Sadly – and it brings me to tears – the most segregated institution in America is the Church of the living God.
Ninety-three percent of all churches are ethnically segregated.
Ninety-five percent of Protestant churches are ethnically segregated.
Churches in America are 10 times more ethnically segregated than their neighborhoods and 20 times more ethnically segregated than their schools.
Ask yourself a question: Does your church reflect the ethnic diversity of the schools in your zip code?
Do we care about Jesus’ Great Commission to reach all ethnic groups (black, white, Latino, Asian, or whoever lives in the zip code of our local churches)?
Are we being intentional about trying to reach the ethnically diverse people in our local church context?
Does the leadership team at your local church represent the ethnic diversity that you’re trying to reach?
Does the presence on stage reflect ethnic diversity through music and message of the ethnic diversity to those you are trying to reach?
Jesus is so committed to ethnic diversity that around His throne in the New Heavens and New Earth is a community of redeemed ethnically diverse people (Rev. 5:9).
How long are we going to place our preferences over Jesus’ passion, called the Great Commission?
Listen to theologian John Piper,
There are many churches that are not concerned in the least with pursuing ethnic diversity and harmony. It’s not even on the radar of their consciousness…The cost of diversity was the blood and life of the Son of God. The issue of racial and ethnic diversity and harmony in the church is not small because the price God paid precisely for it was not small. It was infinite. Bloodlines, pg. 109.
Here is a blog I have written on this Gospel-centered issue that will help you with some practical steps in fulfilling the Great Commission: http://www.derwinlgray.com/2011/10/why-is-local-church-in-america-so.html
Pastor Derwin
