Pew Research Center estimates that by 2050, the United States will be 47 percent Caucasian, 13 percent African-American, 29 percent Hispanic and 9 percent Asian. Schools, especially preschools, will become more diverse even more quickly, because the birth rates of immigrants are changing the demographics of America. In 1960, just 56 years ago, 1 in 1,000 marriages was interracial, but today, that figure is closer to 1 in 6 marriages. In 1960, interracial marriage was illegal in 16 states. Thankfully, that is no longer the case. Schools and businesses reflect a larger diversity, but one place that is having issues with segregation is the church diversity.
Martin Luther King, Jr. noticed this phenomenon in the ’60s when he said, “It is appalling that the most segregated hour of Christian America is eleven o’clock on Sunday morning…” Some churches do have diversity. David D. Ireland is a pastor at Christ Church in New Jersey, which has more than 7,500 members from 40 nationalities. Many more have not found a demographic shift in members. It’s not just Christian churches that need to be diverse. Every organization, whether it’s faith-based or not, should examine their makeup of members and make sure that it relates to all ethnicities in the community where it serves.
Look at the makeup of your church. Most researchers believe that the mix should be 80/20. What that means is that no more than any one group should make up more than 80 percent of the congregation. It has to do with the 20 percent having a voice and not feeling like a “token” group. When a group makes up at least 20 percent of the membership, it can influence policy and church culture. There are a lot of factors that go into finding that diversity. The makeup of your community, the leadership of the church, and the size of the congregation are just some of those elements.
A Path to Church Diversity
Cultural and racial diversity doesn’t happen in just the pews or the leadership. It has to be a unified effort between lay members and the staff. Here are some tips to encourage diversity:
- Create individual relationships with other churches in the community to build bridges.
- Get involved in other organizations or events that are outside of your ethnicity or culture. Do this individually and at an organizational level to encourage understanding of other cultural issues beyond your own backyard.
- Read diversely. There are many publications that will give you insight into a different worldview. Offer books and magazines from different organizations to your congregation.
- Listen to people from other cultures. Find ethnic leaders who are making change and pay attention to their social media feeds. Attend a church service different from your own to understand worship in a different way. Share meals and discuss societal issues. It’s likely that you’ll find out every church faces some of the same difficulties in keeping members and having enough money to do everything that needs to get done.
Cross-cultural and cross-race relationships have been shown to enrich lives. These relationships break down barriers between cultures and allow myths and suspicions to be discussed in a safe environment. Diversity encourages unity. We can be proud of our heritage, or ethno-conscious, while still being tolerant and respectful to other cultures.
If your organization isn’t embracing diversity, it’s time to ask the leadership why. Maybe no one has thought about it before. It’s easy to get so involved in day-to-day life that you just maintain the status quo. This doesn’t make the organization bad. We all like to live in our comfort zone, but this limits our growth and our understanding of the world. You need diversity in your own life, but also in groups that you belong to. Challenging the beliefs of a group may push them into a more positive worldview.