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4 Marks of Multi-Ethnic Effectiveness

May 15, 2013 //
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ME leaders

In a lot of ways leading a multi-ethnic transition may be unlike anything you have attempted to lead before. The leadership required is highly situational and contingent. I think Acts 6:1-7 is a model we can learn a lot from.

In this text Grecian Jewish converts were not native to Palestine. They had relocated to Jerusalem because it was considered to be honorable to spend your last days in Jerusalem and to be buried there upon death.

Because of this belief, Jews of many different ethnicities from all over the Roman Empire moved there toward the end of their lives. This created a large population of widows.  The Jewish faith took the responsibility of caring for widows as a serious task. Because of the significant amount of nonnative widows located in Jerusalem, it created a social problem. There were not enough foreign Jewish synagogues to keep up with the demands of care.

Caring for them was not a value among pagan, nonnatives. With no relatives around, the widows were in dire straits. If we take the high road, we can assume the Grecian widows were not intentionally discriminated against. There is a high probability the Grecian church widows were not being adequately served simply because of the sheer number of them.

But we can’t lose sight of human nature. Many scholars think that Hebraic Jews, because of ethnic bias, looked down on Grecian Jews, and so there is a strong probability that Grecian widows were intentionally overlooked. The results are the same regardless of motive. A biblical mandate to care for widows was being violated. How did the leadership respond? They did 4 things:

1)      Embraced ethnic diversity as an organizational DNA adventure (vv.1-2). When the slight was brought to their attention, they took it seriously and did not become defensive.

2)      Leveraged ethnic difference (vv. 3-4). They intentionally expanded the leadership structure to accommodate the needs of the Grecians among them.

3)      Mobilized money and personnel towards solutions (vv.5-6).  The expanded structure was not just lip service. They put feet on the new vision.

4)      Provided Clarity (v.1-7). Taken as a whole, all the steps provided clarity towards the real goal – spreading the gospel.

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Categories Cross Cultural Dynamics, gender, race, Transformative Leadership

More Truth And Lies About Diversity Training

May 10, 2013 //
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ethnicgroup

Following up on my post on Truth and Lies About Diversity Training, the question becomes “if diversity training doesn’t work what does?”  There is one thing that has been proven – life experience. It is the way for people to learn how to think in biblical categories concerning race.

When helping people think in biblical categories many believe that means having great Bible studies. That is certainly one of the steps. We need solid doctrine around this issue. But remember it is just one step, not the whole solution.

How do we learn anything? We spend some time with experts on the subject matter, either in person or via reading (books, blogs, etc). We reflect on the knowledge we’ve obtained. We attempt to implement the knowledge gained, which I call on-the-job training. We have success and make mistakes, then adjust accordingly. Then the learning process starts all over again.

This is why diversity training falls short. There is nothing wrong with having optional learning experiences that focus on cultural awareness, but don’t expect that will be the game changer in your organization. The game changer is leaders that go on a multi-ethnic learning journey that lasts a lifetime.

If you are a Christian leader moving towards multi-ethnicity let me suggest 2 things.  One is to culturally displace yourself. This is true especially if you are white. I say this because most people of color naturally find themselves culturally displaced as they go through the natural rhythms of life.

For instance, many of my African American and Latino friends have recounted stories to me of the cultural shock they went through when they attended college. For many of them  it was the first time they were placed in an all-white world. They had to adjust in order to succeed.

For many white Christian leaders your natural life rhythms will not lead to cultural displacement.  If you don’t intentionally do so you never will be. Unfortunately this leads to ethnic blind spots. Practical theologies are to be lived out, so put yourself in life situations where you are the minority.

Which leads to my second recommendation, which is to find ethnic mentors. I understand Christian “white ways” of doing things because over the years I have had 3 men who have played key roles in mentoring this child of the African American church.

When I first started working for evangelical organizations I truly was an alien in a strange land.  But these men showed me the ropes. They were candid, honest, and more importantly available.  I don’t know where my ministry would be without them.

