Many challenges face the church today but one of the most
significant is our ability to live, function, and minister in a world that is
increasingly diverse. Perhaps the issue
is not that the world is more diverse but that this diversity has become part
of our everyday lives.
More than ever before the world is at our doorstep. This is due not only to the internet and 24/7
news, but the increasing mobility of people.
Not only is business routinely conducted across borders but individuals
and families from many cultures now live in our communities. When I attend a
school function for one of my grandchildren, I see not only people of European
ancestry and African-Americans, but Hispanics and Asians from various
countries.
How will the church address this diversity while pursuing
its mission?
First, each congregation must become aware of the
challenge of interacting with people “who are not like us.” This past Sunday my pastor, Noel Schoonmaker,
preached a prophetic sermon on “Transgressive Relationships.” He not only encouraged church members to step
outside their comfort zones to interact with people who differ in ethnicity,
beliefs, and values but shared his own experiences of doing this. Congregational members need both the
vulnerability and the confidence to initiate conversations with those who are
not like them in order for meaningful dialogue to result.
Second, Christian churches must find ways to work
alongside people from other faith traditions for the enrichment of our
communities. The Urban Mission Institute
led by Wallace Hartsfield in Kansas City is open to adherents of all
faiths. Whether one is Christian,
Muslim, Jew, Buddhist, or Hindu, there is a shared desire to improve one’s
community—to care for the poor, aid the homeless, feed the hungry, and assure
peace and justice for all. This will
only happen when people of every faith—or no faith—join together in common
cause.
Third, on the national level we are rapidly moving toward
the point where there will be no ethnic majority. There will be a number of minority people
groups sharing in the life and governance of the nation. This will not be an easy transition for many
in leadership. For denominations,
leadership will have to be more diverse.
For national government, political leaders will have to move beyond appealing
to prejudice and self-interest in order to accomplish what is best for the
nation. Many of our present leaders will
not be able to do this and will fall by the wayside.
Fourth, we live in a world where many religions thrive outside
of North America and Europe. For some
time, the Christian church has grown most rapidly in South America, Africa, and
Asia. Each of these non-Western churches
brings its own perspective to the faith.
A number are laboring in cultures where they are still the minority and
are often restricted and persecuted. How
do we stand with them without attempting to dominate the conversation? Dr. Molly Marshall has led Central Baptist
Theological Seminary to find ways to work with believers in Myanmar with love
and respect. This is a pattern that can
be replicated in many places around the world.
As we work with adherents of other major world religions,
we must come to see that they are far from monolithic. There are many sects, power groups, and
interpretations within very faith. How
do we develop the relational and dialogical skills to approach others with
humility and honest curiosity while maintaining a commitment to our own
beliefs?
We can no longer avoid this challenge. These are the kinds of issues that creative
ministers and lay leaders are facing. These are the concerns that every program
of theological education must address.
To fail to do so is to become irrelevant.
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