Must Every Church Be Multi-Ethnic?

Revelation 7:9 depicts an innumerable multitude from every nation, tribe, people and language, gathered around the Lamb’s throne in unending praise. Such a verse casts a vision of the congregation all Christians are headed for. But what bearing does this future picture have on our present situation? Should multiethnicity be a characteristic local churches aspire to and actively pursue now? Must every congregation resemble the United Nations?

In a new 10-minute roundtable, John Piper (former pastor of Bethlehem Baptist Church in Minneapolis), Trip Lee (hip-hop artist and pastor of Cornerstone Church in Atlanta), and Stephen Um (pastor of Citylife Presbyterian Church in Boston) tackle this question in an effort to help churches consider their own cultural composition. Watch as these leaders consider ways of building ethnic diversity in the church, what this conveys to the outside world, what it means to faithfully represent your community in your congregation, and more. The cited Piper article, “How and Why Bethlehem Pursues Ethnic Diversity,” unpacks these issues in greater detail.

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Related:

Why Racial Reconciliation Is a Gospel Issue (Jeff Robinson)
Children, Race, and the Gospel (Brent Bounds)
Race and Revival in Woodlawn (Collin Hansen)

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John Piper (BA, Wheaton College; BD, Fuller Theological Seminary; ThD, University of Munich) serves as founder and lead teacher at Desiring God and is chancellor of Bethlehem College & Seminary. For 33 years, Piper served as pastor of Bethlehem Baptist Church, and he is a Council member of The Gospel Coalition. He has authored more than 50 books, and more than 30 years of his preaching and writing are available free of charge at Desiring God.

Trip Lee is a rapper, pastor, and author of Rise (Thomas Nelson, 2015) and The Good Life (Moody, 2012). You can follow his work on Instagram, Twitter, or his website.

Stephen Um (PhD, University of St. Andrews) is senior pastor of Citylife Presbyterian Church in Boston, Massachusetts, and the president and executive director of The Center for Gospel Culture. He is the author of Micah for You: Acting Justly, Loving Mercy. He and his wife, Kathleen, have three children.