opening up to the younger generation or wider audience of various backgrounds, church diminishes in attendance, and eventually dying out…
Another example: Last Saturday, I had a privilege of attending the Aberdeen campus open house of prayer and worship. I was shocked to see so many people; young and old, black, white, Hispanic and Asians…. It was surely a representation of multi-ethnic church. We were encouraged to write something on the wall of the church, and I saw several scriptures/quotes written in Spanish which made me chuckle! Certainly God’s presence was there in the city of Aberdeen already and we anticipate God’s marvelous work through Aberdeen Mountain campus! I can visualize people from diverse ethnic and economic backgrounds gather there to worship one and only God. No one force to be there, but willingly and gladly come together! Certainly, there is attraction (non-verbal) when diverse congregation is involved because it surely is dynamic nature~
Ultimately, the church’s goal is to lead people to Christ. I go to gym early in the morning (after all, I am a morning person). One day, at the lady’s locker room, a friend (who also comes Mt. Abingdon campus) was sharing gospel to another solider who just finished working out. I joined with her telling about how we worship God in truth and spirit. We can share our mighty God anywhere and everywhere. Having said that, we cannot forget about the fulfillment of the Great Commission and a well-balanced global mission as an individual and a church. Help us to be obedient to each opportunity provided and nudge that the Holy Spirit is poking to each one of us. It has been pleasant experience to participate in the Bible Study during this fall session (although this morning, it certainly felt like freezing winter, brrrrrrr ;-)
Let us remember Eph 4:3-6 “Preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace, for there is one body and one spirit just as also you were called in one hope for your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all who is over all and through all and in all!)

Chapter 7: Develop Cross Cultural Relationship
Frederick Collins: there are two types of people 1) Well here I am and 2) Ah there you are! Lord help me to be the latter!
- Connecting people with varying ethnic and economic backgrounds: Food and Health Fair every 4th Sat at the Abingdon Campus. This is one of my favorite ministry at the Mt. Christian. You will see plenty of different skin colors, languages and ages well represented and serving God’s people and receiving the love graciously! (Little ones are great helpers too!) Plenty of smile all around, and lots of “Thank you” and Holy Spirit are working all around. Praise the LORD!!!
- 1 John 4:20-21: If someone says “I love God” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for the one who does not love his brother whom he has seen, cannot love God whom he has not seen. And this is the commandment we have from Him, that the one who loves God should love his brother also!
- When we overcome the challenge of transcending ethnic and economic barriers, the JOY is Greater and Sweeter!
- Eph 4:2-3: To walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience showing forbearance to one another in love, being diligent to preserve the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace!
- Prejudice: Pre-formed opinion concerning someone or something. We can be TRANSFORMED BY RENEWING OUR MIND with HIS WORDs and HIS spirit’s help. Changes occurs when personal courage and spiritual conviction are combined.
- 1 Cor 12:12-27: We are called not only to worship God but also to walk and work together. And when misunderstanding happens, we ought to be patient and forbearing with one another!
- Eph 3:17-19 : Being rooted and grounded in the love, they may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, in order to be filled up to all the fullness of God.
- Koinonia (authentic fellowship) requires participation in faith as well as partnership! And fellowship requires “Breaking Bread” (I am certainly good that breaking bread with my girlfriends at the Panera bread ;-) We talk, share our lives and pray for one another …. Certainly Koinonia!!!)
- In the end, I do not want to be called as “Asian friend” or “Korean lady” or “The immigrant” or any other terms describes with ethnic background especially at church. At least at church, we should see each other as “CHILDREN OF GOD” and that should be our #1 identity and we should see each other from one beloved child to another beloved child!!
- Peacemaker are those who are building a healthy multiethnic church.
- Family matter (pg 90-91) Zack’s experience was very similar with my girls experiences. After graduating from a small Christian middle school of class of 30s to moving on to an ethnically and economically diverse public high school at Aberdeen was surly culture shock for them at first. Just like Zack, many Aberdeen kids welcomed both of my girls, and they were able to make many special friends. Priscilla has been a part of all black tall, athletic girls’ basketball team one year. Although my girl was not even 5’ tall and not that great player, the rest of team took care of her and accepted her a fellow teammate. When Hannah first told me that she was walking from the Aberdeen high school to Panera bread, after school, taking a sketch, woody short cut, I was mortified. To this dumbfound mom, her response was “Mom, don’t worry! I am not alone. I walk with my friends who are strong and tall, they are like my bodyguards! No one will mess with me, LOL.” I absolutely love that my daughters have wonderful mix of ethnic and economic background friends. In the end, it is not the color of skin that matters, but the condition of hearts!

