Churches, Cultures & Leadership

 

African American

Haah Video: Personal Transformations

Stories of transformation are powerful examples of the reality of God’s activity in the world. In this clip, Pastor Kevin Haah shares three stories of transformation at New City Church.  The first is about an African American man’s road to … Read the Post

Posted in: Part III: Leadership, Communication and Change, Videos
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Haah Video: Diversity in Context & Church

Pastor Kevin Haah states, “People are more multiethnic in friendships and the workplace than we think they are.” He specifically points to how we can learn from the multiethnic friendships on Skid Row. Homelessness, a narrative more pervasive than ethnic … Read the Post

Posted in: Introduction, Part I: Theology and Context, Part III: Leadership, Communication and Change, Videos
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Carson Video: Willing to Change – Passion & Patience

Pastor Elwood Carson portrays the complexities associated with becoming a multi-ethnic congregation. He talks about having to adapt his African American preaching style as Latino neighbors join the congregation. Also, the congregation embodies differences between people and their various stages … Read the Post

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Carson Video: Friendships

Pastor Carson’s church is currently doing the work of building intercultural friendships, even with the challenges of a bi-lingual context. To do this, he stresses the importance of hospitality, time spent together, and the practice of sharing meals.  → On … Read the Post

Posted in: Part I: Theology and Context, Part III: Leadership, Communication and Change, Videos
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Carson Video: Prophecies, the Economy, and from Commuter to Local

Pastor Carson’s story shows how transformation is not a straight line. Turbulent economic times forced many commuters at Carson’s congregation to stop coming to church in an effort to save money on gas. This difficult loss led the church to … Read the Post

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Carson Video: Learning Spanish and Connecting with Neighbors

Pastor Elwood Carson, of New Life in Christ Church (Los Angeles), shares about how evolving neighborhood demographics prompted him to learn Spanish. Over time, as church members engaged their neighbors, a series of events and experiences led this predominantly African … Read the Post

Posted in: Part I: Theology and Context, Part II: Sociocultural Perspectives, Part III: Leadership, Communication and Change, Videos
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Doi Video: Power Distance Ratios

Pastor Doi discusses Geert and Gert Jan Hofstede’s work on power distance ratios (see Cultures and Organizations) and how Epic Church has benefited from this framework. → In chapter 5, on page 122, Martínez writes about language and power. → On p … Read the Post

Posted in: Books, Part II: Sociocultural Perspectives, Part III: Leadership, Communication and Change, Videos
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Doi Video: Inclusion, Exclusion, Power

Pastor Doi connects how Epic church cares about inclusion, rooted in Jesus stories. The church attends to how matters of power and inclusion affect church conversation patterns, meals, and worship. → On p 140, Martínez writes about the importance of … Read the Post

Posted in: Part II: Sociocultural Perspectives, Part III: Leadership, Communication and Change, Videos
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Buchanan Video: Training Deacons

In a church that was changing from being dominantly Euro American to being about half African American, the move toward integrated leadership was critical. Rev. Buchanan focuses on training deacons for cross-cultural ministry. → This story is on p 145. … Read the Post

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Buchanan Video: Conflicts Regarding Diversity

Rev. Buchanan notes the challenges that can surface within an ethnic group when they differ concerning the pursuit of intercultural life. → On p 220, Branson writes about relational leadership and the need to be aware of and takes steps … Read the Post

Posted in: Part II: Sociocultural Perspectives, Part III: Leadership, Communication and Change, Videos
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Site Overview

Introduction

By engaging ethnic histories and hearing personal autobiographies we are participating in God's creative work of shaping and reshaping church life and mission.

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Part I: Theology and Context

Using the frameworks of practical theology and missional ecclesiology, we provide an introduction to the work of leadership and to social theory, including matters of social contexts, cultural variables, and ethnic identity.

Part II: Sociocultural Perspectives

Cultural anthropology provides insights into social power and human dynamics that vary among cultures. Topics include worldviews, relationships, identity, language, and perception and thinking.

Part III: Leadership, Communication and Change

We need to develop the skills and capacities for communication and leadership in intercultural settings in order to engage the challenges of church life and mission in multicultural contexts.

Resources

We are assembling resources for pastors, professors, and students -- websites, cinema, documentaries, group exercises, books, and Bible studies.