God's New Humanity

Synopsis: "I pray . . . that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. . . . May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me." -Jesus Christ What if? What if believers of multiple ethnicities manifested the diversity in unity for which Jesus prayed? What if largely separate, homogeneous congregations-which account for nearly 92.5 percent of all churches in the United States-increasingly became connected, multiethnic congregations? What if, at eleven o'clock on Sunday mornings-or whenever believers gather to worship-local congregations were comprised of believing whites, African Americans, Koreans, Hispanics, Romanians, Native Americans, as well as the diverse mosaic of other ethnicities represented in our increasingly multicultural society? Would this not say something about the supernatural character of the gospel of reconciliation we proclaim? Jesus believed it would. That is why after praying for such diversity in unity among his followers, Jesus Christ-the Man for all nations-extended his arms and laid down his life to make it happen. This book, God's New Humanity, examines the biblical-theological vision and motivation for living in response to Jesus' prayer. Endorsements: "God's New Humanity is a welcome, significant addition to the growing body of literature boldly proclaiming the biblical mandate for the multiethnic church. With the mind of a theologian, the heart of a pastor, and the insight of a practitioner, David Stevens effectively challenges systemic segregation and points the way to the coming integration of the local church for the sake of the Gospel." -Mark DeYmaz Author of Building a Healthy Multi-ethnic Church, and coauthor of Ethnic Blends: Mixing Diversity into Your Local Church "Stevens offers a fresh and much-needed theological approach to multiethnic ministry . . . This book encourages the reader to think theologically through the key issues in reaching across all barriers within the church, not just the most visible ones. If you are seeking a strong biblical and theological understanding of multiethnic ministry, God's New Humanity is a must-read." -Rodney Woo Author of The Color of Church "The greatest picture of the church is found on the pages of Revelation. There we see all of God's people gathered from around the world and down through the ages. There we can't help worshipping the One who paid the price to bring us together as one . . . If you're a Christian leader, this is must reading. Highly recommended!" -David Sanford Executive editor of the acclaimed Holy Bible: Mosaic Author Biography: David Stevens is Senior Pastor of Central Bible Church in Portland, Oregon. He is a graduate of Dallas Theological Seminary (ThM, 1982) and of the Faculté Libre de Théologie Evangélique (ThD, 1999) near Paris, France.