In Church as It Is in Heaven: Cultivating a Multiethnic Kingdom Culture

by Jamaal E. Williams, Timothy Paul Jones

Heaven is multiethnic. Are you ready for that? The Bible tells us that the congregation gathered around God's heavenly throne will be "a vast multitude from every nation, tribe, people, and language," all singing the praises of the Lamb. God's intention has always been to delight for all eternity in a redeemed community of ethnic diversity. But this diverse community shouldn't have to wait until eternity to begin! It can be a reality in our own local churches here and now. Patterned after a worship service, In Church as It Is in Heaven gives biblical warrant for such a community and shows how multiethnic churches provide a unique apologetic for the gospel. Along the way, the authors tell the story of their own church―a majority-white congregation which is being transformed into a family that reflects the diversity of heaven. The multiethnic kingdom is not just a nice idea, or an abstract theory. It's a reality―one we can enter into today.

Genres: Church, Christian, Faith, Race, Spirituality

224 pages, Hardcover

Published June 13, 2023

Reviews

[Devon Scott · Rating 5 out of 5]

EXCELLENT BOOK! 5 Stars for this one! This book does a great job in balancing theological truths and practical application. The authors conduct the book as if each chapter was a different part of a worship service (welcome and greeting, passing the peace, sermon, benediction, etc.). I found the book to be a helpful challenge for Pastors to pursue a culture of diversity, as a means to glorifying God and bearing witness to the World.

I honestly find very few, if any faults to the book. It was practical, biblical, theological, and honest. Highly recommend!

[Brett Wiley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Pastor Jamaal Williams is the president of the Harbor Network and lead pastor at Sojourn Church Midtown in Louisville, KY. I share those facts because last year our church joined the Harbor Network. If you attend City Life Church, I would encourage you to read this book to get a sense of one of the men who is providing faithful leadership to our church network. I would also encourage you to read this book because it’s one of the most helpful books on the church and race that I have read to date. It casts a challenging, convicting, compelling, and beautiful vision for churches to pursue a multiethnic kingdom culture in our own churches “as it is in heaven.” I also LOVE that the whole book is framed around the liturgy of a worship service.

[Conner Hinton · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a very helpful contribution to the pursuit of a kingdom culture that will look like heaven. I read this with the other pastors at my church, and it has provided direction for some of the ongoing conversations we are having about our church culture.

[Mike Collins · Rating 5 out of 5]

The best books propel you to shift your entire paradigm on something. That is how this book helped me. The authors present a compelling biblical case for a multiethnic church that reflects its surrounding community. They then show that moving towards that vision is a slow, painful process of recognizing subconscious practices that are exclusionary to those with other cultural backgrounds.

Their heavily footnoted chapters offer ample evidence to the contrary of the narrative that “racism is no longer a real problem in America.” Certainly, many of my friends might be tempted not to read this book for fear that it might read like a left-wing news article. That’s far from the case.

My only wish is that the authors dove a little deeper into the practical changes their congregation implemented to better reflect the diversity of their town. However, I imagine they wanted to keep it broad enough for it to be relevant to a broader audience.

[Joshua Chatman · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book is exceptional! It’s biblical, practical and hopeful. They put the cookies at the bottom shelf for everyone and empower Christians to pursue diverse relationships. It’s encouraging that they focus on the local church. They remind us of the power of the gospel of Christ and exhort Christians to be hopeful in the pursuit of diversity in the church because Christ purchased a diverse people with His blood (Rev. 5:9). Every reader will be challenged!

One can read it in a week, but it’ll take a lifetime to live it out! I highly recommend that pastors read this book and hand it out to church members.

[Andrew Hanna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Our pastors read this book over the course of the summer and it will be added to my shortlist of books regarding unity and diversity in the church. The authors serve as pastors at a church that has taken steps to move in a more multiethnic direction. Using the liturgy of their church as the backbone of the book, they provide readers with a theological framework and practical steps to do the same.

More so than other books in this corner of evangelicalism, In Church as It Is in Heaven is practical and centered on what local churches can actually do. They acknowledge the difficulties yet remain hopeful about the power of the gospel to save.

