Your Church May Be More Diverse Than You Think

When diversity is already all around you in your church, do you take note of it, embrace it, and learn from it?

The phrase “diversity in the church” usually refers to racial or ethnic diversity, with many churches striving, often unsuccessfully, to attract a more fully integrated, racially balanced congregation. Some churches fret about not being able to achieve this, believing that they can’t possibly reflect the whole kingdom of God without demonstrating racial diversity, while others consider it a worthy pursuit but acknowledge that they’re not likely to have complete success in this area for various reasons.

If you’re like many Christians, when you look around your church on Sunday morning, it’s likely that the majority of the faces you see will be approximately the same color as your own. This may bother you, or it may not. But there’s a broader, and (I think) equally important way to think about diversity in church, as well. Diversity—the wide variety of humanity that reflects the whole kingdom of God—comes in many forms, and there are great benefits for those Christians who seek it out, identify it, appreciate it, and make the most of it in their church.

When it comes to your church, how much do you prefer to be surrounded by those who are pretty much just like you? What assumptions, what mental leaps, do you make about people to file them into comfortable categories that reflect aspects of your own life? And what do you do with those who seem to have almost nothing in common with you at all?

Truth be told, there are many ways (besides race) that your brothers and sisters in Christ exhibit diversity in your church. What names and faces come to mind when you read these examples below of those who are different from you and from each other? What might be their unique experience of and perspective on the Christian life? How does each one represent an aspect of Christ or his teachings that you can appreciate and learn from?

Socioeconomic and occupational diversity: This includes those who are insecure financially and often have trouble finding or keeping a home or a job … as well as those who have never known a day when they didn’t have more money and resources than they could possibly need. It covers those who dropped out of school at a young age and those with advanced degrees … those who come home from work dirty and smelly and those whose worst on-the-job injury is a paper cut … those who work with arcane concepts you couldn’t possibly understand and those who build or repair things that keep human civilization going. They are all your brothers and sisters in Christ, made in the image of God.

Political diversity: When you look around you on Sunday morning, can you identify those who probably don’t vote like you do? Do you know of people in your church who were on “opposite sides” during the pandemic with regard to masks and vaccines? Can a staunch conservative sit comfortably shoulder-to-shoulder in your church with someone who has a passion for social justice or the environment? Do you see these differences as healthy representations of a diversity that you can appreciate and learn from? Because they are all your brothers and sisters in Christ, made in the image of God.

Diversity in age: What’s the age range in your church? Does it tilt heavily toward the old or the young, or does your congregation represent all decades, from babies through octogenarians and beyond? Do you sometimes seek out and engage with those who are much younger or older than you as well as those who are around your own age? They are all your brothers and sisters in Christ, made in the image of God.

Diversity in childrearing choices, especially schooling options: Do you have children in your church who attend public schools, private Christian schools, and/or homeschool? Do parents establish friendships with those who haven’t made the same schooling choices, and is there respect and encouragement for all families no matter where their children attend school? Do parents use different methods, some you might not quite understand, to raise up their children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord? These children, these parents, these families—they are all your brothers and sisters in Christ, made in the image of God.

Diversity in mothers’ work choices: The mom who quit work when her first child was born and never looked back. The mom who has two young children in daycare and a demanding career that she loves. The mom who would rather be at home with her children but needs to work outside the home for financial reasons. These women are all your sisters in Christ, made in the image of God.

Diversity in marital status: Married couples and their children make up a large percentage of many congregations and naturally require significant attention from the church’s various ministries. But who in your congregation is single—never married? Who is widowed, and who is divorced? What couples would love to have children but have been unable to conceive? Who attends church alone because their spouse attends a different church or doesn’t attend church at all? They are all your brothers and sisters in Christ, made in the image of God.

Mental and physical diversity: Is anyone in your congregation differently abled, using a mobility or communication aid of some kind? Is anyone mentally impaired or intellectually disabled? Is there neurodiversity in your congregation, such as those with sensory issues, ADHD, autism spectrum disorder, dyslexia, or giftedness? Are some people just downright quirky or have out-of-the-box personality types? Do you avoid these people out of awkwardness, or do you seek them out to develop relationships with them? Because they are all your brothers and sisters in Christ, made in the image of God.

Diversity in spiritual maturity or Bible knowledge: Who in your congregation has been a Christian for a very long time, and who is new to the faith? Who is highly familiar with the tenets of your denomination, and who cares very little about denominations in general? Who has read the Bible through countless times and who feels guilty about rarely opening their Bible except when asked to on Sundays? You might think you know the answers to these questions, but you also might be surprised at assumptions you make that aren’t necessarily true, which is a good reason to learn one another’s testimonies and stories. You can learn from every single one of these people, and they are all your brothers and sisters in Christ, made in the image of God.

These are just a few examples of the kinds of diversity you can find right in your church, right now (or at least, I hope you can). And while racial diversity is certainly a worthy goal for any church, it’s not the only kind of diversity that’s out there, and it isn’t the only kind of diversity that God cares about.

Next Sunday morning, take a look around at the people that God has placed into your life at this exact moment, in this exact place. How are those people different from you and from each other? In what ways does each person challenge you to come out of your comfort zone at church and (hopefully) during the rest of the week, as well?

No one local church is ever going to reflect the full scope of the diversity of the people of God. Collectively and globally, this is indeed the ultimate goal—but in the meantime, make the most of the kinds of diversity that God has already given to your church. Seek it out, identify it, and appreciate it, to the glory of God.

Photo by Eric Prouzet on Unsplash