Building a Healthy Multi-ethnic Church: Mandate, Commitments and Practices of a Diverse Congregation Hardcover – October 26, 2007

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.

Not Your Father's Multi-cultural BookMark 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 .

I love how this isn't about the author's opinions, but a fresh way to way to see the New Testament church through the lenses of the Bible.His points go beyond ethnicity, but are poignant for the health of any church.Part 1 is a must-read as it focuses on where multi-ethnicity is stressed in the Bible. Part 2 has more practical applications which is a great starting point. Part 3 is the weakest part of the book, sharing stories of churches where the practical applications of part two are played out. Though the stories are unique, they get a bit redundant.All in all, very good read.

"Building a Healthy Multi-Ethnic Church" by Mark DeYmaz is a book that outlines the challenges and benefits of creating a multi-ethnic church. DeYmaz's central premise is that the church should reflect the diversity of the local community, and that creating a multi-ethnic church is essential to fulfilling the Great Commission of Jesus Christ.Here are some of the main takeaways from the book:Diversity in the church is essential to fulfilling the Great Commission: According to DeYmaz, the Great Commission calls Christians to make disciples of all nations, which means that the church must reflect the diversity of the local community in order to reach all people groups.Building a multi-ethnic church requires intentionality: Creating a multi-ethnic church is not easy and requires intentionality. Leaders must be willing to confront their own biases and make intentional efforts to reach out to different ethnic groups.A multi-ethnic church requires a commitment to cultural competency: A multi-ethnic church requires a commitment to cultural competency, which means understanding and appreciating the different cultures represented in the church and making efforts to incorporate them into the life of the church.A multi-ethnic church is a powerful witness to the world: A multi-ethnic church is a powerful witness to the world because it demonstrates the unity and love of Christ across cultural boundaries.Leadership is key to creating a healthy multi-ethnic church: According to DeYmaz, leadership is key to creating a healthy multi-ethnic church. Leaders must be committed to diversity and must be willing to lead by example.Overall, the book is a valuable resource for pastors, church leaders, and anyone who is interested in building a healthy welcoming church that reflects the values Jesus teaches.

Helped the Vestry!

Great insight for pastors and ministry leaders.

Challenges the credibility of present day segregated Church in America and elsewhere and gives a strong Biblically exegetical argument for churches to begin working to be multi-ethnic.

this was one of the text books needed for a class in theology. However, when I began reading I enjoyed the chapters seemed to just run together. I have finished reading the entire text and have gained a lot of insight into multi-ethnic church building.