Becoming a Multicultural Church

""Whenever I speak on the subject of multiculturalism and the church, someone inevitably laments, 'But our church is not located in a racially diverse neighborhood!' I respond by asking, 'Should the Christian church wait for our neighborhoods to become racially diverse or should it be a forerunner in teaching people how to relate to each other so that they can live side by side?' If persons from diverse cultures can learn how to interact with each other and realize the benefits from doing so, then they will transfer this learning to other settings. The Christian church should be leading this transition from segregated neighborhoods to racially diverse communities, especially in the middle and upper class areas. I believe that this is what Jesus means when he commissions us to build the kingdom of God here on earth.""--from the IntroductionIn Becoming a Multicultural Church, Bowers reflects upon and shows how churches can benefit from the experience of First Congregational Church of Randolph in Massachusetts. Once a historically ""traditional"" one social grouping church, First Congregational is now a ""multicultural"" church and one of the numerically largest churches in Randolph. Bowers offers practical strategies and explores the processes involved, in a conversational style that will make it an easy read for pastors.Laurene Beth Bowers is pastor of First Congregational Church of Randolph, in Randolph. Massachusetts.