Diversity

The great vision of Revelation is that every tribe, tongue, and nation will worship the risen Jesus forever (Revelation 21). We are called to live in this eternal truth today, that ultimately we are all “one in Christ Jesus” (Galatians 3.28), and that the Church should continue to welcome under-represented groups just as was the case for Gentle inclusion (Acts 10). 

Sadly the Church has not always lived up to this calling. The last century has seen greater focus on how the Church can fully celebrate the diversity of its members, including in relation to gender, ethnicity and sexuality. These conversations remain ongoing, with equally committed Christians disagreeing on how best to move forward, and so good discernment is essential. We hope that this site, as one way of celebrating the diversity of Church practices, is a small contribution to these discussions.

Further resources

These resources currently focus on interculturalism and gender, recognising there are many other ways in which the Church seeks diversity.

Books
Tim Chester, Unreached: Growing Churches In Working-Class And Deprived Areas
Rachel Held Evans, A Year of Biblical Womanhood
Nijay K. Gupta, Tell Her Story

Ben Lindsay, We Need to Talk About Race: Understanding the Black Experience in White Majority Churches
Andy McCullough, Global Humility

Media
Church Interpreting – resources for multilingual congregations
St Paul’s Slough Interculturalism resources