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Categories Cross Cultural Dynamics, race, Transformative Leadership

42: Plan An Opportunity

April 6, 2013 //
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42

What are you doing next weekend? Let me encourage you to go the opening of the movie 42. It’s a great way for American Christians to examine our historical racial past.

42 is the story of Jackie Robinson primarily but also Branch Rickey. Together these men took a stand against racism. Yes it is a film about baseball but really it’s a snapshot of America’s early integration efforts. I think from a Christian perspective viewing this film is a great opportunity to observe two lessons.

The first is to take a look at our ugly past. It’s a reminder that we don’t want history to repeat itself. The second is to watch men and a woman (Jackie’s wife) display immense character in the midst of uncalled for persecution. Despite the fact that they were swimming upstream of American culture, they were able to persevere for the common good.

If you are a church leader, let me suggest that you make this a church outing. Go to the movie, then afterwards go to dinner and discuss the implications this has on our lives as followers of Christ.

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Categories Cross Cultural Dynamics, Current Events, race, Spiritual Reflection

Black President. Latino Pope. Evangelicals Are You Paying Attention?

March 15, 2013 //
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pope

I tweeted the title of this post earlier this week. I had a lot of retweets and backroom dialog about it. So through this post I am bringing the conversation to the blogosphere. However, for me it wasn’t a clever tweet but a real question. I don’t know if we are. I think that it is critical we start.

What I mean by pointing out that we have a Black President and a Latino Pope is not a political statement or one on the Catholic Church. What I am pointing out is that race now more than ever matters. It means something for an institution to give a person of color authority.

What scares me about the evangelical church is that most are still not convinced that it does. I live in Cincinnati and there is a great quote about the city attributed to Mark Twain. Twain allegedly said that “When the world ends I want to be in Cincinnati, because Cincinnati is 20 years behind the times.” I feel that is the present state of evangelicalism when it comes to race.

The buzzword today that I hear a lot is “missional.” You would be hard pressed to go to a popular Christian conference and not hear it. The presenters frame being missional in terms of reaching a post-Christian culture, not being so caught up in politics, paying more attention to the younger generation, and issuing a call back to discipleship.

These aren’t bad things. But rarely do I ever hear a strong call to multi-ethnicity. And to be quite honest it both saddens and baffles me. It saddens me because it is clear the Scriptures command the body of Christ to make disciples among all nations (ethnic people). But set theology aside for a minute.

To be missional is to be on mission for God to reach people for Christ, right? Is anybody looking at our nation’s demographics? We are a rapidly ethnically diversifying country by using any metric. How on earth do so many people put the call out for a revitalization of the evangelical church and NOT see that it must become more inclusive of other ethnicities?  If the mission field is becoming more racially diverse, should not the solution include race as well?

And when it is mentioned, too often the conversation is one of passive-aggressiveness.  I’m Facebook friends with Dr. Soong-Chan Rah of North Park Seminary and he has a interesting conversation going on his wall. He is researching evangelical perceptions of the city and how ministry to the city is defined by white evangelicals with little to no input from non-whites.

The results are disappointing. He has cited several very well known groups that would be defined as “missional” and found that when it comes to the topic of reconciliation, there is a very distinct pattern. He wrote:

Often ‘minority’ voices are used to sprinkle flavor over the existing dominant [white] perspective. In other words, we’ve [whites] set the parameters of the discussion, we’ve [whites] set out the main points, and now we [whites] want a minority voice to give a bit of spice but ultimately affirm the dominant voice. I think all sides, progressive, conservative are guilty of this type of thinking.

We can’t call ourselves to be missional in a rapidly browning of America and continue to operate in this fashion. So I throw this out there for dialog: Why does ethnicity continue to be left out of the missional conversation?

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Categories Community Impact, Cross Cultural Dynamics, race

The Real Truth About Christian Activism

March 13, 2013 //
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ActivismWhen we try to address injustices in our communities by giving out food to the poor, tutor kids, and lobby city hall it would be a travesty if not done from a place of righteousness. If we don’t do these things because we want to be a witness for our Lord we will be just another run of the mill NGO.  As great as NGO’s are Christ didn’t die on the cross for us to be one.

