• Directories
    • Business Directory
    • Church Directory
    • Organization Directory
  • Advertise
  • Donate
  • Help
  • Log In
MENUMENU
  • Learning
        • Leader’s Edge
          • Author Interviews
          • Book Summaries
        • Book Reviews
          • Book Look
          • EMQ Book Reviews
        • Publications
          • Anthology
          • Evangelical Missions Quarterly (EMQ)
          • Missiographics
        • Podcasts
          • The Mission MattersNew
          • Missio Nexus
          • People First HR
          • Members Only Feed
        • Blogs
          • Global Issues Updates
          • Member Highlights
          • Mission Advisors
        • Topics
          • COVID-19 ResourcesNew
          • Diaspora Missions
          • Mobilization
          • Muslim Missions
          • Support Raising
        • Media Library
          • Conferences
          • Global Issue Updates
          • On Mission
          • Thought Leader Briefings
          • Webinars
          • Workshop
          • View All
  • Programs
    • Accreditation
    • Alliance for Benefits
    • Bible CertificateNew
    • Church Missions CoachingNew
    • Cohorts
    • Cybersecurity
    • Emerging Leaders
    • Mission Jobs
    • OnBoard
    • RightNow Media
    • The Mission AppNew
    • Women’s Development
  • Events
          • Calendar
          • In-Person Events
          • Virtual Events
          • Event Recordings
          • Awards
        • Upcoming Events

          • Webinar: Through the Wall
            Thu Jan 28 2021, 02:00pm EST
          • Three Easy Ways to Drive Innovation
            Thu Feb 11 2021, 02:00pm EST
          • Three Steps to Kickstart Your Fund Development Program
            Tue Feb 16 2021, 03:00pm EST
        • View All Events
  • Research
          • Missiographics
          • Mission Handbook
          • Research Reports
        • Popular Research
          • Compensation Reports
          • COVID-19 ResourcesNew
          • Field Attrition Report
          • View All Reports
        • Contribute
          • Current Research Projects
          • Submit Data for Mission Handbook
          • Volunteer
  • About Us
        • Who We Are
          • Our Contribution
          • Meet the Team
          • Board Members
          • History (1917–present)
        • Our Beliefs
          • Statement of Faith
          • Community Standards
        • Awards
        • Partner with Us
          • Advertise
          • Donate
          • Sponsorships
          • Volunteer
        • Help
          • Contact Us
          • Advertising Specs
          • Branding Guidelines
  • Join
        • Learn
        • Learn what you cannot learn anywhere else.

        • Meet
        • Meet people you otherwise won’t meet.

        • Engage
        • Engage in a community like none other.

          • Benefits
          • Benefits for Churches
          • Pricing

Sponsored Content

Upcoming Events

  • Webinar: Through the Wall
    Thu Jan 28 2021, 02:00pm EST
  • Three Easy Ways to Drive Innovation
    Thu Feb 11 2021, 02:00pm EST
  • Three Steps to Kickstart Your Fund Development Program
    Tue Feb 16 2021, 03:00pm EST
  • Webinar: Innovating Theological Education: How BibleMesh can Prepare your Staff for Ministry
    Thu Feb 25 2021, 02:00pm EST
  • Association Leaders Gathering
    Tue Mar 2 2021, 08:30am EST

View all events »

Topics

author interview Canada CEO Church Church Missions Church Mission Team Church Planting Coaching Conference Proceedings COVID-19 Cross Cultural Skills Diaspora Evangelism Focus Future Globally Engaged Churches Islam Justin Long Leadership Management Missiology Missionaries Mission Finance and Administration MLC2019 MLC2020 Mobilization muslim Muslim Diaspora Networks Partnership Personal Productivity Podcast Presenter Research Security Short-Term Missions Spirituality support raising Training Trends Unengaged Unreached unreached people groups Weekly Roundup Women

Meta

  • Log in
  • Entries feed
  • Comments feed
  • WordPress.org

Bridging the Diversity Gap, Leading toward God’s Multi-Ethnic Kingdom

Posted on October 1, 2014 by October 1, 2014

by Alvin Sanders

Wesleyan Publishing House, P.O. Box 50434, Indianapolis, IN 46250, 240 pages, 2013, $15.99. 