I highly recommend this book. I even found a few portions of this book so helpful that I added a portion of it to the syllabus for our church internship.

[Jared · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jamaal and Timothy's heartbreaking stories and intentional liturgical outline are designed to move your heart; I was moved by chapter 11's question ("Do you love God's vision?"), chapter 13's story of Louisville's racial history, and Jamaal's vulnerability about his own struggles in chapter 14. I'm thankful for how the truths of this book both expose sin and point away from us to Christ's redeeming work.

This book's end notes take up 30 percent of its pages, and those pages are some of the book's best. Here the authors show their work—providing key definitions, applying Augustine's doctrine of concupiscence to unconscious bias, arguing that Christianity is a superordinate identity that coexists with ethnic identity, and pleading for their readers to adopt a posture of critical realism as opposed to secular anti-racism. Don't sleep on the intellectual rigor in those last 60 pages!

[Aaron · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book. Biblical. Wise. Insightful. Appropriately nuanced. Aware of pitfalls and mistakes that can happen when teaching on this topic. (Ex: they make clear that it is good for us to *lament* over the wrongs committed by our ancestors in the faith, but we are not able to, nor should we, *repent* for sins we didn’t personally commit. At the same time, we should also acknowledge ways we benefit from injustices and seek to correct wrongs.)

The authors recognize that what diversity will look like in each context will be a little different from one another. Yet they also don’t hold back from exhorting every Christian to be growing in their knowledge, cultivating a greater love and practice of diversity now, that we will experience fully on the New Earth.

The fact that this book was co-written by a Black pastor and a White pastor allow them to speak more forthrightly and with more credibility, at least to White Christians who would be less open to the authors’ views, and in ways it otherwise couldn’t.

This is my new go-to for a popular level introduction to the topic of diversity in God’s kingdom and how we should then live.

[Meredith Martinez · Rating 4 out of 5]

(4/5 stars) This is a great, thought-provoking book that would certainly be beneficial for church small groups to read and discuss together in a study on racial and ethnic unity. Using a mix of personal experiences, current research, and historical perspectives - all steeped in scripture - Williams and Jones have crafted a book that points us towards "on earth as it is in heaven," which should ultimately start with the church. Any Christian who reads this will be challenged and encouraged to participate in this work of reconciliation and unity.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

[Eelinh · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cannot recommend this book enough. Not just for its perspective on cultivating a multiethnic kingdom culture but cultivating a gospel-centered culture for the Church in general. The authors draw on their personal experiences to write a book that is a balance of thought-provoking, edifying, and challenging (in a good way). You're either thinking, "Hmm...", "Ouch", "Amen", or All the above.
(This review was written specifically to compete with Brett Wiley's review of the same book)

[Chris Hatch · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a timely book this is! As our nation is reeling from racial unrest, the authors lay out a vision, with practical solutions, for the church to rise up to the challenges we face. It is robustly biblical and emotionally captivating so that it will be a useful read for both ministry leaders and laypeople who desire to see their church engaged in kingdom-centred ethnic diversity.

[Bradley Blaylock · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is both a moving and thought provoking book. Jamaal and Timothy do an excellent job at inviting you in on a heartbreaking story of racial strife both from a historical and personal perspective. The concepts of unconscious bias and racial identity are fleshed out and presented very convincingly. Worth a read.

[Kristen Campbell · Rating 2 out of 5]

A book-long sermon (with Bible verses quoted) on the goal of racial healing and full community of all races within the church.

[Scott Ward · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amen and amen. Not in the sense of “it is finished” but in the real sense of “I have faith” and “let it be so.” Williams and Jones build a guide on the shoulders of giants from Augustine, Martin Luther, Howard Thurman and more well-known and obscure Christian writers and thinkers of all backgrounds. For newbies to the racial barriers found in the US church and others who have hoped and worked to make a difference, the authors provide an excellent toolkit and role model for changing our heads, our hearts and our dirty hands—both in the sense of past sins but also in the sense of “getting down to business” by doing something rather than just talking. Let’s walk the walk. If you have done more reading and practice in this area, you’ll find some additional ideas beyond what you might find in Jamar Tisby’s “Color of Compromise” or Chalmer Center’s “Are You a Good Neighbor?”—and other comparable works and curricula.