Chapter 5: Offering Jesus in a winsome way to other cultures
“Struggle lies in learning how to separate the cultural parts of our personal faith, as well as our western worldview from the biblical parts.”
Jeannie Marie has several specific suggestions on how to make the Good News good in other cultures and here are some examples: (Share my experience in Myanmar while I was reading this chapter!)

1. Respect other faiths: Most people from other faiths, traditions or countries have grown up believing certain things are true; and those deeply held beliefs cannot be not easily changed. (LISTEN AND UNDERSTAND THEM FRIST.)

2. Don’t push the biblical truth: Jesus let his disciples discover his full identity for themselves as they followed and experienced HIM. (IT TAKES TIME!)

3. Expand your definition of good news: In the Gospel, Jesus did not offer the same good news in the same way to everyone. How he offered good news always depended on the person’s immediate and visible and their inner needs:
a. Luke 8:48, Luke 19:10, Mattew: 19:14, Mark 5:15
b. Share from my personal experiences of various mission trips:
c. Meet people where they are most needed!

4. Be interesting: Tell stories; Jesus presented most of his teaching with stories, because they illustrated principles in a more vibrant way than simply listing them out.

5. Pray for people in the MOMENT: “I will be praying for you” is a nice sentiment; however, “Can I pray for you right now?” is much more powerful!

[Jesse Ludema · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was totally blown away by the first three chapters on the theology of why Multi-Ethnic churches are important. I think reading the entire book is worth it just for those chapters alone! That being said the rest of the book was good, but not amazing- a lot of Multi-Ethnic church principles, that
I found to be helpful, but not strikingly profound or original. All pastors must read the three chapters on theology of Multi-Ethnic ministry- so rich!

[Lea Peters · Rating 5 out of 5]

A much-needed message for the church

Building a Healthy Multi-Ethnic Church by Mark DeYmaz is a powerful read. The truths in the book are challenging but not impossible. I read this book primarily to encourage myself as I (together with my husband) believe that the Gospel is meant to be expressed in a multi-ethnic way. This is how it will be in heaven, it is how it should be on earth as well. In places the reading is heavy, as it should be. This should not deter the reader, push through. It’s well worth the read.

[Casey Taylor · Rating 4 out of 5]

Challenging and practical.

[Jessie T · Rating 4 out of 5]

Easy to read with inspiring examples and practical tips too. Recommended!

[Andrew Fox · Rating 3 out of 5]

Divided into three understandable sections Deymaz provokes the reader into re-thinking how the church can be healthy in a multi-ethnic environment. The first section is theological examining Jesus and his prayer found in John chapter seventeen, the church in Antioch and Paul's teaching, creating a case for multi-ethnicity in church. The second section addresses seven core commitments, or steps, a church will have to make. Thirdly each of the seven commitments is examined through three lenses of planting, revitalizing and transformation. Deymaz sets his thought out very well for the reader to comprehend.

The threefold combination of Jesus, Antioch and Paul are uniquely designed in Deymaz's work to assist the reader from the priestly prayer of Jesus to a real-time church with all its ethnic issues and the theological teachings of Paul (who was a master at intellectual argument). This method of thought helped the reader to grasp the principle in Jesus, the practice in the church and the doctrinal understanding behind it all. I would add that it fits uniquely into Jesus statement at he is the `way, truth and life' for a multi-ethnic church environment. Deymanz's own church consists of thirty nations which has to be the filter he interprets scripture through. Although I found no contradiction to classical interpretation, it left me thinking about churches where only two or three nations are represented? Even so, the first section was a good foundation for what follows.

Section two changes pace and style to a practical application of the biblical foundation. He suggests that multi-ethnicity in church has to be intentional and therefore does not happen by accident - or according to how the Spirit leads - which is usually an excuse for inaction. The seven practical steps a church must take offer a broad image of `who God is' to a community and our dependence on him without losing the reality of wisdom in worship and preaching to different cultures. Each of the seven steps are insightful, and in my opinion, full of wisdom. The goal of his suggested steps is made very clear throughout this section - transformation. I left this section thinking how brilliant Deymaz was in giving no appearance of bias towards any ethnicity - and for Americans - I imagine it was no easy task.

