Welcome to the Multicultural Ministries Office of the Episcopal Church Center!
Our goal is to draw from the exciting efforts in multiculturalism going on throughout the Episcopal Church and the wider church to connect people with resources, and people with people, that we may continue to engage in invitational multiculturalism at all levels of the Church.
WHAT IS MULTICULTURALISM?
Multiculturalism is a way of life, not just another program. If viewed programmatically, we might expect the kind of response described by Nibs Stroupe, pastor of Oakhurst Presbyterian Church in Decatur, Georgia: “The multiculturalists are here! The multiculturalists are here! They’re going to make us feel bad about ourselves!” Multicultural ministry is about God’s people living out the Great Commission and the Great Commandment. The Episcopal Church has been for a long time a very welcoming church with regard to race, ethnicity, gender, sexual identity, and multiculturalism. However, we have learned in the 21st century that our work must be intentional, invitational, and intercultural.
The first step toward multiculturalism is interculturalism—communicating across cultures in a way that profoundly values and honors all voices—especially non-dominant and/or muted voices. By becoming better intercultural communicators, we will become better intercultural or dialogic listeners, possessing and utilizing the ability to speak so others will listen, and listen so others will speak.
To be multicultural is to be cosmopolitan, which, according to W. Barnett Pearce is to be a citizen of the world. This calls to mind a person who interacts comfortably with people from diverse cultural backgrounds, no matter how profound the differences. Philosopher Martin Buber described this kind of communication as dialogic, which requires seeing the other as created in the image of God. This implies that we will seek to experience the world and our relationships as it appears to the other person. Buber challenges us to remain in the tension between holding our own perspective while remaining profoundly open to the other. Surely, the Gospel of Christ calls us to this as well.
A VISION
Scripture teaches us that God’s design for the Kingdom is unity in diversity, and the Book of Common Prayer reminds us that restoring unity is our mission as Episcopalians.
“I am coming to gather all nations and tongues;
and they shall come and shall see my glory”
– Isaiah 66.18
“After this I looked, and there was a great multitude
that no one could count, from every nation,
from all tribes and peoples and languages,
standing before the throne and before the Lamb”
– Revelation 7.9
“The mission of the Church is to restore all people to unity
with God and each other in Christ”
– BCP p. 855
Anglicanism was once united by common heritage and language. Yet today in the Episcopal Church, we are experiencing ever-increasing diversity of ethnicity, language, and world-views. The neighborhoods surrounding our church buildings are rapidly changing; we must change, too. Dr. Rodney Woo, pastor of Wilcrest Baptist Church in Houston, told me that it is hard for him to imagine how a church in a multiracial context could be monocultural. “Biblically” he said, “you don’t have a leg to stand on.”
RESOURCES
LINKS
Ministerios Latino/Hispano
Black Ministries
Asian American Ministries
Native American Ministries
Andrew D. Kronenwetter, PhD
Associate Program Officer for Multicultural Ministries
Seattle Regional Office of the Episcopal Church Center
PO Box 12126 Seattle, WA 98102
646-875-2430
akronenwetter@episcopalchurch.org
