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

This book makes a very important and challenging contribution to contemporary thinking about church life and health. If heaven is going to be filled with people of diverse ethnicities and languages, shouldn't we be practising for that now? Have most churches nowadays somehow forgotten the lessons learnt by the early church in the book of Acts about welcoming the Gentiles into their congregations? According to DeYmaz, a healthy multi-ethnic church has seven core commitments. These are: embrace dependence; take intentional steps; empower diverse leadership; develop cross-cultural relationships; pursue cross-cultural competence; promote a spirit of inclusion; and mobilise for impact. Many of the larger churches in Melbourne including Syndal Baptist Church have been heading down the multi-ethnic path for some years, with Chinese and other Asian-language congregations; however DeYmaz's preferred model involves fully integrated multi-lingual worship services, rather than separate services in separate languages. When a church makes a deliberate choice to be multi-ethnic, it is definitely not making the easiest available choice. It needs to be ready for plenty of conflict and intercultural misunderstanding. It won't necessarily be the fastest growing church in town, and it might scare away some people. But a multi-ethnic church does seem to be more reflective of God's plan for the church than a mono-ethnic church.

Most of us only dream of attending a church where all people worship as one. Mark has not only written a great book (both theologically sound and highly instuctive on how to make it happen), but he is living it out as a Pastor in a part of the country where churches are still highly segregated. My wife and I attend the same multi-ethnic church... we love it! And if we ever had to move, we would be very intentional about joining another church "for all people" so that we can worship as one.

Being in leadership at a multi-ethnic church I have read most of the books that are considered landmarks in terms of coming to grips with the `race' issue in the local church. Mark DeYmaz's book is unique in terms of what it offers. It is unique because it does not focus on issues of racial reconciliation. It does not focus on issues of cultural anthropology and sociology. This book starts with theology and finishes with practice. Many of us have started multi-ethnic churches because it was the `right thing to do' - and it is the right thing to do. Many of us have started multi-ethnic churches out of a sense of calling or leading from God. What Mark has done is show that this sense of calling corresponds to a mandate from God that is thoroughly biblical. It is the heartbeat of God. Mark does not ignore issues of power or the very real stench of systemic racism within the church. He challenges these issues head on. It is neither the untested musings of a seminary theologian nor the pragmatic response of a frustrated practitioner. This is a book written from the perspective of deep theological insights and strong exegesis backed by years of practical involvement in multi-ethnic ministry. This book is theology in practice. As such there are stories and examples that inspire any in multi-ethnic ministry and resonate for others involved in similar ministries. This book is not a how-to book although there are basic principles and guidelines in the second section of the book. These simply reflect the difficult path that you walk down when you are involved in multi-ethnic church. This book rightly challenges all of us who are involved in the local church. In a world where segregation does not happen at school, at sport, in marriage, in almost every sphere of society, why does it still happen at church? How disconcerting it must be for a teenager who comes to faith and has known diversity in every aspect of their life only to find a segregated church. Building a Healthy Multi-Ethnic Church is compulsory reading for our leadership team. Every church leader should read this book regardless of the diversity or homogeneity of their church. Then after reading this book they should answer this question from the book? If the kingdom of heaven is not segregated, why on earth is MY Church? (adapted from page 4 of the book I have changed THE to MY).

I have read many books on multi-ethnic ministry and Mark DeYmaz's contribution is one of the best. I especially liked the biographical vignettes that he integrates throughout the book. He writes with a pastor's heart and is an accomplished theologian. Also - the three church scenarios described in Part 3 are worth the price of the book. Buy it and enjoy.

Not Your Father's Multi-cultural Book Mark DeYmaz has the credentials to write this book: pastor of the Mosaic Church of Central Arkansas, a multi-ethnic and economically diverse church where men and women from more than thirty nations currently worship God together. And he writes it unlike so much of what has recently been penned on the topic. He artfully integrates theory/theology and methodology/practice. He unites these twin themes around seven core commitments of a multi-ethnic church: embrace dependence, take intentional steps, empower diverse leadership, develop cross-cultural relationships, pursue cross-cultural competence, promote a spirit of inclusion, and mobilize for impact. Pastor Miles McPherson has said it well. "Mark DeYmaz has provided the body of Christ with the answer to one of its most embarrassing dilemmas: Sunday segregation. Building a Healthy Multi-Ethnic Church is a very biblical plan for church leaders committed to building a church that looks like the world in which they minister." Church leaders already along the path and those no where yet near the path all need this book. It's challenging exhortations, biblical explanations, and practical implementations are invaluable. Reviewer: Bob Kellemen, Ph.D., is the author of Beyond the Suffering: Embracing the Legacy of African American Soul Care and Spiritual Direction.