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

by Mark DeYmaz (Leadership Network/Jossey-Bass)

Book review by Tamara Rice

If pressed, many American churches would say they are open to all people groups. Yet, according to Mark DeYmaz, founding pastor of Mosaic Church of Central Arkansas in Little Rock, Ark. (no relation to Mosaic Los Angeles), the reality is that most congregations are doing nothing to intentionally connect with those who are not like them. He rejects the notion that pastors should focus on a single culture or demographic—a commonly accepted formula for church growth—saying we are taught in the books of Acts and Ephesians that local churches should be models of diversity. Like the breaking of barriers between Jews and Gentiles in the Early Church, ethnic unity displayed in today’s local churches will, DeYmaz says, draw others to God.

Thus, embracing diversity and actively seeking it become two different things. To intentionally draw people of multiple races, cultures and economic classes to a church, DeYmaz believes the staff and leadership should never reflect a single demographic, but instead model inclusion. He then cites ways his church has been able to achieve this organically, without quotas. For example, the church’s mission trips to Honduras led them to a Honduran-American man who now serves on Mosaic’s leadership team.

Aside from its multi-ethnic staff, Mosaic became a multilingual congregation by using signage and literature in both English and Spanish, as well as live translators for Spanish (through headsets). Because the church’s emphasis is accommodation, not assimilation, the worship services reflect a variety of musical preferences.

This musical blend is perhaps the most inspiring and practical topic of the book. The key value of DeYmaz’s blueprint for the multi-ethnic church comes from Phil. 2:3-4: Paul’s command to look to the interests of others with humility. The book’s honest evaluation of mistakes and triumphs in multi-ethnic ministry make it an excellent resource for pastors wanting to catch the vision for multi-ethnic outreach.

-Excerpted from Outreach magazine, "Media Cue," November/December 2007

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