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The Vision of Multicultural Ministry
1.1 Multicultural Ministry for many is about minority ethnic people or newly arrived migrants. Multicultural ministry goes beyond ministry with minority ethnic groups or with newly arrived migrants. It is a ministry to all people across the boundaries of their various cultures. It involves deeper engagement and mutual impact between members and congregations of different cultures, leading to new opportunities in the life and mission of the whole Church. For many Christian Churches this is a new frontier of mission, hence understanding is limited. Multicultural Ministry is not a marginalised ministry only to minority ethnic groups. It is not an extension of mission overseas. It is an integral part of the life of the whole church, enriching every aspect of it and including every member.
1.2 But there is a mindset that needs to be challenged and changed for us to begin the journey to being truly multicultural. This mindset has to do with ethnocentrism, eurocentrism, and racism on the part of the majority culture which are implicit in our codes of behaviour and practice, world outlook, cultural norms, indeed in all aspects of our lives - the consequence of which is the alienation, exclusion, and marginalisation of minority ethnic people from equal and full participation. That is the reality for most people outside that cultural norm.
1.3 Given this reality, as Christians and members of the United Reformed Church, we can only speak in terms of a vision and hope for what is to become. Multicultural ministry is a vision of God’s diverse human family becoming a reality right here in the United Reformed Church. It is a vision of the church becoming a community of faith where all equally belong. It is a longing for a new spirituality; a new way of being where all can trust, forgive and practice active hospitality, just sharing of resources, and affirm interdependency, connectedness and belonging to one another. It is more than co-existence. It is more than simply making space for one another to exist, and it is more than tolerating difference.
1.4 The United Reformed Church’s journey to becoming truly multicultural requires the recognition that the unity of the church is more than the union of three former denominations. It is also the union of Christians of many cultures and ethnic origins. This union is a gift of God through Christ who is the head of the church. It is an expression of the commitment to be faithful to our Lord’s Prayer that his disciples might be one. It is an expression of the church’s commitment to bear witness to a unity of faith and life in Christ that transcends cultural and ethnic, national and racial barriers. It involves taking seriously the good news that Jesus Christ has made peace between people of every ethnicity, culture and class. This unity is a foretaste of the reconciliation of all things in Christ . It is a goal to be achieved as the church commits itself to becoming a church characterised by its commitment to justice, respect and valuing one another’s cultures, and protection for victims of racial hatred and violence.
1.5 The church needs to welcome the fact that its membership is made up of people of different cultures and ethnicities and to see this diversity as a reminder that the church is both product and agent of mission. This should remind it of its responsibility as a church to be the sign and witness to the Kingdom which is to come.The church should therefore seek to be a sign of hope within the British society, particularly to those marginalised because of their ethnic and cultural backgrounds. The church needs to provide for the full participation of minority ethnic people in its decision making councils; it needs to ensure that they are welcomed and given equitable rights in the use of the church’s properties; and it needs to ensure that they have access to its resources. Their concerns and perspectives should be reflected in the agenda of business of the churches’ councils, and most of all, the church needs to be open to the changes that the Holy Spirit will bring through the creative contributions and participation of people of different ethnic and cultural groups to its life.
1.6 It must be emphasised that the needed empowerment and support for minority ethnic members and congregations is not to become a means of distancing the rest of the church from the hurts and struggles of the minority ethnic family. The church needs to provide opportunities for cross-cultural and multicultural fellowship and meaningful engagement.
1.7 The journey to becoming a church that is truly multicultural will not be easy. It will inevitably involve painful and difficult times. People are bound to misunderstand and hurt each other. Unconscious attitudes of the dominant culture that ‘our’ way is the best way of doing things still need challenging. There is still some way to go in learning how to live together. The present social and political climate affirms the need for new hearts and minds for this journey, not only for the church but for Britain as well.
1.8 But the hope of multicultural ministry is the realisation of the Kingdom of God on earth. The vision of multicultural ministry (The vision of a Multicultural Church, United Church of Australia, 1998) is for a Christian community in which -
1.9 That is, a truly multicultural church is one where unity in Christ is affirmed whilst at the same time the distinctiveness of each culture is valued. It is a unity without uniformity; the harmonious sharing of life with people from diverse cultural traditions in one church.
A Multicultural Church: - a) Knows that the human family is one race, consisting of people of different ethnicity and cultures, by God’s deliberate design; b) Rejoices in the diverse gifts of the human family as treasures in their own right; c) Welcomes all people into the community of faith regardless of colour, ethnicity, language or culture; d) Boldly rejects the sin of racism which prevents authentic engagement with the diverse cultures within the community, and allows hatred and prejudice to thrive; e) Uses multicultural inclusiveness as a key organising principle for the church in society; f) Opposes and challenges institutional racism at all levels of church and society; g) Welcomes the diverse spirituality of all in its liturgy, worship and learning; h) Is open to sharing its gifts, premises and resources with brothers and sisters who need a place to gather and worship God; i) Is committed to developing cross-cultural, intercultural and multicultural relations amongst its members respectfully and with sensitivity; and j) Works for justice for all of creation.
Committee for Racial Justice and Multicultural Ministry Convener: Revd Andrew Prasad Secretary: Katalina Tahaafe-Williams
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