“We must face the fact the church is still the most segregated major institution in America. At 11:00 on Sunday morning when we stand and sing, and Christ has no east or west, we stand at the most segregated hour in this nation.” —Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., 1963.

Too often this statement remains true today. Yet in a world that is becoming increasingly connected, Mark DeYmaz, Ryan Edwards, Phil Jackson and Soong-Chan Rah believe multi-ethnic ministry has the potential to change this and all those who take part.

A recognized leader in the emerging, multi-ethnic church movement, Mark DeYmaz is the founding pastor of Mosaic Church of Central Arkansas, a multi-ethnic and economically diverse church. He is also author of the book Building a Healthy Multi-ethnic Church (Jossey-Bass/Leadership Network).

Ryan Edwards formerly served as the EXP Catalyst at Mosaic Church in California, a church whose name comes from the diversity of its members and the symbolism of a broken and fragmented humanity becoming a work of beauty under the artful hands of God. There, Ryan constantly found beauty in the diversity within his ministry and taught his students to do the same.

A veteran youth worker, Phil Jackson is the pastor of The House Ministries at Lawndale Community Church in Chicago, where he engages youth through hip hop. He is co-author of the book The Hip Hop Church (IVP Books) and is passionate about multi-ethnic and urban ministry.

A leader in the Asian American Church, Soong-Chan Rah also is becoming a voice in the multi-ethnic church movement. He was the founding pastor of Cambridge Community Fellowship Church, a multi-ethnic, urban ministry in Cambridge, Mass., and is now an assistant professor at North Park Theological Seminary in Chicago.

Together, their wisdom challenges us and gives us hope.

YouthWorker Journal: Books such as The Big Sort: Why the Clustering of Like-Minded America Is Tearing Us Apart say we seek out people who are similar to ourselves. Is it important in ministry to seek out other kinds of people? Why?

Mark DeYmaz: It’s not only important, it’s biblically mandated for the sake of the gospel...and I’m not simply referring to the Great Commission (Matt. 28:19, 20). The intentionality displayed by individuals like Philip, the men of Cyprus and Cyrene (Acts 11:20) and, of course, Paul in extending themselves to others of varying ethnicity not only describes but prescribes for us the way in this regard.

Ryan Edwards: When you start gathering around people who are the same, there are not a lot of new ideas. You always need to get outside your comfort zone by networking, reading books and sharing different ideas with people—even if it’s things you don’t agree with.