What Stands in the Way of Diversity in the Church? Jamaal Williams

There is in the New Testament a trajectory toward diversity. Jesus begins by calling together a group of Jewish males and then his circle of disciples expands to include women and Samaritans and then the risen Christ commissions his disciples to make disciples of all the nations. Throughout the book of Acts, people from an increasingly diverse range of colors and cultures gather together in local communities of faith in the name of Jesus Christ. And yet, despite this trajectory in Scripture, churches in the United States today are not diverse. According to recent research from LifeWay, 86 percent of pastors say that their churches are not racially diverse at all. So what is it that keeps churches from becoming racially diverse? If that’s a question that matters to you, this episode of the Urban Ministry Podcast is for you. Jamaal Williams, lead pastor of Sojourn Community Church Midtown, is joining us today to answer that question.