Full of scripture and perhaps some new takes on familiar passages—e.g. how many of us catch onto the ideal of the Lord’s Supper in 1 Corinthians 11 beyond our measly Eucharistic celebrations?—Williams and Jones take us on their own journey of understanding how the vision of many tribes and tongues worshiping the Lord can be seen here on earth. Each chapter ends with practical steps we can all implement. For some they’ll be baby steps; for others, they’ll feel like landing-on-the-moon journeys. In every way though, we need to be curious. But with grace and mercy, as our Lord too provides such, the authors understand us who hesitate to step forth.

If there’s a drawback in the book, it’s that the authors struggle with coaching us how to identify subcultures within ethnicities. One might understand this just from the title of Bryan Loritts’ “Right Color, Wrong Culture: The Type of Leader Your Church Needs to Become Multiethnic.” As a person who has made mistakes, like asking a Nicaraguan what part of Mexico they’re from or assuming West Africans think and behave like East Africans or thinking one person’s story leading to poverty is indicative of others I meet downtown, I’ve had to remind myself to be more curious than assured in my knowledge. In any regard, this will be a reference I pull out and to which I’ll refer many others interested in starting this journey.

[Reader · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought that the authors did a great job of telling their experience, both in terms of background to racism in the church, but also in the hard work of trying to live into a multi ethnic multiracial church body. I liked that they didn’t gloss over how hard the work is and how embedded many of the mindsets are, and additionally, I liked that they did not say this was the only model, but rather just one that they were pursuing. Lastly, I really enjoyed the liturgies that they gave and the poetry in the chapters. It was both practical and inspiring.

[Educator · Rating 5 out of 5]

NetGalley ARC Educator 550974

This book tackles the lack of diversity in churches. The authors use the example of their church and lessons learned to impress upon its readers that heaven will be diverse. There are mentions of attacks against African American churches and other racially motivated attacks. This book only deals with race, it does not mention LGBTQIA+ persons.

This book should be added to seminary required reading lists as well as religious courses worldwide.

[Cynthia Young · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was used to explore racial reconciliation and creating multiethnic churches. It can guide a church who thinks this is the Biblical way to go, and that Jesus was serious when He prayed that we -the Church would be one. There's a video that you can use to go with it if you want to teach this in a small group setting.

[Ryan Oakes · Rating 4 out of 5]

[3.5]

GREAT message, but was just a little redundant in nature — found myself skimming parts of the book.

“Diversity is an implication and a result of gospel-driven love, not the goal itself. The goal is faithfulness that embraces the unity God has already accomplished in Christ through the power of the gospel.”

[Kari McDowell · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thought-provoking read. I think it could have been consolidated some.

[Sean Nolan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great and balanced approach to a much needed subject. I particularly enjoyed that it was organized like a church service as “liturgy.”

[Jessica Reichel · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the best books I have finished in a while. I appreciated how practical the book is. An encouraging read but also challenging and heartbreaking.

[Douglas Biggs · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent. Mandatory reading.

[Sharonda Elaine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overall, a helpful read. Williams and Jones pastor together in a multi-ethnic church and do a fantastic job explaining their vision and how to implement it in your context.

[Jaimie Hockema · Rating 5 out of 5]

Time to go research Louisville's history.

[Stephany Parkey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thoroughly enjoyed! Made me really assess myself and made me more convinced that I want to do better!

[Bob · Rating 4 out of 5]

Summary: Two pastors, one black, one white, describe the thick formative practices that have helped them foster a multiethnic church, following the form of liturgy used in their and others’ congregations.

I recall a certain bright-eyed optimism among evangelicals in the American church around forming multiethnic congregations in the early part of the millenium. Much of this died a painful death in the political divisions of the last decade that have divided the country along racial lines, and have been mirrored in our churches when politics have taken the pre-eminent place over the gospel of Jesus.

