In a previous article called “Two Conversations on Ethnicity in the Local Church“, I proposed that we need a lot more “nuance” than we currently have in thinking and talking about ethnicity inside the local church. I sought to model one of the best ways to begin understanding one another — through healthy, loving dialogue.
But just as Scripture balances narratives and epistles, this article is meant to bring balance to the first article’s initial conversation by providing a more technical exposition of potential models of ethnicity inside the local church.
Let’s consider a continuum of church models going from ethnic-specific to multi-ethnic while also identifying strengths, cautions, and questions for consideration in each.
I pray this continuum will cause us to examine what type of church we are called to be so that we can both maximize our kingdom opportunities while also fighting against our sinful tendencies. And also, I hope it will help us see churches that are different than us, not as “lessers” or even “greaters”, but as partners for whom we are thankful because of the special role they play in God’s kingdom.