United: Captured by God's Vision for Diversity

by Trillia J. Newbell

What’s the view from where you worship—racially diverse or racially monochrome?

On the Last Day every tongue and tribe will be represented in the glorious chorus praising God with one voice. Yet today our churches remain segregated. Can we reflect the beauty of the last day this day?

United will inspire, challenge, and encourage readers to pursue the joys of diversity through stories of the author's own journey and a theology of diversity lived out.

It’s time to capture a glimpse of God’s magnificent creativity. In the pages of United, Trillia Newbell reveals the deeply moving, transforming power of knowing—really knowing—someone who is equal yet unique. As we learn to identify in Christ rather than in our commonalities, we begin to experience the depth and power of gospel unity.

Genres: Christian, Nonfiction, Theology, Race, Faith, Christian Living, Christianity

160 pages, Paperback

First published February 14, 2014

About the author

Trillia Newbell is the author of Enjoy: Finding the Freedom to Delight Daily in God's Good Gifts (2016), Fear and Faith: Finding the Peace Your Heart Craves (2015), United: Captured by God's Vision for Diversity (2014), a children’s book, God’s Very Good Idea: A True Story of God’s Delightfully Different Family, and a six-week Bible study on Romans 8, If God is For Us: The Everlasting Truth of Our Great Salvation (releases January 2019) . Her writings on issues of faith, family, and diversity have been published in the Knoxville News-Sentinel, Desiring God, Christianity Today, Relevant Magazine, The Gospel Coalition, and more. She is currently Director of Community Outreach for the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission for the Southern Baptist Convention. Trillia is married to her best friend, Thern, they reside with their two children near Nashville, TN. You can find her at trillianewbell.com and follow her on twitter at @trillianewbell.

Reviews

[Rachel Le · Rating 2 out of 5]

I found this book to be too colloquial for me and lacking in concrete thoughts. Newbell basically tells her personal story of developing a desire for more diversity in her faith community, it's almost more autobiography than anything.

[Ethan English · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a wonderful book! “By building into diverse relationships, we display the reconciliation and redemption of Christ to a world that is broken and divided.” This book is beautifully written with a focus on the authors relationships and how diverse relationships proclaims the gospel and strengthens the church. Very applicable. Best book I’ve read this year for sure.

[Whitney · Rating 4 out of 5]

Newbell is an African-American theologian and Christian writer who shares her experience in the American evangelical church and biblical inspiration for pursuing diversity within our faith communities. She discusses pain points from her personal story and the history of the church at large that illustrate advances made and work yet unfinished. It’s a short book that I wish was a bit more fleshed out in the practical ‘how-to.’ But that also gives the reader the freedom to apply her principals within their own context, without feeling the pressure to adhere to a specific image. It’s an encouraging and timely read for all Christians.

[DT · Rating 2 out of 5]

The low stars are not because the content of the book is bad or questionable. It’s because it was written as if the reader knows nothing about race or Scripture. She also made reference to Piper’s “Bloodlines” so many times that I felt like I was reading a book report. One of the interesting things js how in one of the later chapters, she referenced Bloodlines as if she never talked about it before, which is indicative of poor editing. She also talks about people being made in God’s Image as if that would be a new concept to the reader rather than a fundamental Christian belief.

This might be a good book for kids, but no mature believer with a diverse friend group would glean anything of depth from it.

[Mark Jr. · Rating 4 out of 5]

I watched Trillia speaking to Thabiti Anyabwile in an author interview and decided I wanted to buy this book. Ms. Newbell impressed me with her bright Christian countenance and her thoughtful, personal approach to a difficult issue.

This book tells her personal story of inter-ethnic Christian friendship and church ministry, and it would be a good book to give to someone (perhaps especially a woman—simply because Trillia writes a lot about deep Christian friendships with other women) who needs to be initiated into the simple idea that if God wants people from every tongue, tribe, and nation to praise Him in the eschaton, why not now? And, importantly, why not together now?

