PANA Institute for Leadership Development

Concurrent Session C3 / Saturday.2008.Aug.9 / 11:00 AM / Mudd 100

Erika Muse, Albany College of Pharmacy, Albany, NY:  musee@acp.edu

Over the past forty years in the New England region numerous new ethnic churches have been planted while established ones have grown. This growth within the diverse ethnic communities has been collectively referred to as the “Quiet Revival.”  The Quiet Revival has changed the overall focus of Christianity from being associated with an affluent white middle class to serving the needs of many immigrant and minority groups and becoming an integral part of group identity and community. It has been argued by the pastors of the region that New England represents 'God's kingdom on earth” as this ethnic diversity is united under the umbrella of Christianity. Viewing New England through “Kingdom eyes” highlights the region's multiculturalism and its unity in diversity.    However, multiculturalism as it is applied by the community itself opens up to debate the significance Christian identity holds among the diverse ethnic groups in the region. In many instances, multiculturalism produces cultural hybridization or the melding of traditions and practices. Nevertheless, in this case, while identifying as a Christian brother or sister has particular social and political importance, in members' social and political realities there is diversity in practices, approaches to worship, and social circumstances. 

Particularly salient in a multicultural conference held in Massachusetts in 2007 to “foster intercultural dialogue” was the persistence of boundaries and the highlighting of diverse external forces that impacted each group in the larger society. While the ethnic groups in attendance worshiped in the same “multicultural” service, the groups performed as isolated entities and remained ethnically separated by use of language, music and cultural views. In fact, a Native American pastor welcomed everyone to America.  This conference also offered panels for church leaders from the diverse communities to debate and discuss pressing social issues facing their congregations. Indeed, this conference was one of the first of its kind to begin an in depth “intercultural” dialogue among the ethnic groups of the region. Focusing on the Chinese ethnic churches of New England, the social issues confronting their congregations were far different than what the Native American, Hispanic and the African American churches encountered.  The dialogue of public, social narratives surrounding such issues as youth ministry that emerged from the conference revealed the divergent cultural and social resources and capital each group had at its disposal. 

This paper examines the impact multicultural perspectives have had on the definition of religion among diverse ethnic communities and the social implications of such diversity. As Christianity becomes an integral part of religious identity among an ever-diversifying and growing ethnic population, how do the church leaders themselves address such diversity and provide a collective force to unify these groups under one Christian umbrella?  Using New England and its “unprecedented” church growth over the past four decades as an example, this paper provides a view of the changing perspectives on community held by the church leaders and their congregations as to how Christianity informs their social and symbolic selves and how this impacts the sociopolitical relationships as the church reaches out to an ever growing and diversifying population.   Further discussed are the Chinese churches and their roles in community leadership and participation in the ongoing dialogue of multiculturalism.