Missions Resources - Bibliography
Where the Nations Meet: The Church in a Multicultural World
Authors: Rhodes, Stephen A.
ISBN: 0-8308-1936-3
Publisher: Downers Grove, Illinois: InterVarsity Press, 1998
Summary: From the back cover:
Ride the subway or a bus in New York, London, Los Angeles, or any number of other cities around the country or around the world, and you will be impressed by a cacophony of languages, a crazy quilt of skin colors and a ceaseless array of cultural histories. Excitingly and sometimes confusingly, this is the world the church now serves.
Pastor Stephen Rhodes, in whose congregation thirty-two nationalities gather weekly, fervently believes Christians should embrace the varied cultures that now surround us. In Where the Nations Meet he sets forth a biblical, ministry-tested pastoral theology of multiethnic ministry. He shows how God's creation was always intended to be multicultural, how the church is called to evangelize, serve and include all ethnicities, how the church can bring healing to increasing conflict in a world of so much difference, and much more.
Peppered his prose with inspiring and challenging stories from multicultural congregations, Rhodes not only provides a theological basis for multicultural ministry but also suggests how such ministry can be successfully conducted in all churches. He offers a valuable guide for all pastors and laypersons who want their church to be a place of unbounded celebration where the nations meet.
If you have ever wondered what a fully multi-national, integrated and vibrant body of believers looks like, read this book. Stephen Rhodes is the pastor of a church in Washington D.C., that ministers to congregants in several languages.
This Church has found a way to combine the well-travelled cultural riches of racially reconciled Americans with the vibrance and hope of new immigrants, many of whom are also new Christians.
Where the Nations Meet is an exciting story, with the moral authority to make tough demands on the North American church. Nevertheless, the tone of this book is one of worshipful humility and love. You get the feeling that this is a church that has met Jesus in a powerful way.
Print
Email
Comments
Be the first one to add a comment.
To post a comment, please login or register