However, and this is no criticism of the book, I would direct someone who already gets that idea and agrees with it to the greater theological substance of John Piper's Bloodlines, which had a far bigger impact on me than this book because it was so richly scriptural. It's not that Trillia's writing is superficial; she just didn't aim at lengthy scriptural exposition. Her aim seemed to be more autobiography-with-Scripture-proofs. That is valuable in itself; you just need to know what you're getting going in.

Ms. Newbell placed an appendix in this book which I found to be equally as valuable as her own story. She transcribes an interview she did with Thabiti Anyabwile in which he discusses the faulty concept of "race." He offers a short reading list on the issue which I'm excited to tackle.

I hope Ms. Newbell will not stop writing. I have a feeling there is more wisdom to be had from her, and I am thankful she put forth the effort to serve Christ's body in this way.

[Jeanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

It is a wonderful thing to be captured by something good. It will take your breath away and give you hope. United gives strength and purpose and when we are united in truth which is in Christ there is glory. It does'nt get much better than that. Mrs. Newbell experience in being captured by God's vision for diversity is engaging and reveals the heart at it's core As she plainly writes, diversity is not for diversity sake, but for love and I think for God's name sake. I think it is interesting that God in his word does not reveal race in creation but does later on. We are not told that Adam and Eve are black, white, Asian, or Indian. Instead we are told that God created man in his image to be his image bearers. Is race a gospel issue? Yes it is. Race has been a identity problem since the beginning. In the appendix, Thabiti Anyabile asnwered some revealing questions and towards the end, he had this statement which I fully agree..My hope would be to see a world that really is "post-racial" because it really has understood, deconstructed, and subsequently reconstructed human indentity along bibical lines. I am fighting for our sanity. We can't live contrary to God's design and definition of us without, in fact losing our minds and our souls. We need to understand the renewal Jesus has achieved for us. The renewal includes the ability to see ourselves as a renewed humanity, not only with common ancestry in Adam but now with common union in Jesus Christ. He has freed us. Anything that is good and true is worth fighting for and diversity reveals who God is.

Thank you Goodreads for my free copy and the opportunity to post a honest review.

[Sean Brenon · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is an interesting book. Of its 9 chapters, I think 6 of them are really good. Theologically, I think Mrs. Newbell has an awesome perspective on race. I think she is correct about the racialization of language as being generally negative and that heaven will be diverse. I also agree that the call of the Great Commission is to make disciples of a wide range of ethnicities.

All of that is good.

Where I start to have issues is in Newbell’s understanding of the Church. For example, she makes the statement that Churches should push for ethnic diversity because a) that’s what heaven looks like, and b) that’s what the Great Commission says.

To be, this is a fundamentally incorrect understanding of the Church. To borrow the Reformed terminology, there is the visible and invisible Church: the Church in local buildings and the Church universal, respectively. Not everything you say about one is true of the other.

So to respond to point a): the ‘Church’ in heaven is the universal Church. I don’t find her arguments compelling that ethnic diversity should be a focus of the local Church. The Church should not actively fight against diversity, but, as is the problem with, say, affirmative action policy, Churches who prioritize ethnic diversity are often just virtue signaling. And it’s weird to me because Newbell seems aware of the cultural deception surrounding virtue signaling, but then kind of calls for the local churches to engage in that. If we should not turn someone away on the basis of their ethnicity, then how can you possibly say we should seek people out in the basis of their ethnicity? It sounds hypocritical to me.

To respond to point b): the Great Commission says to go out into the world and make disciples of all nations, not to bring all nations into the local Church communities and make them disciples that way. You don’t fulfill the Great Commission by diversifying your congregation. That may happen as a result of evangelism, but that’s not the point in the Commission.

This is why I had to make a distinction in Newbell’s book. The theology of race is generally correct, but the take away should be more about engaging with different ethnicities in their cultures. Paul talks about this several times— he was a Jew to the Jews and a Gentile to the Gentiles. I take that to mean this: Kenyans value storytelling more than, say, Germans. Whereas Germans might relate to an issue via systemic, mental engagement, Kenyans relate to an issue through the imagination. Both the systemic mental faculty and the emotional imaginative one are functions of man as created by God— one is not better than the other (and, of course, Africans are often capable of thinking Germanically just as Germans are capable of thinking like a Kenyan).

