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Building a Healthy Multi-ethnic Church: Mandate, Commitments and Practices of a Diverse Congregation (Jossey-Bass Leadership Network Series)

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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.

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).

Mark DeYmaz writes my type of book, a list of seven-core commitments "that preach," a clear biblical mandate for building a healthy multiethnic church, and testimony from the field of the three primary situations that pastors find themselves in: planting, revitalizing, and transforming churches to live into the multiracial future that we imagine, and God is preparing for us in Glory.

I found refreshing DeYmaz' connection of the biblical mandate for transforming the homogeneous church and the follow through with a testimony from Village church in Oregon. Real pastors in places where the church may not be healthiest, but is experiencing fruit, need more than just a prophetic word, or denominational edict to be the healthiest they can be, they need to be convinced by the word of God. As with all three testimonies, the reader will be encouraged, and identify with real struggles along the road to revitalization, planting, or transforming.

My favorite part of DeYmaz' book is the exposition of the John 17 prayer of Christ. This identification with the glorification events of Christ in the final week, to building a healthy multiethnic church, I must admit, caught me completely by surprise. Basically, Jesus prays that we may all be one, most remember or exegete that part fine. DeYmaz goes to the next step asking the question, "Why does Christ pray so fervently for future followers to be completely united as one?" The point is that Jesus isn't just making a high-priest statement of fact rather a declaration of what the healthiest church would look like, and the source of the power to fulfill the Great Commission - being one.

Jesus broke down the dividing wall not just between God and Man, but between Jew and Gentile, male and female, slave and free. Do we believe it enough to transform, revitalize, and plant the places where we gather to conform to the prayer of Christ? Is the God we propagate powerful enough to make a way for this complete image of unity of which Jesus prays? Or will we continue living with an impotent God only able to create worship spaces of ethnic homogeneity. I believe this is part of the challenge of DeYmaz' book.

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.

Deymaz's thesis is that multi-ethnic churches should not be focused on racial reconciliation but "must be focused on reconciling men and women to Jesus Christ and, consequently, on reconciling local communities of faith to the pattern of the New Testament local church". This pattern is one of multi-ethnic congregations worshipping God together as a witness to the world.

He begins the book with an introduction that describes his journey and how he became the pastor of a multi-ethnic church. He also describes what the church is all about and what the church is not all about in regards to being multi-ethnic as well as the purpose and intent of the book. Then he presents the biblical mandate for multi-ethnic churches by examining the prayer of Christ in John 17, the pattern of the Antioch church and the Pauline mystery from Ephesians. Next, Deymaz gives seven core commitments of 1) embracing dependence 2) taking intentional steps 3) empowering diverse leadership 4) developing cross cultural relationships 5) pursuing cross cultural competence 6) promoting a spirit of inclusion and finally 7) mobilizing for impact. Lastly, he provides practices for those who are planting a multi-ethnic church, and then practices for those revitalizing a declining church from Rodney Woo of Wilcrest Baptist church, and also practices for those transforming a homogeneous church from Kim Greenwood and John Jordan of Village Baptist Church.

Building A Healthy Multi-ethnic Church is a great resource for those who are interested in making their churches more ethnically diverse. This book provides the biblical and theological support for multi-ethnic churches as well as practical hands on tools to equip people in building healthy multi-ethnic churches. The greatest contribution of this book is the biblical and theological rationale for multi-ethnic churches. It gives enough motivation to endure the sacrifices and hard work that it takes to pursue being a multi-ethnic church.

Pastor Ramon Mayo

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.

This is a must read for every Pastor or Teacher/Professor! Unity in the Church must be a top priority! This is a great foundation for us to start to change the perception of a Church still segregated. Let's role up are sleeves as Pastors and Teachers/Professors and get dirty cleaning up our reputation.

How encouraging and it exciting it is to read this great book! The Church has been blinded to the great tragedy of it's own racial divisiveness for so long. This book brings a strong Biblical case for the idea that "normal" congregations should be multi-ethnic or multi-cultural instead of the current norms of our mono-ethnic congregations that we have so passively accepted. This book makes me hopeful and encouraged and I hope pastors everywhere will get a chance to read and embrace it's message.

Building A Healthy Multi-Ethnic Church is informative and inspirational. The quality of research reflects the diligence of a prepared theologian. At the same time, Pastor DeYmaz's heart-felt testimonial segments are a source of inspiration to any and everyone who needs that "extra boost" to pursue authentic purpose. This book is written with a "profound simplicity" that appeals to both the avid and not-so-avid reader. Moreover, Pastor DeYmaz is to be commended for addressing an important yet complex topic with boldness. I recommend this book for senior pastors, staff pastors, support staff and anyone else who wants to more fully understand the Biblically-supported appeal to multi-cultural ministry.

-C. Guy Robinson, M.Div.