The authors of this work, the Black lead pastor and a White teaching pastor of Sojourn Church Midtown in Louisville, Kentucky, believe multiethnic congregations are possible. They have witnessed it with their own eyes as they lead an ethnically diverse congregation. It has not been easy and they speak of members who have left because this was not for them. In this work, they describe six groups of formative practices, or liturgies, organized around the flow of the liturgy at Sojourn Church. Each responds to a problem that creates barriers to becoming a multiethnic church, involves practices, and anticipates growth to authentic multiethnic community. They include:

Call to Worship: The problem here is a failure to love what is best. Practices include seeing where one is, praying for what one could be, and asking God for the love to care for those who are missing and to remove any barriers that would prevent them from finding a spiritual home The vision is a church that begins to look a bit like the new heaven and earth.

Lament: The challenge is that we don’t realize how beliefs about racial superiority and inferiority have created deep divisions within the church. The practice of lament honestly faces these wounds, and grieves all forms of the heresy of racial superiority, and turns to Christ for healing.

Offering: The problem is that we often want to hold on to what we have, our preferences, the way things have been done, and our material resources. Practices of gratitude, generosity, and receiving the gift of another culture’s worship all are liturgies of offering that form us into servants for the sakew of a multiethnic kingdom culture.

Passing the Peace: Partiality or indifference to those who are different from us breaks down as we practice welcoming those who are different into our lives in worship and through intentionally sharing life together.

Communion: We often do not truly understand the place others are in and the pain associated with it. Tearing down walls means recognizing the trauma others have faced, the fears one has and not forcing a superficial oneness. In our love feasts, we come prepared to listen to each other’s stories, to share in their pain rather than “fix” them. Our recognition that Jesus has torn down walls of hostility means we can rest secure as we listen to hard things, looking for how Jesus wants to manifest himself without forcing solutions.

Benediction: We are reminded that reconciliation is a gift already accomplished that we are to receive and live into, not a goal to achieve, that Christ has gone, and is going before us in this work.

The authors share honestly about both breakthroughs and disappointments. Timothy shares the sadness of learning that two Blacks visiting his former church were invited not to come back but to attend a Black church some distance away, an event that started his intentional journey into multiethnic kingdom community. Jamaal shares the pain when people refuse to recognize him as the lead pastor of his church, preferring White team members. Yet the authors both offer hope amid the hard challenges. They recognize that multiethnic congregations may not always be possible because of the demographics in some communities, but a growing multiethnic mindset is. They carefully navigate the landscape between “colorblindness” and a form of anti-racism centered only in grievance–celebrating cultural difference, recognizing trauma, and fostering gospel engendered trust and mutual care.

This strikes me as a great book for church leaders, worship teams and pastoral teams to read. The “liturgies” suggest directions congregations can take to pray and practice their believes about kingdom multiethicity. The modest length (although supplemented by significant content in the endnotes) make this accessible. And the model of partnership between Williams and Jones models what the authors seek to encourage.

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Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary review copy of this book from the publisher.

[Amber W · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is beautifully written! So many books and conversations on the top of racial reconciliation and diversity within the church is so polarizing. Filled with shocking and politically charged vocabulary and imagery, that it’s hard to find any beauty…or hope, in what’s being said. “In Church As It Is In Heaven” is not one of those books.

It does not brush over the challenges and difficulty of trying to cultivate this unified, diverse community, instead it addresses them, while at them same time pointing us to “a third way” of achieving this. One that is marked by the truth, hope and power of the Gospel, along with practical practices that any person can build into their life in order to pursue the Bible’s beautiful vision.

I recommend this book to any and everyone, Christian or non Christian, church leader or new believer!

[Ivy · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderful, thought-provoking book that I recommend for all Christians to read. The Gospel is for everyone and wasn't designed for us to all live in silos. While this book is not a step-by-step guide on how to build a multiethnic kingdom culture, it is a way for Christians to think about the Gospel and how to be more open to differing customs.

"If the kingdom of heaven is not segregated, why on earth is the local church?"

"Simply put: You don't need to check your ethnicity at the door of God's kingdom. Your ethnicity and your culture are part of God's plan for His praise."

I received an eARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.