Better Together: The Role of Diaspora Christians in Bringing Harmonious Diversity to the American Church

Sixty years after Martin Luther King Jr. labeled the church the most segregated major institution in America, the American church remains a "dismembered, segregated body" facing the external threat of secularization. This paper demonstrates that diaspora Christians, when welcomed as honored members within multicultural churches, offer the greatest help for revitalizing the American church and renewing a compelling witness. Drawing on New Testament vignettes from Jerusalem, Antioch, Corinth, and Ephesus, the research establishes that "harmonious diversity" is a biblical prescription for churches to positively influence the society around them. The study critiques four contemporary models of churches in diverse contexts: Monocultural (segregation); multitenant (cooperation), which often fails to demonstrate unity envisioned by Paul; multiethnic (assimilation), which can suffer from "thin diversity" and cultural blind spots. It concludes that the multicultural approach (harmonization), which embraces cultural identity and practices linguistic hospitality, comes closest to the biblical model. International migrants present the greatest hope for Christian renewal in North America because they possess the faith, endurance, and maturity produced through the trials of migration. By harmonizing with these brothers and sisters, the American church can present a more complete final apologetic to a secular society where unity is not threatened by diversity.