Episode 90
#90. Churches Embracing Change: Ethnic & Cultural Diversity
Pastor Mark Lee sharing on pastoring a church to change and grow in a culturally diverse community.
Churches are declining in the United States. What can be done to replant and grow a declining church?
Pastor Mark Lee has served at Central Steele Creek Presbyterian Church since 2019. He is leading his congregation in embracing and engaging the ethnically diverse community around them.
WHAT YOU'LL LEARN:
- Contributing factors to the decline of traditional American churches
- Making diversity a focal point
- Challenges for churches in embracing diversity
ABOUT THE GUEST:
Pastor Mark Lee has served at Central Steele Creek Presbyterian Church since 2019. He is a Graduate of Westminster Theological Seminary in Philadelphia, PA. Mark is married to Minah and they have three adult children– a daughter and two sons.
RELATED LINKS:
TIMESTAMPED SHOWNOTES:
01:53 - Pastor Mark Lee introduction
03:55 - Doctoral dissertation is the background of this conversation
04:24 - Disturbing trend in traditional American churches
04:37 - Biggest trend: membership and attendance below 50%
04:56 - Membership and attendance declining for the past 30 years
06:07 - Churches can't afford full-time pastors
06:43 - These trends are on a national level
07:12 - Major contributing factors to these trends
08:14 - Refusal to change
08:23 - Change to attracting younger families
08:42 - Move from a heavily liturgical worship service
09:06 - to a more blended worship service
09:22 - One of the main reasons is that churches are not willing to change
09:35 - Change and adapt
10:18 - Change needs to take place
10:33 - Homogeneous Unit Principle: helping or hurting church growth?
11:45 - Transformation of community demographics
12:22 - but, the church did not change with the community changes
12:35 - Need to embrace the cultural and ethnic diversity of the community
13:09 - Making diversity a focal point
13:41 - Tried and True no longer effective
13:58 - Churches not just declining, but closing
14:47 - Build it and they will come - church was the center of community fellowship
15:10 - Families changing time commitments and priorities
16:03 - Life is more difficult and faster
18:07 - Commitment levels changed
19:45 - Today's busy lifestyle
20:27 - Challenges for churches in embracing diversity
20:41 - Historical perceptions
21:20 - Younger families
21:52 - Slow process
22:28 - Start new church vs Rebuild old church
24:37 - Physical church appearance
27:58 - Short-term and long-term implications of a church embracing diversity
28:07 - Short-term
30:16 - Long-term