One of my favorite professors in seminary would always discuss the most important part of our ministry. It wasn’t strategy or skill set, although those things are important. It was the lost art of being with God. In reconciliation work we cannot lose sight of this fact.

I call it a lost art because doing  justice ministry by its very nature requires that we are change agents. Change agents don’t like to “be” anything; we “do”. When you get a group of us in the room debates are had, plans get written, and things get done. This is all great but we must be careful to “do” based on being with God.

This morning I read 1 Peter 1:14-16 which admonishes us to “Be holy, because I am holy”.  Holy is not something that you can do. It is something you have to be. It is the one thing that must happen every single day in your journey of reconciliation.

When we think about the skills we use to make the world a better place, if we rely only on those skills we are not being Godly. When I preach, if I haven’t been spending time with God in prayer and Scripture study my sermon is just another speech. And unfortunately you can build a church numerically in our country by being a great speech giver.

The church might even grow to be the biggest church in  the community; but I can guarantee you it won’t be the best church for the community. The best churches for the community has nothing to do with numbers, but it has everything to do with how much time its members have been in the presence of God.

So Mr. and Mrs. Christian activist, make sure you are a human being before you are a human doing. 

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Categories Community Impact, Spiritual Reflection, Transformative Leadership

Can’t We All Get Along?

March 12, 2013 //
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conflictI’ll never forget years ago a situation that happened when I was pastoring. The week the Bush/Gore election results were final at Bible study I did our normal go around the circle and ask for prayer and praise requests.

One of my white members stated as a praise that God put His man in the White House. About 5 minutes later an African American woman arrived. As she sat down I asked her what her praises/prayer requests were. She said with passion “we need to pray for God’s protection because the devil is in the White House!”

Talk about a potentially volatile situation. In a multi-ethnic ministry minefields like that are all around. A big part of leading multi-ethnic ministry is our ability to relate to others. With the reality of racialization, having high relational skills is a must. It is the key to a healthy multi-ethnic ministry.

What does it mean to relate in a healthy way across racial lines? It means to be comfortable with cultural negotiation, ok with agreeing to disagree, becoming a master of keeping your own emotions in check, and being willing to forgive. If we do not master these skills we will not be able to diffuse potentially potent situations like the one I described in my story.

You will have people who want you to take up their cause and lead you into their emotional issues that are based on their racial, social class, and/or gender identity. As leaders we must be wary of this and make sure we approach things with an even keel. Our leadership must not cater to the whims of people.

It must be acknowledged that we will think differently at times based on our racial identity, and that is ok. It is the emotionally immature that demand that everyone thinks the same way about all things. As leaders we can’t give in to this type of demand.

Bad relational skills have the potential to drag the whole ministry into divisiveness. It makes people pick a side. This leads to a simmering racial tension that if not addressed will lie just beneath the surface, always ready to explode.

To diffuse potential volatile situations I believe it is best to talk candidly. As leaders we need to model how people can disagree and yet still honor one another in the Lord. We need to build an environment that allows space for racial differences about issues to be navigated.

Here is the rest of the story. Before we started Bible study, as a group we talked about why one person thought Bush was God’s anointed and another thought he was the devil. We hashed out why different racial groups supported different political parties.

Then we prayed and studied the word together in unity.

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Categories Cross Cultural Dynamics, Personal Identity, Transformative Leadership

Who Else Wants To Pray Part 2

March 5, 2013 //
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prayer manAsk yourself this question – how many of your prayer requests are related to what God wants as opposed to what you want to see happen?  Pastor Chris Woodard at my home church preached on prayer this past Sunday.

It was an excellent sermon. There was one point that he made that really has stuck with me. To paraphrase, he said that oftentimes we pray for what we want, but prayer is about what God wants.

I’ve been thinking about that for the last 2 days. Most of us doing reconciliation work are off the charts spiritual activists. That is both good and bad. The good thing is that we tend to get a lot done. The bad thing is that we tend to get a lot done in our own power. We have a hard time waiting on (and being with) God.

