Who we are
Biblical mandate
“When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place ...” (Acts 2:1)
“... no longer Jew or Greek, slave or free, male or female ...” (Galatians 3:28)
“... a house of prayer for all peoples ...” (Isaiah 56:7b)
“... a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language ...” (Revelation 7:9)
“... all are one in Christ ...” (Galatians 3:28)
“Go therefore and make disciples of all nations ...” (Matthew 28:19)
Multicultural Leadership Training and/or Individual Consultations
If you are seeking support or additional resources for multicultural ministries in your congregation or governing body, consultants may be available on a per diem basis. Please email Raafat Girgis for further information or assistance.
The mission of Multicultural Congregational Support
Assist the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)’s efforts in becoming the church intended to be as a multiracial, multilingual and multicultural community of faith and empower congregations and governing bodies as they seek to claim, live and celebrate the vision expressed in the above Biblical mandate.
We do so by:
1. Providing leadership in developing strategies and programs and coordinating efforts for multicultural church growth and membership development.
2. Advocating for the promotion of spiritual development and empowerment with people of multicultural backgrounds.
3. Initiating and supporting the development of national and regional multicultural networks.
4. Identifying and providing resources that are meaningful to the growing diversity in the church.
5. Providing diversity leadership training for both clergy and laity.
6. Supporting the development of community building models that are culturally sensitive and respective for the historic ministries of the denomination’s multicultural churches.
7. Providing consultative services to and in partnership with governing bodies, seminaries and regional multicultural networks.
8. Providing support and consultative services to and in partnership with national and international ecumenical multicultural networks.
9. Developing ways to empower interracial and cross-cultural families, adoptee and adoptive parents.
10. Working with other Presbyterian entities and advocacy groups to ensure that the PC(USA) has an inclusive strategy for racial and cultural diversity representations.
Constitutional mandate
“The Church is called to a new openness to its own membership, by affirming itself as a community of diversity, becoming in fact as well as in faith a community of women and men of all ages, races, and conditions, and by providing for inclusiveness as a visible sign of the new humanity.” (Book of Order G-3.0401b)
“The Church in its witness to the uniqueness of the Christian faith is called to mission and must be responsive to the diversity in both the church and the world. Thus the fellowship of Christians as it gathers for worship and orders its corporate life will display a rich variety of form, practice, language, program, nurture, and service to suit culture and need.” (G-4.0401)
“The Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) shall give full expression to the rich diversity within its membership and shall provide means which will assure a greater inclusiveness leading to wholeness in its emerging life. Persons of all racial ethnic groups, different ages, both sexes, various disabilities, diverse geographical areas, different theological positions consistent with the Reformed tradition, as well as different marital conditions (married, single, widowed, or divorced) shall be guaranteed full participation and access to representation in the decision making of the church.” (G-9.0104ff)
The unified model of a multicultural church
A multicultural church is a congregation/ministry that intentionally recognizes, celebrates and incorporates a diverse membership in:
- Worship by using different languages, arts, spiritual practices and theological expressions.
- Power Sharing with equal representation on sessions, church boards and executive positions.
- Evangelism by providing the Good News in a cup that people recognize with great respect and appreciation for their racial and cultural backgrounds. (The office of Evangelism and Racial/Cultural Diversity)
Did you know ...?
Ethnic people constitute 31 percent of the United States population.
Hispanics represent 12.5 percent, African Americans 12.1 percent and Asians 3.6 percent of the United States population.
There are more Jews living in America than in Israel.
More Cubans live in Miami than in any city in Cuba except Havana.
More Polish people reside in Chicago than in any city except Warsaw, Poland.
More Armenians live in Los Angeles than in any city in the world.
Thanks to new immigrants, multiethnic/multicultural populations are a majority in 25 U.S. cities, including 61 percent of Chicago, 73 percent of New York and 78 percent of Los Angeles.
According to projections, by 2060 the Asian population of the United States will surpass 42 million and the Hispanic population 115 million.
The middle of this century is the shifting moment cited by sociologists as the day when majority of the American population will be non-European and all of our communities will be multicultural.
