One of the things I identify that requires further exploration is the partnership that can exist between a denominational college and the denomination. In the case of Peace College, their denomination has been a driver in their efforts to create a community that better reflects the Kingdom of God. I contend that this type of relationship can by symbiotic if a partnership can be established. Many denominations are exploring how they can establish more churches that are multiethnic. In the same fashion colleges want to become more diverse and hire and enroll students from their respective denominational churches. Therefore the goal to become more inclusive can prove to be beneficial for both organizations.
The key is that institutional leaders need to sit down with their denominational leaders to talk about what this partnership can look like. In the case of seminaries that provide the pastoral staff for denominational churches, it could mean exposing them to what a multiracial church can look like, particularly moving beyond the homogeneous unit principle. A church strategy that goes back to Wagner, below is a quote taken from Divided by Faith:
Wagner’s argument is quite simple. Undoubtedly, congregations are extremely homogenous. Although people often lament this fact, he argues that they should not. First, ethnic and racial groups, in and of themselves, are amoral. Second, people prefer to worship in their own cultural groups. Third, denominations and congregations that use the ‘homogenous units principle’, which means that volunteer organizations function best when composed of just one cultural group, grow and are more vital. For example, the nation’s largest Protestant denomination – the Southern Baptist Convention – which starts at least one new church per day on average, uses the ‘homogenous’ principle.’ Southern Baptists regularly start white churches, black churches, Chinese churches, Korean churches, Mexican churches, Haitian churches, and so on. And fourth, because Wagner’s views the primary mission of Christianity to evangelize – much like evangelicals before him – not only are homogenous congregations acceptable, but the homogenous units principle is an essential tool for Christian growth.
There has been a lot written lately about what multiethnic churches might look like. Some steps churches can take to be more ethnically diverse as described in the book People of the Dream are as follows:
- Intentionality
- Inclusive worship
- Racially diverse leadership
- Adaptability
I believe that these steps also apply to faith based colleges and universities therefore setting the stage for a partnership to develop.
