Dr. Marin Luther King, Jr.
Dr. King's statement still rings true in many churches today. Walk in and everyone looks the same. This is a problem. Diversity must matter in churches. Here's why.
Diversity comes from God. We see God's diversity in His creation. Can you imagine if all flowers looked the same? If all clouds were the exact same? If all people were clones? What a boring place it would be. God looked at the diversity of His creation and said it was good.
Diversity reflects the heart of Jesus. During His ministry on earth, Jesus reached across all social, ethnic and economic lines that people had drawn with their prejudices.
Heaven will reflect His heart for all people. Revelation 7:9 describes the people Jesus has redeemed as they gather to worship Him.
"After this I saw a vast crowd, too great to count, from every nation and tribe and people and language, standing in front of the throne and before the Lamb."
Churches that are really serious about reaching people are diverse. By 2050, there will not be a majority ethnic group in America. The churches that God is using to reach people are diverse churches. This will be even more obvious in the coming years.
Does diversity matter in your church? Take a look at your congregation and the question answers itself. If you want it to matter more, in this post I share some steps you can take to champion diversity in your church.