But the point here is that, if I witness to a Kenyan group, I will share the gospel through stories as much as possible because their culture values stories. And if I witness to a German population, I will share the gospel more philosophically. And the Church should seek to minister to all those different groups.

Newbell has one excellent point: we ought to learn about different cultures if we want to minister to them. I wholeheartedly agree. That just doesn’t mean that we must seek to diversify our local congregations by necessity.

[Kelley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Newbell offers a simple and deeply hopeful perspective on diversity in the church: "Jesus is the cornerstone by which all things are restored and genuine relationships are built. Racial reconciliation, harmony, and diversity aren't out of the reach of God!"

Her own story begins with longing for connections with people unlike her in her mostly-white church. God answered that prayer through two women whose skin color was different but whose hearts were pointing in the same direction. Their friendship - and successful navigation of difficult topics - gave her hope.

"This is one of the beauties of our friendship - we began to carry burdens that we would not and could not fully relate to. The result is that this ultimately equipped us to serve others beyond our small sphere."

"There is a richness in knowing - really knowing - someone who is different from you."

Newbell lives in the real world. "If diversity was easy, we wouldn't have the problems that we are confronted with today," she wrote.

But she is also confident in her God. "God himself created the world by the power of his voice. Surely he can do a small thing like build a church that is rich in diversity. And given our history, when it happens we will all know that it is the Lord's good doing."

The book is grounded in Newbell's personal story. It's told very informally, almost like she was just sitting down across the table from you. It is thick with scripture, as well as research she's collected from pastors and theologians. Some of the most thought-provoking is from Thabiti Anyabwile, who makes a passionate and detailed argument for race as a social construct and ethnicity (the distinguishing characteristics of people groups and cultures) as the more biblical concept. It's a idea I've heard before, but never heard articulated so clearly.

Newbell's thoughts were encouraging to me, clarifying things I have been trying to understand and express: "... by building into diverse relationships, we display that reconciliation and redemption of Christ to a world that is broken and divided.… To walk in that unity arm in arm with people of every tribe and race is to declare to the world that Christ's blood is enough for the fight for racial reconciliation."

[Kelly Lindstrom · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading this book. I have personally been exploring the topic of diversity within the church, and really appreciated hearing Trillia Newbell’s personal experience and continue to be challenged to capture God’s vision for global and diverse church. The writing style was really approachable and easy to read, and felt like a conversation. I would recommend it!

[Dana · Rating 1 out of 5]

I read this for a reading challenge. I was disappointed by how one-sided it was. As a white girl, in a small southern town, I was almost offended. Mrs. Newbell wants white churches to reach out to the black community. Never was it suggested that the black church reach out to the whites. Or really any other race. Then she encouraged biracial marriages, to the point that God intended for only biracial, and we should be embarrassed to be married to a same race spouse. Ashamed when I walk into my all white church. I am in my church because it seeks to worship God in a way I can relate to, participate in. I have visited all-black churches in my town, and been shunned. I have sat through worship that made me singled out, because I do not shout, or dance, or speak in tongue. Would God be happier if I attended a church with people of a difference race, but was never able to worship? No! This is not diversity for God's Glory.

The author also never mentioned economic diversity, just black/white race. She went to a church with her college friends, and campus ministry. The truth is, I would not have fit into her church, even though I am white. We need to keep in mind that the color of our skin is not the only barrier in our worship. Financial status, education status, and fashion status also separates and divide. Guess she didn't see that issue.

[Don · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of the most troubling things is how divided America seems on a Sunday morning at church. Trillia Newbell openly discusses this issue head on. I am grateful for her insights and hope others--especially church leaders--put this on their reading lists.

