Most Churches Are Not Ready to Be Ethnically Diverse: What You Can Do to Prepare Your Church

Is it real? Is the United States really becoming more diverse? I’ve had well-meaning people ask me these questions. They don’t see ethnic diversity in their circles. First, it’s possible to live in an area of the country that is largely homogenous. Second, and more likely, it’s easy to miss the growth of ethnic diversity. If you happen to be in a place that is largely homogenous, then it’s unlikely to remain so in the future because the demographic landscape in the United States is reaching a tipping point. We will soon become minority white.

The graph below reveals a striking trend. My grandparents came of age when the United States was 87% white. My future grandchildren will grow up in a nation that is minority white. Sometime around 2040, the United States will become minority white, but preschools are already minority white. In short, diversity is spreading out and getting younger. Ethnic diversity was once limited to large urban centers (New York, San Francisco, and Miami). Now people of ethnic backgrounds are moving everywhere. Additionally, the birth rates of immigrants are driving much of this change, which is why this shift is now evident in preschools. Read More