The final section attempts to prove that there is no better witness to the Gospel than a multi-ethnic congregation. I found this, again, a little narrow as it could not translate to a number of geographical areas in North America. The single danger I found in the last section was a subtle suggestion that ethnicity is in itself a qualification to become part of a church staff. Missional church is all about the whole church engaging in the life and vision of the congregation as missionaries to the immediate community. The subtlety of staff members slightly contradicts the missional view. I cannot find precedent in the bible that culture becomes a qualification? The method or means of the message will inevitably shape the message. Therefore, is the Gospel more effective when a white person connects with an Asian, African American or Latino? Surely like-on-like is a narrow Gospel? The final section was not as conclusive as the first two.

I walked away from this book with a method of thought that Deymaz employs: biblical foundation, practical steps, but the transformation section came across to rigid. The reader must adapt the transformation according to the demographics of their own geography. Also, it is very American, as America is a melting pot of many cultures. Again, the final section is not transferable in a global context. I am not sure Deymaz intended it for a global context. With a few changes to the last section it certainly could fit that context.

[Mike E. · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Lord used this book to deepen my conviction that if a church is to be a gospel church, it ought to be diverse. Indeed, the very make-up of the congregation should itself be a visual fruit of the gospel. Christ broke down the dividing wall to unite Jew-Gentile, male-female, slave-free into local congregations. Human divisions in America are different than the 1st century, but the demonstration of unity through a diverse congregation is the same. Our churches should be at least as diverse as the community in which the church meets. This is rarely the case. Generally speaking, like the world, we are "birds of feather." Help us to change, Lord! I'm thankful for DeYmaz for writing this book and I recommend it for pastors.


"[P:]ursuit of the the multi-ethnic church is, in my view, not optional. It is biblically mandated for all who would aspire to lead local congregations of faith." This is a bold assertion from DeYmaz, pastor of a multi-ethnic evangelical church in Arkansas. His call is for all churches to be diverse--ethnically, economically, and generationally. God has been speaking to me loudly about this for the last year or so. This is my first book to read in the genre. Anyone read any others?

You can see DeYmaz's web site here:

http://www.mosaicchurch.net/

The book is divided into 3 parts: the first is a theological foundation which seeks to use Scripture to defend the above statement. In part two he unfolds his 7 core commitments of a healthy multi-ethnic church. This was the most helpful part of the book. For the pastor/elder/leader who reads this, much wisdom will be gained. I would say the strength of this book is the way that DeYmaz walks the reader through the life of his church--from plant to a vibrant healthy church. He humbly shares many of their errors and eventual solutions. In part three, the reader is given three stories of three churches representing the three types of churches that can become multi-ethnic: a fresh plant, a declining church (written by a pastor in Houston), a healthy homogenous church (written by pastors from a church in Beaverton, Oregon).

The bibliography is small for this type of book. Pastors with a heart to go in this direction should read this book. You will find lots of practical wisdom. DeYmaz is not a pastor-scholar, but a pastor-pastor. Blunt practicality with bold application of a theology that I am sure will be more robustly written in the future.

[Naomi · Rating 4 out of 5]

A must-read for Protestants and Protestant-influenced American traditions interested in the theological whys and wherefores of building multi-ethnic, multicultural, multiclass, multigenerational churches.

DeYmaz carefully draws readers' attention to the church of Acts 11 and beyond and to the many other Biblical mandates to diverse church.

Whether or not one is a Biblical literalist, his arguments are clear and paint compelling pictures about the many in the one church. Liberal religionists have just as much to gain as DeYmaz' more traditionalist audience in deepening understanding of the texts, the cultural traditions and the assumptions that have been passed on to promote monocultural American churches and what visions we need to be inspired to be transformed.

[Jamie Pennington · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a pastor who is attempting to transform an existing congregation into a multi-cultural church I found this book to be extremely helpful, beneficial and encouraging. One of the questions I had before reading the book was whether or not we start a second language service or unite together as a multi-cultural congregation. This book helped answer the question for me.

I really do not think this book in and of itself would make sense if you are not in the midst of experiencing some sort of multi-cultural ministry. This book should not be a text book but rather a guide for those already experiencing the challenges and thrills of multi-cultural ministry.

[Rod White · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is good for someone who is not already familiar with planting a multi-ethnic chruch and needs some Biblical background and practical cheerleading. It is not very specific in what the writers actually do, and somewhat lite on the problem-solving.

[Aaron Nichols · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great primer on the why and how of multi-ethnic church. He lays out the biblical basis through 3 primary texts. Then addresses core multi-ethnic values and ends with 3 chapters on helpful application for planters, revitalizers and transformational pastors.

[Rob · Rating 3 out of 5]

We are trying to transition our church. We want to become a healthy, multi-ethnic congregation. The ideas in this book were helpful.