In Church as It Is in Heaven

April 10, 2023
In this thoughtful entry, pastor Williams and Jones (How We Got the Bible), a professor of apologetics at the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, present a convincing case for the value of multiethnic church communities. The American Christian community is “hypersegregated,” the authors write, with 86% of Christians attending churches comprising primarily members of a single ethnicity. But since the Bible, they argue, puts forth a diverse vision of heaven in which God’s throne is surrounded by worshippers of “every nation, tribe, people, and language,” contemporary churches should strive to reflect that ideal. Both of the authors—Williams is Black, and Jones is white—minister at the Sojourn Church in Louisville, Ky., and discuss their efforts to diversify its culture, including integrating Black gospel songs into the musical repertoire and hosting “Diversity Sundays” that feature songs and testimonies in a variety of languages and from different cultures. They note it’s important to give congregants context for changes to the usual programming; Williams responded to worries that Black gospel songs were too repetitive, for example, by explaining how during times of enslavement“short, memorable songs” sometimes “carried double meanings, recalling the stories of Scriptures while sharing coded messages with other enslaved persons.” The authors strike a tone that’s frank but optimistic, and are clear-eyed about the challenges of turning the ideal of diversity into its often messy lived reality. Pastors and churchgoers eager to expand their horizons will be edified.