So..multiethnic spaces
The first thing I would ask is why? Who said they are needed? What is the driving force behind thinking they are critical for kingdom work? Do you notice anything about the gender and ethnicity about those driven to lead these types of churches?

There seems to be this prevailing thought that the best churches are multiethnic churches. Hmm...maybe?

It’s my observation that white men tend to lead these spaces. Sure others may be involved but at the top...white men.

What is the end goal of making your church diverse? More importantly...how is it tackling white supremacy? If you don’t know I would venture to say personally that the efficacy of said church may be hindered.

Often when talking to white siblings I find this eagerness to talk about diverse churches. They seem so hype to talk about how many different races are represented. When I press them further about how it’s going they seem confused...

Isn’t it enough for different races to be in the same building????

No beloved...

Some of the most racist and toxic spaces on this planet come in pretty wrapped packages of multiethnic churches. They have beautiful choirs of all shades...and they are toxic

Decision making, spiritual formation, theological frameworks, songs, lighting aesthetics, the theologians who are quoted...are all white (with some token colors).

The grind culture in these churches mimics the grind culture in America and it quite literally breaks minority bodies. Minorities spend themselves in these spaces like water...and when they are all used up they have nothing to show for it

When they are done...another minority is acquired. But white siblings continue to say that all is well and diverse...honey...no. Diverse churches aren’t a vibe unless white supremacy is being actively called out and detangled from the very ethos of the community

This can’t be done with tokenism or weak Gospel preaching. No platitudes will do. No pitiful “reconciliation acts” will do here. It takes consistent and uncomfortable work over the long haul

I confess that I have never seen a thriving multiethnic expression that is said to be so from the lay person all the way to the pastoral level. I mean sure I’ve heard it from one or the other. It *is* possible I believe. Truly

I say all this morning to be negative but to open a pathway to begin to think through why we even think it’s necessary to want multiethnic expressions of the church. Do I want what I see in Revelation 7 on the sea of Glass? Yes. Is it hard? Yes

To get there though I think a whole lot of hindrances must be removed so that focusing on the Lamb can happen. I believe reparations must be paid. I believe that missiological reparations should be paid in the nations for the damage that Christians have done globally

Also many ethnic specific spaces are not only cultural relevant...but they cut through the tape of the dichotomy that “multiethnic” spaces make between the “gospel” and action. What is the pull to go to a multiethnic space for many?

These specific spaces aren’t without problems...but if we are going to do bad...to be blunt...why not do bad with our own people?