—Reviewed by Jeffrey Fussner, who had twenty-six years of ministry in Indonesia and the South Pacific; now pastor of a multiethnic church in Alexandria, Virginia.

Change is difficult, whether for an individual or an organization. Leading an organization to shift toward an authentic multiethnic DNA is especially challenging. Bridging the Diversity Gap, Leading Toward God’s Multi-ethnic Kingdom is for leaders of majority-white, Christian, non-profit organizations. It is especially for those at the beginning stages of shifting toward multi-ethnicity, or those who have failed and need the courage to try again. The urgency that drives this effort is that authentic multi-ethnicity is a reflection of the gospel of God’s kingdom. 

The book is designed for study by leadership groups and has two major sections. The first consists of three chapters laying out the challenge of moving toward multi-ethnicity: Ethnic Borders, Racialization, and Unintentionality. The second major section of four chapters contains the strategic principles essential for shifting toward multi-ethnicity: Sustainable Performance, Multi-ethnic Change as Spiritual Growth, Changing the Ethnic Game, and Putting It All Together. The book ends with a Learning Lab of chapter summaries with discussion questions and a case study. 

Secular diversity training is designed for building racial tolerance, but falls short of the unique values of Christian non-profit organizations. “Color-blindness” on the part of majority-white leaders may seem commendable, but is unhelpful. This approach misses the fact that race is still a significant factor in the life experiences, opportunities, and relationships of people who are not white. A biblical and spiritual approach moves toward racial transcendence. Ethnic differences are acknowledged, appreciated, and transcended to a place of unity in Christ (Gal. 3:28). 

Acts 6:1-7 is a model of leadership in multi-ethnicity and is referred to often in the presentation of the strategic principles in section two. The apostles did not ignore ethnic differences nor dismiss the complaints from the Grecian Jews. Alvin Sanders points out that the leaders (1) embraced diversity as an organizational DNA adventure; (2) leveraged ethnic differences; (3) mobilized money and personnel toward solutions, and (4) provided clarity. He calls this approach “asset based diversity development.”  

Wise leaders will discover how God has placed within the organization personnel and strengths to be leveraged for multiethnic growth. Three couplets summarize the core of the organizational shift: Inside Out (contributions of key stakeholders within are enlisted), Top Down (major decision makers lead the way), and All In (buy-in throughout the organization is fostered). 

Sanders does not promise all the answers needed for specific situations. But the principles he presents were forged in urban, multiethnic church planting, the academy, and his work in consulting and denominational leadership. They are field-tested and helpful navigation tools for leaders. 

Check these titles:

Emerson, Michael O. and Christian Smith. 2000. Divided By Faith: Evangelical Religion and the Problem of Race in America. New York: Oxford University Press.

Livermore, David A. 2009. Cultural Intelligence: Improving Your CQ to Engage Our Multicultural World. Grand Rapids, Mich.: Baker Academic.

Jenkins, Philip. 2007. The Next Christendom: The Coming of Global Christianity. New York: Oxford University Press.

….

EMQ, Vol. 50, No. 4, pp. 406-408. Copyright  © 2014 Billy Graham Center.  All rights reserved. Not to be reproduced or copied in any form without written permission from EMQ editors.

 

GoToOlder PostNewer PostAll PostsBook ReviewsEMQSectionVolume 50 - Issue 4

Comments are closed.

Subscribe to Our Mailing List

Keep up to date with our community.

Menu

  • Join
  • Directories
  • Events
  • Donate

About

  • Who We Are
  • Statement of Faith
  • Awards
  • Resources

Help

  • Contact Us
  • Terms
  • Cookies Policy

Connect

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • Google+

PO Box 398
Wheaton, IL 60187-0398

Phone: 770.457.6677
678.392.4577

© Missio Nexus.
All Rights Reserved.

Membership website powered by MembershipWorks