Multilingual Church: Strategies for Making Disciples in All Languages by Jonathan Downie
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
This book offers a different side of what we call “multiethnic” churches. The idea is that churches where there is a diversity of ethnicities and by implication languages, need to adapt to be able to make disciples of all nations. I have read a few books of becoming a multiethnic church and all of them make English as the dominant language in church services. This book calls for a more balance approach. In other words, using other languages as part of the services and church life. In practice, it is a very difficult task. The churches that try to have a multilanguage service, do so in maximum of two languages and that can be difficult if not chaotic. Obviously, this isn’t easy. The author discusses various types of services, both pros and cons. His context is primarily the UK where there is diversity everywhere.
He also focuses on discipling all ethnicities in their language and not just being multilingual for the sake of being multilingual. He makes a strong case for this, and I agree with him. The focus is on making disciples of all people in the church regardless of ethnicity. How that is done is dependent on each church’s context. There aren’t many churches or studies to find good models.
I currently work in a church and attempting to do this (I have in a previous church as well with some limitations). I work with Hispanics but also coming along side of Ukrainians who are becoming part of our church. We have classes, bible studies, a small group, simultaneous translation and support for our Spanish speakers. We also do simultaneous translation in Russian and hoping to launch a small group in Russian/Ukranian soon. What the church will look like is not up to me, but God will guide us. But the vision in my mind is to have small groups in different languages that reflect our community, services to reach first generation ethnic language speakers, sprinkles of other languages in our services, support in multiple languages for global ministry events (membership, training, etc…), global encounters and diverse staff and involvement in our church life.
This book has helped me affirm our task as the Church of Christ and offered a different perspective from someone in another part of the world that is so diverse. The US is rapidly moving in that direction and as the church we are called to make disciples of all nations (ethnicities).
