Why the American Church Needs Bi-Cultural Leaders
“We all should know that diversity makes for a rich tapestry, and we must understand that all the threads of the tapestry are equal in value no matter what their color.”
Editor’s Note: This is Part 1 of a Series
Part 1: Why the American Church Needs Bi-Cultural Leaders
Part 2: 5 Reasons Bi-Cultural Church Leaders Don’t Get Hired
Moses, Daniel, and the Apostle Paul walk into a bar…
…and ask the bartender what the 3 have in common.
What would you say if you were the bartender?
You might say they were mightily used by God at crucial moments in history.
But the other common denominator? They were bi-cultural leaders.
In this post, I make the case for why the American church needs bi-cultural leaders.
But first, a few working definitions for the sake of clarity and unity between author/reader:
What I mean by “the American Church” - I mean churches that reside geographically in the United States placed in diverse local contexts. The issue isn’t ethnic identity (ex. multi-ethnic or ethnic) but its surrounding environment being marked by diversity.
What I mean by “Bi-Cultural” (BC) - Those who have blended two or more cultures they take part in, in attitudes, behaviors, and values. It is someone who would “intermix their heritage and receiving cultural streams with regard to cultural practices, values, and identifications.”
As a real life example, I (being BC) identify myself as a Korean American rather than just “Korean” or just “American.” I live out of a blending of traditional Korean values (ex. respecting my elders) with individualistic American ones (ex. working hard to achieve success). So while I feel my Korean-ness" when I’m with my American friends, and American-ness around my Korean ones, I am able to swim effectively in both cultural contexts.
So with that clarification, here are 3 reasons why I believe the American church needs BC leaders:
1. America’s Landscape is Diverse and Will Only Become More So
At least this is the story that’s told according to the data from census reports to cultural trends.
According to a 2019 Pew Research Center analysis of census data, while anglos remain the largest racial group (accounting for 60% of all Americans), 109 counties in 22 states from California to North Carolina have gone from majority white to majority non-white since 2000.
According to Hollywood Diversity Report, people of color accounted for 19.8 percent of the leads in top films for 2017, a significant increase from the 13.9 percent figure posted in 2016.
Future projections according to a 2018 Census Report say that Hispanics and Asians will be a few of the fastest growing populations over the next few decades, and that the nation will become “minority majority” by 2045.
Why does all this matter? Because this means our churches can be diverse and will likely grow in diversity in the decades to come (which this bring me to my next point).
2. Cultural Intelligence Is Becoming a Greater Leadership Currency
Is teaching English to begin gospel conversations strategic or insulting? Is the announcement invite to give financially or serve in a ministry inviting enough or is it too forward? Celebrate Black History Month? If so, how?
These questions are not merely theological questions, but cultural ones informed by a church’s local context and makeup. So how should these questions be answered? I believe with the help of bi-cultural leaders, who sit at the table, who can translate culture in both directions.
I believe this is what made the Apostle Paul so effective in the 1st century. Pastorally, he was able to exhort for the unity of a church with passion while understanding the cause of culturally informed issues with precision (Gal 2:11-14). Missionally, he could reason with Jews in the synagogue (Acts 17:1-3) one minute, only to reason with the Greeks at Mars Hill (Acts 17:22-31) the next. While this was certainly the empowerment of the Spirit, God leveraged Paul’s bi-cultural upbringing and training.
As churches are impacted by America’s growing diversity, the need for greater cultural intelligence will only increase.
3. The Next Generation Is Watching
Generation Z, the generation after the Millennials, are those born in the mid 1990’s through the early 2010’s. So in 2020, those in Gen Z are currently 10 to 25 years old.
According to a 2018 Pew Research Center report, Gen Z is the most racially and ethnically diverse generation we have ever seen. Furthermore, 77 percent of Generation Z said that a company’s level of diversity affects their decision to work there.
In other words, this generation has a different set of expectation when it comes to how they understand, relate with, and want to relate with the world. Diversity is the air they breathe.
So when it comes to the church, why would we expect their norms to dramatically shift?
The reality is - the emerging generation is watching the American church and trying to decipher how it navigates race, unity, power, and the gospel.
This is a great opportunity and a big responsibility.
SOME Concluding Thoughts
1. If you’re part of a multiethnic or white majority church in a diverse context, we should see our shifting culture as an incredible gospel opportunity for generations to come. This should excite, and not frighten us.
Please do an honest inventory of BC leaders on your church staff. The issue at stake is not political correctness, but correct strategy for the advance of the gospel (Acts 6:5). And the more diverse your surrounding ministry context? The more aggressive you should be about hiring and empowering BC leaders.
2. If you’re part of an ethnic based church in a diverse context, we need to carefully consider how this logic applies and should play out in our own contexts.
I’ve heard ethnic church leaders accuse multi-ethnic churches of hiring “tokens” while they themselves remain completely mono-ethnic at all layers of leadership. Even if a multi-ethnic church hired a token, wouldn’t that still be a step ahead of some ethnic churches? Ethnic churches in diverse contexts need to ask themselves challenging questions for the sake of the gospel, especially as it relates to future generations.
3. If you’re a BC church leader, you have a God-given responsibility to leverage your blend of values, cultures, and behaviors for the sake of the gospel. No, not for the sake of your platform, or some blurry idea of “representation” but the beauty of Jesus and his work on display for others to see and savor.
This will require discomfort, the loss of power, and feelings of displacement. But you can know that you’re in good company - because this was the experience of Jesus.
America needs to see healthy, gospel-fueled churches. And I believe BC leaders have their part to play.
