Should I Go to an Ethnic-specific or Multiethnic Church?
by Linson Daniel
I know there are so many debates out there about church. Should I go to a multiethnic church or an ethnic-specific church? Should I go to a small neighborhood church or a big megachurch? Is my church missional? Does my church care about justice? These are all important questions.
We may have unfairly put ourselves in a predicament. This either-or scenario of ethnic-specific or multiethnic is too crude of a binary solution for an incredibly nuanced issue. What if the question was not where do I go, but who am I in these polarized spaces? Am I bringing all of who I am into this place called church such that it causes true joy in the Lord for others and myself? I am not trying to cop out of answering the question of either-or, but I am suggesting that the answer to the where question is hollow when the who question is not addressed first.
God, the Father, wants to make you into his child and that can happen in any place. I know that this may seem like an impossible goal. But here’s my best advice to you.
First, don’t give up on the discipline of church attendance. I realize that churches get it wrong. But churches get it right too. God desires for you to be his temple, to be a living stone for his temple, and to take part in the fellowship of believers. Let’s not give up meeting together, especially as we see the day of the Lord is getting nearer every passing day (Hebrews 10:25). It is critical to gather (ecclesia) with others, virtually or in person— in ethnic spaces or not. I believe it is part of God’s plan for each of us and the world.
Second, invest long term in a place because it is part of forming your character. Whether that space is ethnic-specific or multiethnic, invest in it. Give yourself to that place for several years, maybe even a decade or more. Invest your time and energy within the various ministries at the church. Invest your resources by tithing and giving cheerfully in that space. Make deep friendships with a few people so they can keep you accountable. Take a risk and step into leadership roles within the church. Be faithful in the small things and eventually the Lord will put you in charge of larger things.
Third, effect change within that church as the Lord leads you. If you see something that feels contrary to the mission and vision of Christ’s body, then say something in the appropriate way in the right channels. Connect with trusted leaders and wrestle through Scripture together. In the multiethnic church, stand for racial justice and equity throughout the church. In the ethnic-specific church, stand for contextualized mission toward the unreached within your ethnic demographic. Confront complacency with grace and truth.
Fourth, recruit and invite others to join you in mission. If God is slowly cultivating joy in you, then bring others along to multiply this joy. This shows church members and leaders that you truly believe in what God is doing among them. Sure, the church might have flaws, but God is present and working in each life. Therefore, invite your coworkers, invite your Asian non-Christian neighbors, and invite those that are dechurched or burned-out, not because it is such a good place, but because God is multiplying joy. Be bold and trust that your local church body will flourish by making invitations. Don’t just recruit individuals, but invite whole families to follow Jesus and join in the mission of God. As Asian Americans, God has given us unique networking abilities that can be filled with kingdom energy.
There will be places of misunderstanding along the way as you engage in the aforementioned steps—it’s going to happen. But stay committed. I believe that God will bring great joy into your life and to the church. That rich sense of community, discipleship, and evangelism can produce a fully integrated joy within you over time.
It’s not really about which church in particular, but rather what God is cultivating in you and through you in that space. Again, it’s not about consumeristic happiness, but a deep joy found in a process of remaining committed to a community.
Be courageous enough to bring your vibrant Asian heritage, your diasporic journeys, your cultural dissonance, and your racial realities into one place and remain committed there. I think if we do, then deep joy will multiply in that place. Joy that reverberates into every dark corner of our cities and countries. Joy that reaches people that look like me. From dilapidated farmhouses on the outskirts of the city, to the megachurch in the center of the city, may the Lord make us the right people in each of those spaces to bring forth his joy. Yes, joy: unstoppable, unshakeable, and everlasting.
Taken and adapted from Learning Our Names: Asian American Christians on Identity, Relationships, and Vocation by Sabrina S. Chan, Linson Daniel, E. David de Leon, and La Thao. Copyright (c) 2022 by InterVarsity Christian Fellowship/USA and Linson T. Daniel. Published by InterVarsity Press, Downers Grove, IL. www.ivpress.com
Linson Daniel (Indian American) is associate pastor of Metro Church in Dallas, Texas. He previously served as the national coordinator for South Asian InterVarsity and is a doctoral student at Fuller Theological Seminary. He is co-author of the book Learning Our Names.