Thanks to Missio Dei, the online journal of Tyndale Seminary in Toronto for publishing an article I wrote on the process of transitioning to a multicultural congregation.
In the 1980s a new church was initiated in the north-west Greater Toronto Area. It was developed as an essentially white, Anglo-European background congregation. Early on, however, people from other cultural backgrounds began to attend largely because of a perceived common denominational heritage. In the mid-90s the congregation went through a leadership hemorrhage that left the group with a largely Caribbean-background membership. For almost a decade they have been led by an Anglo-European background pastor with a degree of intercultural sensitivity. Now their congregation is at a crossroads and the pastor is wondering how to engage his leadership team in a dialogue about becoming an intentionally multicultural community. One leader spelled it out: “we are multi-ethnic in composition, but it’s really only one culture group that influences the decision-making.”
look here for the rest of the article
Thank you very much for the ministries you are doing around the world . We continue to pray for you. I am also praying for those who are suffering in different countries because of their religious beliefs- Being Christians.
The FreeMethodist Church in Zambia is also committed to reach out to many cities in Zambia. Pray that we will be able to do so. What happened in Kenya may also happen here or is happening the Burudians and Rwandan are doing their best to make Christ known in Zambia through the Ministry of The Free Methodist Church. Pray that we may have the Bible School to train church leaders. We need also training in Urban Ministry- cross-cultural church planting. We have also learnt a lot from your work in PMB ubunye while we were doing our studies at ESSA and UKZN.
Posted by: Rev. Francois F Murekezi | January 21, 2012 at 02:51 PM