As a kid, the Brady Bunch was a popular television show depicting the idyllic blending of two households.  Sure they had problems, but the joining of a widower and his three boys with a single mom and her three girls, was portrayed as fairly harmonious and a good union.  If only bringing congregations together to form a new church were so easy…  In the words of a pastor who helped form a multiracial church from two single-race congregations, it is “like pushing water uphill” and it is “easier to work through the Homogeneous Unit Principle because it [will be] the hardest thing, you’ve ever done.”  If he had to do it again, he would not consider it.

Studies conducted by the Hartford Institute for Religion Research, indicate that congregations made up of elderly believers are often in decline and will likely close their doors unless they bring in younger generations.  Some of these aging congregations have found that one way to forestall their demise is to merge with a younger generation church that could use the resources of the older generation.

While saving a declining or aging congregation is one reason to merge and create a multiracial church, some churches have formed for the sake of reconciliation or to fulfill a ministry vision.  In the Portland, Oregon metro area, this author knows of three churches that revitalized older congregations through merging, one church that rejuvenated two stagnant congregations and one church merged to accomplish a visionary plan for racial reconciliation.

If merging together churches is difficult for congregations that are racially similar, what would prompt congregations to consider bringing different racial groups together and adding a layer of complexity to the process?  The challenge of blending together cultures shaped by racial and ethnic perspectives is significant.  In a light-hearted comment concerning change and interracial relationships a congregant at my church remarked, “I know a few eyebrows were raised when Spam showed up at potlucks!”

Leaders of these multiracial churches described their motive for taking on this additional variable, of crossing racial boundaries, as part of advancing the Kingdom of God.  The Gospel’s message of reconciliation and Revelation’s picture of a diverse Church were the underpinning of prompting congregants to embrace the radical change they would undergo.

What are some key lessons learned in the process of bringing single race churches together to form a new, multiracial community?

A biblical vision for what the church will become helps people embrace and persevere through change.  Vision will not prevent people from leaving, but it is essential to lead with a Christ-centered goal.  A watershed moment for our church was when one of the leaders of the Anglo congregation shared his heart concerning the diverse Church described in Revelation.  It served to catalyze a stagnant process that had been nearly derailed by the fear of change.

Courageous leadership provides commitment and conviction to be racially diverse, and pursue both integration and the merge.  Referring to his experience with bringing an  African-American and an Anglo congregation together, Pastor EG wisely observes, “Before you [join congregations together], you better count the cost if your people aren’t willing to pay the price.”  Pastor NC, who leads a Filipino and Anglo congregation, concurs, commenting, “There are sacrifices when you move or make changes to anything.  You cannot win them all.  We lost several families as a result.”

Communication is very important for helping congregants what is going on, how change will occur and when changes would occur.  Communication can be formal and informal, finding expression even through activity.

Pastor CU indicated that unity was created through food and ritual.  After the new church formed, the Korean congregants prepared a Korean meal for their Anglo brethren.  The following Easter, the church choir, reflecting their respective racial backgrounds, sang a Korean hymn together.  The Anglo choir members learned the song phonetically.  The guest preacher, himself Korean, said that when he closed his eyes, the choir sounded all Korean.

Anticipate and manage change to help guide congregants through the process of change and inevitable conflict.  The amount of change that can take place should not be underestimated.  In the book, Against All Odds, the authors observe, “Interracial religious organizations have higher levels of conflict than interracial nonreligious organizations because cultural differences tend to be given absolute and transcendent meanings, making compromise more difficult.”  Asking people to consider changing how they worship seems to be an invitation to confrontation.

As challenging as the task of creating a multiracial church from single-race congregations sounds, the rewards are immeasurable.  The local church that models the reconciling power of the Gospel testifies of Christ to people all too familiar with stories of racial and ethnic strife that inundate our various media inputs.