Pinnacle Leaders Podcast: The Biblical Basis for Multiracial/Multiethnic Churches

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ABOUT THE EPISODE

Today’s episode features a clip from a new online course available through Christian Life School of Theology Global, which provides a biblical overview of developing and maintaining multiracial/multiethnic churches. You’ll get a sneak peek into the class, which seeks to clarify the scriptural foundation for culturally diverse churches and describes how these churches can be cultivated.

TODAY’S GUEST: DR. CHENITA SANKS

Dr. Chenita Sanks is the director of Christian education at The House of God in Midland, Georgia. She is also the Vice President and a private tutor for Bright Destiny, Inc., which provides Christian education and discipleship to people of all ages and backgrounds. Dr. Sanks holds a Ph.D. in Educational Leadership and a Master of Divinity in Theological Studies. She has worked as a full-time teacher in the Muscogee County School District for the past 20 years, and her passion is educating the next generation to be Christ-ready, college-ready and career-ready.

EPISODE OVERVIEW

The Great Commission outlines God’s intentions for us to make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything the Lord commanded. However, an estimated 67% of American Christians do not understand the Great Commission’s cross-cultural implications, which hinders our ability to establish multiracial churches.

There are 4 core advantages to multiracial churches:

1. The ability to reach multiracial communities
2. Racial reconciliation
3. Demonstration of racial unity as a witness
4. Obedience to God by fulfilling the Great Commission

In his book, United by Faith, Curtiss Paul DeYoung identifies three types of multiracial congregations:

1. Assimilated Multiracial Congregation – The organizational structure reflects one dominant racial culture. In other words, the leadership is not diverse.
2. Pluralistic Multiracial Congregation – The organizational structure contains separate and distinct elements of all racial cultures represented in the congregation, but the degree of interaction between races is often low.
3. Integrated Multiracial Congregation – The organizational structure maintains aspects of separate cultures, but also creates a new, unified culture. This is the type of church we are seeking.

“You want to be able to form a new culture, and ultimately […] it should be a Jesus culture based on the Word of God.” – Dr. Chenita Sanks

Subscribe to the Pinnacle Leaders Podcast with Dr. Langley to listen to this episode and others for more Biblical wisdom on the areas of lordship, leadership and lifestyle.

SCRIPTURE TO REMEMBER

• “By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.” – John 13:35
• “For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free—and have all been made to drink into one Spirit.” – 1 Corinthians 12:13
• “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” – Galatians 3:28

RELATED RESOURCES

• Online Course: The Biblical Basis for Multiracial/Multiethnic Churches (PT596) – Revelation 7:9 tells of a “great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb.” The church is a multiracial, multiethnic body of believers, but you wouldn’t know it by looking at most churches in America today. If you are a church leader who wants to break down the barriers of race in your sphere of influence, be sure to check out this exciting new course from Christian Life School of Theology Global.
• Pinnacle Leaders Podcast: Overcoming Racism with the Gospel – Understanding the Race Cult Mindset – Only the church has the anointing to operate as a unified body in Christ; rules can’t change the human heart, but the gospel can. In this episode of The Pinnacle Leaders Podcast, Christian Life School of Theology Global (CLSTG) faculty member, Dr. Melvin Johnson, teaches from his course “Overcoming Racism with the Gospel.” Learn how you can become a powerful instrument in God’s service to bring about racial reconciliation and healing.