Multicultural Congregations: A Celebration of Diversity By Rita Boyer

I grew up in a small town anchored by churches, each of which had its own outdoor nativity display at Christmastime. Standing in one spot, you could easily count four well-lit versions of Mary and Joseph. Mary wore powder blue, Joseph leaned on his shepherd’s staff and straw blanketed the ground. Though they stood in front of different churches, the parents of the infant Messiah often looked much the same.

Whether Mary was Baptist, Presbyterian or Eastern Orthodox seemed not to matter. She always wore powder blue, and she was always fair-skinned with western European features. As a child, I wondered how the members of the African Methodist Episcopal Church felt as they walked past this white holy family, to sit in a sanctuary filled with people of color.

One Christmas week, I moved and made my home in a suburb with fewer churches and even fewer nativity displays. It was a diverse community comprised of people of many different faiths, races and cultures. Unlike past Christmases, there was no nativity display in front of my new church. Inside the sanctuary, however, was a handmade depiction of Jesus’ birth. But wait! Mary was not wearing powder blue! She was not fair-skinned or western European. Like all of the figures, she was a bit rustic, made from unpainted wood and dressed in burlap. It was clear that the members of this multicultural congregation had created a crèche into which everyone was invited to enter.

From figures in the nativity scene to worship practices, there are a multitude of ways congregations can be welcoming to all — find out what else your church can do.

Call (866) 802-3635 or subscribe to Horizons or order the January/February 2009 issue (HZN-09-200; $4 plus shipping).

Rita Boyer is a certified Christian educator at Prospect Presbyterian Church in Maplewood, New Jersey.

Illustration of Epiphany by Janet McKenzie, United States.

Other Articles Online This Issue

The Church as the Exclamation Point!
The Journey from Babel to Antioch
Multicultural Congregations
Confessing Our Faith in the Twenty-first Century
The Need for Evangelicals
Dispatch from Forbearance Presbyterian Church
The Church of All Nations
Mosaic


From figures in the nativity scene to worship practices, there are a multitude of ways congregations can be welcoming to all — find out what else your church can do. Call (866) 802-3635 or subscribe to Horizons or order the January/ February 2009 issue (HZN-09-200; $4 plus shipping).	Multicultural Congregations: A Celebration of Diversity by Rita Boyer I grew up in a small town anchored by churches, each of which had its own outdoor nativity display at Christmastime. Standing in one spot, you could easily count four well-lit versions of Mary and Joseph. Mary wore powder blue, Joseph leaned on his shepherd’s staff and straw blanketed the ground. Though they stood in front of different churches, the parents of the infant Messiah often looked much the same. Whether Mary was Baptist, Presbyterian or Eastern Orthodox seemed not to matter. She always wore powder blue, and she was always fair-skinned with western European features. As a child, I wondered how the members of the African Methodist Episcopal Church felt as they walked past this white holy family, to sit in a sanctuary filled with people of color. One Christmas week, I moved and made my home in a suburb with fewer churches and even fewer nativity displays. It was a diverse community comprised of people of many different faiths, races and cultures. Unlike past Christmases, there was no nativity display in front of my new church. Inside the sanctuary, however, was a handmade depiction of Jesus’ birth. But wait! Mary was not wearing powder blue! She was not fair-skinned or western European. Like all of the figures, she was a bit rustic, made from unpainted wood and dressed in burlap. It was clear that the members of this multicultural congregation had created a crèche into which everyone was invited to enter. From figures in the nativity scene to worship practices, there are a multitude of ways congregations can be welcoming to all — find out what else your church can do. Call (866) 802-3635 or subscribe to Horizons or order the January/February 2009 issue (HZN-09-200; $4 plus shipping). Rita Boyer is a certified Christian educator at Prospect Presbyterian Church in Maplewood, New Jersey. Illustration of Epiphany by Janet McKenzie, United States. Other Articles Online This Issue The Church as the Exclamation Point! The Journey from Babel to Antioch Multicultural Congregations Confessing Our Faith in the Twenty-first Century The Need for Evangelicals Dispatch from Forbearance Presbyterian Church The Church of All Nations Mosaic	Current Issue JAN/FEB 2009 About This Issue Contents FREE Resource How to Use In Our Next Issue to Horizons or call (866) 802-3635 the January/February 2009 issue, HZN-09-200 ($4 plus shipping/handling)

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