By Tracey M. Lewis-Giggetts, MBA

Whether I’m in or out of the church setting, if I tell someone that I’m going to talk about multicultural ministry, the reaction is usually either really positive (Yes, it’s time for a change!) or, well, not so much (Are we still talking about this? Didn’t we just elect a black president?).

Of course, this latter response assumes falsely that a political transition is somehow equivalent to a spiritual one; that a change of mind equals a change of heart.

I submit, however, that it is with the transformation of our collective hearts that the body of Christ can actively shift towards a multicultural, multidimensional (and subsequently more effective) approach to ministry. The first step is to quell the distracting myths about multiculturalism in the church.

What are these myths?

1. That multiculturalism is only about race. Race, particularly in America, is an important and sensitive subject. However, ministries can also be faced with cultural issues related to gender, socioeconomic/class, generational differences, geography, and subculture (hip hop, punk, etc).

2. That only white people and “white” churches need diversity or cultural competency training. Any church that has accepted the call to minister to a world that is becoming smaller every day and whose congregation is predominately-anything should consider ways to diversify.

3. That tolerance is the answer. No one desires to be simply tolerated. One of the key ways to have an effective multicultural ministry is to rid ourselves of the ridiculous idea of being “color-blind” and begin to embrace the cultures represented.

4. That multicultural ministry is easy. It’s not. Implementing a multicultural vision can be both unfamiliar and uncomfortable. Church leaders must prepare their congregations for this.

5. That the world is too far gone for this to work. God rarely waits on the world to be ready in order to exact His plan. Even Christ was born into a world that was not “ready” for His message. Yet his message of redemption and salvation was so much bigger than His circumstances. Because He changed the world even when the world was resistant to change, He must be our model in this as well.

There are several ways that the Body of Christ can effectively walk out Christ’s mandate to “Go ye therefore and teach all nations” and allow our congregations and our worship to be reflective of the church without spot, wrinkle, or blemish (Ephesians 5:27) to which Christ desires to return.

A few of these include:

1. Doing the due diligence – Research the true demographics of where you are called to minister; examine the need in those areas; educate yourself on the cultures in those areas; pray and fast for direction; and write a detailed plan

2. Identifying commonalities – Tap into areas that speak to our similarities versus differences. When establishing a multicultural agenda in our ministries, we cannot forget that it is the grace and mercy of the Father, the sacrifice and power of Christ, and the comfort of the Holy Spirit that is the ultimate draw.

3. Eliminating the role of preferences – Many people use their preference for a particular type of worship or ministry experience as a way to justify the divisions that we see in the church. I believe God is least concerned about what we’d “prefer” to hear, say, do or experience, and more concerned about advancing His agenda in the earth.

Learn more from Tracey at this month’s Indy Church Communications Roundtable on Thursday, February 18, at Ben Davis Christian Church. Click here for more information.