[Pauline · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an excellent work! In this short, but powerfully packed book, Trillia Newbell shares a solidly biblical and personal plea for diversity in the church. Using her own church experience she challenges and reminds Christian readers that we are all made in God’s image and therefore we should celebrate the differences as we are all in Christ by His Grace. We can learn from each other and serve one another in love. This book resonated with what’s been in my heart for a long, long time. Lately, some books on diversity have left me with an unsettled feeling I couldn’t identify. Newbell had me shouting “That’s it! Amen!” when I realized she clarified what had been bothering me through this statement: “I don’t want the church to find yet another trendy pursuit to latch on to. What I am after as I share the beauty of diversity in the church is one thing—and one thing only—the glory of God.” Diversity is a beautiful word, it glorifies God and makes our lives richer.

[Jason Park · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a perfect tone Trillia Newbell finds in this book. I expect it's her natural voice, and that makes her a natural fit to be the voice we need in the SBC for diversity and biblical love for our neighbors. This book brought me clarity in the mission of diversity for the church, that we should yearn for it not because it is the new thing or because it's necessary for our denomination's future, but because we can see the beauty of "every tribe and nation", and thus the gospel, right here and right now.

If I disappointed with this book in any way, it was because I was half-expecting more specific answers on how a church like mine can find a path towards more diversity. But the answers to that question are nuanced and probably specific to the local church, so this book is a great starting point for that conversation to start in a church like mine.

[Kaylee · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a call to unity among the body of believers without color or culture playing a part in the big picture of relationships. I think it was well written and well thought out but I was a bit disappointed by the depth of the message. In reality I don't think I was her target audience. I grew up in a homogenous community with very little option for diversity, not because diversity was discouraged but because it just hadn't arrived in that area yet. Now as a cross-cultural worker in South America I'm the minority and living in a diverse community. I picked up the book looking for ways to encourage the diverse relationships we have but needing something at the next level. For the right audience, this book could be a great encouragement to seek diversity in relationships in and out of the church.

[Hannah Pitner · Rating 5 out of 5]

I already loved Trillia after hearing her speak and reading her book “fear and faith,” however I was a little leery to read this one. Some books like this frustrate me when they are filled with inspiration but no ways to apply it in my actual life.

Trillia was a breath of fresh air in this book. From a heart full of grace that is beyond my understanding, she shares stories and gospel truth in a way that is so applicable for everyone one of us in our daily lives and in our churches. She so clearly explains the desperate need for diversity in our churches, not just for the sake of diversity, but because it is clearly found in scripture and a gift for us as believers. We have so much to learn from each other, yet we stay separate.

This book is a must read if you are even a little curious about what it means for church to be diverse or if you are already on fire for diversity.

[Brandon · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a good book on the theme of racial diversity in the church. It is different from others because it is primarily about Trillia Newbell's personal journey to desiring and being blessed by diversity in the church. It has an autobiographical and personal dimension as it takes up the problems of racism, racial justice, and multi-ethnic churches.

So, for those looking for a different way into this topic--more narratival than abstract--this would be a good book to check out.

Very edifying.

There are also discussion questions for each chapter in the back of the book, so this could serve as a group study, very easily.

[Logan Maloney · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great starter book to read for anyone wanting to learn more about what diversity in the church and in our lives should look like! Trillia Newbell writes about her friendships with her two closest girl friends (Amy and Lillian) who are white and Chinese and shows how God gave her those friends so that all three of them could see that Christian community should be a family of many colors and cultures. It took a little while for her to get into more of the gritty details I was looking for when talking about some challenges and history of the fight for racial reconciliation but I recommend to anyone interested in the topic!

[RAW · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good introduction, personal, and biblical approach to a challenging topic. Trillia tackles the need for diversity in the church through the lens of scripture in gratefulness for where the church has progressed but in hope and conviction for where the church must continue to pursue! Her purpose is to see the beauty of Gods diversity on full display in order to bring about the glory of God. She sticks to scripture and personal examples in her own life as she begins the dialogue of capturing the desire to reflect Him to a broken world. It convicted me, encouraged me, and challenged me in my own desire to see this grow in my own church.