The least thing I pray about (which I will change) is what God wants to happen in the world around me. I think the assumption that most of us make is that if we want it to happen well then of course God wants it to happen. Let’s not be arrogant in our assumptions.

Really there is no need to assume. Through the careful study of Scripture we know what God wants. He gave us a road map in the Lord’s prayer.  Scholars tell us if you really want to understand what Jesus was getting at in that prayer, it should be read like this:

  1. Your name be hallowed -  on earth as it is in heaven
  2. Your Kingdom come -  on earth as it is in heaven
  3. Your will be done -  on earth as it is in heaven
  4. Give us this day our daily bread -  on earth as it is in heaven
  5. Forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors – on earth as it is in heaven
  6. Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one -  on earth as it is in heaven

The whole point of the prayer was pray that God’s heart happens in the world we live in. It is not wrong to pray for ourselves and our concerns. But I think we should pray more about God’s concerns.

I blogged yesterday about Pastor James Meeks and his prayer for Chicago. Regardless of where one lands on his boldness, the one thing that is 100% on point is his request. We know from studying God’s word that God wants the murders to stop. He was praying God’s heart for that city.

The principle of taking significant time to pray God’s heart has the potential to change the trajectory of not only your life but of the world around us. I know in my life too many of my requests revolve around three things – me, myself, and I! When they expand beyond that it is not too far. It’s my family and my vocation.

Join me in spending more time praying God’s heart for your community, city, nation, and world.

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Categories Community Impact, Spiritual Reflection

The Secret Of A Successful Racial Reconciler

December 10, 2012 //
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It happens far too often for my liking. 3-4 times a year I get phone calls, texts, or some other communication bringing me the bad news. “Leader (blank) was caught doing (insert power, money, or sex sin here.)” And just like that someone who was leading towards God’s diverse Kingdom has destroyed years of ministry and a trail of tears is left behind.

I am frequently asked, especially by up and coming leaders, what the most important thing they can do to become more effective in the reconciliation movement. Almost always they are surprised by my answer.

They think I am going to tell them something in the realm of “doing,” i.e. to be more active in community social justice; or to gain more knowledge by reading certain authors. I never tell them to do more. I do tell them to be more. Specifically, be more in the presence of God. Personal holiness is the number one thing those of us who want to lead with reconciliation in mind must do. reconciler_03_solution

When I do consultations it is very rare that God hasn’t already tried to use a church to bring impact to the community, or bring racial integration to a university. I am never the first person on the scene to help them out.

I always ask for a history of the journey of reconciliation, and almost without fail a story will come up of a leader (or leaders!) who had things going in the right direction – but then suffered some moral failure. That moral failure stopped the whole program from going forward, and after years of wandering in the wilderness the organization finally conjured up enough moral gumption to try diversity again.

When we don’t practice personal holiness our sin has tremendous ripple effects. Marriages are destroyed; kids are heartbroken; young believers question their faith; churches are dissolved; universities go bankrupt; and maybe more importantly God’s will is delayed.

Noticed I said delayed, not stopped. It is a privilege that we have the opportunity to figure out where God is working, and an honor that He even bothers to invite us to join Him. Concerning the reconciliation movement, because we are swimming upstream it is even more of a blessing that God thinks we have the character to go against the societal grain.

But humbly we must realize he doesn’t need us. If we fall by the wayside, there is no question He will raise somebody else up to take our place. Believe that! The only thing that makes us special is our relationship with Him – period.

Don’t sign a peace treaty with your sinful habits. Get your walk with the Lord in order.  It has big time leadership ramifications.

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Categories Community Impact, Cross Cultural Dynamics, gender, Personal Identity, race, social class, Spiritual Reflection, Transformative Leadership

15 Rules Of Leadership From Colin Powell

August 8, 2012 //
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This great summary is taken from The Leadership Connexion. 

1.  It Ain’t As Bad As You Think, It Will Look Better In The Morning

When you are in the situation you are often so close to what is happening, your perception of the event gets skewed.  Give yourself some room and often some time to get distance from the situation.  In the morning it won’t look so bad.

