Tuesday 25 September 2018

A "multicultural" church??

Is there a requirement for a church to be "multicultural"?

Sure, Christians are to spread the good news to all nations (Matthew 28:19), but does this mean that every church should have every nation under its roof?

Sure, in eternity, all nations will worship God in unity (Revelation 7:9-10), but this side of eternity? We know full well that there are so many denominations because of petty differences and interpretations of Scripture. So why do some church leaders have a drive to see all nations represented in their congregations?

People from different nations are... different. And that means that - this side of eternity - the way they offer worship to God is different. I'm not suggesting that all ways lead to God, as if worshipping other gods is just the same as worshipping the God of the Bible. Just that...
  • Black African churches are usually loud and filled with dancing.
  • White Western churches are usually quieter and display Christianity in a straight jacket.
  • Other ethnicities may well worship God completely differently.
And what's wrong with different churches having a different style, one that might attract more of one people group than another? In this way, all people can at least find a church that really helps and encourages them to worship God.

Perhaps the real question is:

Are we really so arrogant to think that our church will properly cater for the different styles of worship of every ethnicity?