A Mosaic of Believers: Diversity and Innovation in a Multiethnic Church

by Gerardo Martí

Mosaic in southern California is one of the largest and most innovative multiethnic congregations in America. Gerardo Marti shows us how this unusual church has achieved multiethnicity, not by targeting specific groups, but by providing multiple havens of inclusion that play down ethnic differences. He reveals a congregation aiming to reconstruct evangelical theology, personal identity, member involvement, and church governance to create an institution with greater relevance to the social reality of a new generation.

264 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2004

Reviews

[Jordan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book about the Los Angeles church called Mosaic. It is ethnically diverse and very innovative in nit's ministry. The emphasis on younger adults, artists, being "cool" while being religious, and the local history of how this church developed into having services in a downtown nightclub while still being fairly conservative is interesting. I've read other books by Marti - I highly recommend his books.

[Brian Hui · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting ethnographic narrative of Mosaic church in LA. Tells the history, theological underpinnings, and offers an interesting concept of “havens” to account for the church’s diversity.

While the author does offer some dissenting viewpoints of members, and notes that Mosaic lacks, say Blacks, the book definitely has an affirming bias, perhaps because the author was a former pastor and seems to genuine believe in the church.

[Evan Duncan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Marti is hardly unbiased when it comes to describing his own church, and I think Mosaic is less innovative than it gives it's self credit for. However, this book is an interesting case study on a old SBC church that transforms itself to become young and culturally diverse, even if it has no diversity in thought.