[Rachel Mayes Allen · Rating 4 out of 5]

"True unity is found first through being reconciled to God and then to each other. To walk in that unity arm in arm with people of every tribe and race is to declare to the world that Christ's blood is enough for the fight for racial reconciliation."

In the current climate of racial reckoning, this message is more essential than ever. This small, simple book explores foundational truths about identity, diversity, and unity within the Christian faith. Newbell maintains a gracious, hope-filled perspective, emphasizing that what the church needs is not diversity for diversity's sake but diversity for the sake of loving our neighbors. Hers is a voice worth listening to.

[Sharon · Rating 3 out of 5]

I had high expectations for this book. Maybe too high. It was a good read, but not as deep, moving or thought-provoking as I had hoped. The author uses her three way female friendship as a basis to talk about diversity in our relationships. I found it to be a weak analogy and wanted more. She did make some good points and I totally agree with her point of view. Would recommend for someone who is struggling to know why we should seek diversity in relationships and churches, but not too someone who already understands this perspective.

[Germaine Andrew · Rating 5 out of 5]

I appreciate the angle Trillia took in this writing. I love the facts she shared about her experiences in different church environments both before & after her salvation. She takes us through the “confusing” times where she has to accept her skin color yet also understand that it’s not wrong. Also how she came to understand the harsh realities of sin causing separations that are unnecessary yet how Christ brings different people together because of their salvation & faith in Him. Truly uniting His people

[Stephanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

A quick read about why ethnic diversity, particularly among the people of God, is in fact God's good and beautiful idea. She is thoroughly Biblical and, from her own experiences of ethnically diverse friendships, church family, and interethnic marriage, writes with a candor and optimism that both refresh and challenge.

The book also includes a particularly helpful interview with Thabiti Anyabwile about race.

[Edy Gies · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a fabulous book. I greatly appreciated Trillia's viewpoint and her strong gospel presentation. I also read Creative God; Colorful Us which was wonderful. Reading about her experiences was both moving and challenging. The day I finished this, I found myself at an Arabic church listening to the gospel being presented in a foreign language. It gave me such an exciting glimpse at what heaven will be like! I'm very thankful for this book and would highly recommend it to any reader.

[Andrew · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a quick read that beautifully handles the topic of race with a lot of wisdom, personal stories, and Scripture. I really enjoyed it and think every Christian (especially those in pastoral positions) should give this a read. We need to intentionally start pursuing a heart for diversity Trillia gives us a great place to start!

[Heather · Rating 2 out of 5]

I’m bummed, I really wanted to like this book and learn from it, but it was 100% different from what I was expecting. I was expecting more of a practical/how-to in terms of embracing God’s vision for diversity, but this was definitely autobiographical in nature-which wasn’t exactly explained in the summary.

[Brandon Beck · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wasn’t expecting my heart to be as captured and encouraged through reading this book as it was and, for that, I am incredibly thankful. She touched on friendship and love for our brothers and sisters as the driving force for our pursuit in unity. And it was simply incredibly refreshing and life-giving.

[Hanna Lee · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book but didn’t find it to be a must read. In some ways it was a short autobiography/memoir of Trillia’s life related to finding her place in the church. She concludes that diversity just to feel the same or accepted is not biblical and that the reason we should all desire and strive for diversity in our local body is that it is a reflection of what we will experience in heaven.

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book with a small group of ladies from my church and it led to great discussion! I would highly recommend reading this with someone to discuss. It was an easy read, yet thought-provoking. I left feeling challenged to pursue others the way Christ has pursued me.

[Danielle Wood · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed Trillia’s thoughts about diversity, especially within the church. I thought she was very gentle in getting her points across and I found her theology sound. I took it slowly and really thought about each chapter!

[Annette Wagoner · Rating 5 out of 5]

Even though this book wasn't written for 2020, you can be sure that it is just as relevant now. Mrs. Newbell shows us how diversity in the body of Christ can be brought about through building relationships with people who are not like you.