1855 Knollcrest Circle SE, Grand Rapids, MI 49546-4402 USA

On the campus of Calvin University and Calvin Theological Seminary
© 2024 91ÁÔÆæ
Latino Protestantism is growing in the United States due to a combination of immigration, birth rates, and conversion. This expanding stream of American Christianity will foster shifts in the liturgy and worship of churches in unexpected ways.
All over the world, Christian churches are struggling to obey the Bible’s clear commands to welcome the stranger, to displace the fear that leads to exclusion, and to both extend and receive mutual hospitality as gifts of God’s Spirit.
Gerardo Marti, professor of sociology at Davidson College in Davidson, North Carolina, is fascinated by diversity and innovation as aspects of how the world is changing and how that affects churches today.
After writing three books about multicultural worship, Gerardo Marti has applied his research skills to what’s been called the emerging church or emergent Christianity.
By looking at successfully diverse churches across the nation, this session revealed critical attitudes for cultivating a hospitable church, perspectives on recent immigration and the neighborhood church, and experiments on musical variety and global awareness.
This workshop was given for those who want a deeper understanding of racial dynamics in today?s churches. Stories and examples from real congregations showed how race within churches is becoming complicated?and creatively reconstructed?through the post-1965 waves of immigration. Most important, we show how various good-intentioned priorities and programs work --and often don?t work-- in racially diverse churches.