2.  Get Mad, Then Get Over It

It’s not wrong to get mad sometimes.  In fact as a leader you have to get mad at things or situations even people.  The key is to get over it.  Don’t try and get even, it takes up valuable time.  Don’t hold a grudge; it takes up valuable emotional energy.  Resolve the issue and get over it.

3.  Avoid Having Your Ego So Close To Your Position That When Your Position Falls, Your Ego Goes With It

You are not your leadership position.  Leaders sometimes identify so closely with the leadership position they fill, who they are as a person gets defined by it.  If you find yourself here, you’re stepping on dangerous ground.  As a leader you have to be your own person apart from your leadership position.  Remember you only fill a position, the position is not you.

4.  It Can Be Done

Very few things in life can’t be done.  You cannot keep your eyes open while sneezing and you cannot lick your elbow.  These two things can’t be done.  When it comes to leadership, you can harness some of the most brilliant minds on the planet, together with some of the strongest willed people you can find.  Everything is possible.  It can be done!

5.  Be Careful Whom You Choose

Leaders lead people, many times with the help of a leadership team.  Choose this team carefully, based on strong leadership characteristics you identify in them.  Not everyone is for your team, even though he/she may exhibit the necessary characteristics.  They must fit into the rhythm and culture of your team as well.

6.  Don’t Let Adverse Facts Stand In The Way Of a Good Decision

The brave decision is often the one going against the facts.  Sometimes you must make the difficult decision, even though everything else is telling you not to.  A good decision is sometimes the counter intuitive one.

7.  You Can’t Make Someone Else’s Decisions, You Should Not Let Someone Else Make Yours

Personal leadership is non-negotiable.  If you can’t lead yourself you are not fit to lead others.  This means taking responsibility for your life, being proactive and taking the initiative.  You make your own decisions and you don’t leave it for others to make it on your behalf.

8.  Check Small Things

The devil is in the details; sometimes the solution to a sticky problem too.  Don’t sweat the small stuff, but don’t ignore it either.

9.  Share Credit

If you cannot share credit, rethink your leadership position.  Leaders accomplish nothing if not for the efforts and achievements of the people he/she leads.  Be generous with sharing credit and remember – it is the people you lead who enables you to achieve anything at all.

10.  Remain Calm

Good leaders don’t lose their cool.  This is a skill you have to master, especially if you are a bit of a hot head or get anxious easily.  As the leader its your job to guide them through tough times.  You have to instil calmness in the people you lead.  You cannot do it if you are not calm yourself.

11.  Be Kind

People respond to kindness.  The best is – it costs nothing.  Being kind does not mean you are weak, in fact it shows your strength of character as a leader.

12.  Have a Vision

People need to know where they are going.  Without communicating a strong vision to your people of where you are taking them, you will soon have very few, if any followers left.

13.  Be Demanding

Do not confuse kindness with the absence of demanding high performance from the people in your team.  You must demand the highest possible level of performance.

14.  Don’t Take Counsel From Your Fears Or Naysayers

Your fear will tell you it can’t be done.  Naysayers will look for reasons to give up.  Don’t believe either.

15.  Perpetual Optimism Is a Force Multiplier                           

Sometimes the only thing you will have is your optimism.  Optimism is infectious.  If you can get people optimistic about your cause, you can multiply your own efforts ten times over.

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Categories Transformative Leadership

Friday 5 Quotes On Leadership

June 8, 2012 //
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“It’s not the will to win, but the will to prepare to win that makes the difference.” – Bear Bryant

“Everyday people can become extraordinary leaders when they have a compelling vision to change the world around them.” – Vinita Bali

“Resentment is like drinking poison and waiting for the other person to die.” – Carrie Fisher

“Focus on asking the right questions and coaxing meaningful answers rather than dictating performed solutions.” – M.Y. Brenee

“Courage rewards not only those who practice it but those who witness it.” – Clifton Taulbert

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Categories Transformative Leadership
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