Segregated or Multi-Cultural Church?

As I've written before, the church my family is a part of here in New Jersey speaks three languages. There is the Brazilian congregation which has been in existence for 15 years now. I often lead Bible studies for this group and preach every other Sunday (a Brazilian man preaches the other Sundays). About a year or so ago the Brazilian church started a Hispanic service for Spanish-speakers, and it has actually grown faster than the Brazilian church. Once a month we have a joint service with preaching in Spanish. The children of the Brazilians and Hispanics speak English in addition to their parents' languages. In fact, for most of the kids English is really their first language.

This isn't easy, though. A racially and linguistically homogeneous congregation can have its troubles and conflicts, so imagine the potential tension a multi-cultural congregation faces. With all the "new" people we feel pretty packed in our building, even though we just bought it (with loans) a couple of years ago. It's easy to step on toes. The unity worship gathering once a month is a great idea, but while us Portuguese-speakers can generally understand the Spanish preaching, it isn't always easy and is rarely comfortable. There are misunderstandings about who is supposed to clean the building and when, and as I plan for the youth group this Fall I wonder if I'll be trying to work only with the Brazilian-American kids, or the Hispanic youth as well.

So far we are doing pretty well, but every so often the possibility of starting an English-language service is floated. I'm not sure at this point who would attend. I could certainly preach and lead Bible studies, but there aren't than many American contacts we could draw on readily to start. At least, I don't think so. I'd love to minister to the neighborhood around the building, but I'm not sure if the congregation is ready for the challenge. Heck, I'm not sure I'm ready for it. You see, the majority racial group in Newark, New Jersey is the African-Americans, and racial prejudice and tensions have long bubbled and fermented beneath the surface of the city.

For all the difficulties, I can't deny that it is the Biblical way to go. The early church was not segregated. Though the majority were poor, economic lines were not a deciding factor on being part of the body of Christ. There were slaves, citizens and non-citizen residents. There were men and women of all the known racial groups of the Roman Empire. It certainly wasn't easy for them, but it was their calling through the Gospel. It is ours as well.

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See Also:
The CNN article Why Many Americans Prefer Their Sundays Segregated
My past post Racial (dis)Unity in the American Church