The following interview was conducted by PRAC, a quarterly publication by Crossover, the national evangelism ministry of the Baptist Union of Australia.
PRAC: Mathew, can you briefly tell us about your ministry background?
I began my ministry in India in my late teens with Operation Mobilization in cross-cultural evangelism, and then went on to visit a number of countries around the world on board the ship Logos. Being on the ship was a truly cross-cultural experience, working with a multinational Christian crew and volunteers who came from over 35 different cultural backgrounds. It was during this time that I really had the vision for a real multicultural ministry.
I also worked with New Tribes Mission, which is also another cross-cultural mission, in Australia, India and the USA. My pastoral ministry in Sydney includes serving as pastor at Baptist churches in Yagoona, Maroubra and at Parkside, for the last 18 years.
PRAC: What is your vision for Parkside, and how do you see it being realised?
My vision is to see People from every culture in our community come to know the Lord and worship together as one big family of God’s people. I see this as being obedient to God’s Word to fulfill the Great Commission of Jesus Christ. I wish to see Parkside evangelise to the people of all cultures, and become more established as a place where all people can come to worship the Lord together. Presently, there are many churches which cater for specific groups, based on culture, language and ethnicity. I see Parkside as a place which breaks down such barriers and allows people to worship together, as a diverse and integrated family.
The present congregation at Parkside has begun to reflect the community around us but we still have a long way to go to achieve our vision. As we become more relevant to the community in what we do through areas such as our style of ministry, worship, and running programs structured for the needs of the community we grow closer to realising our vision.
PRAC: In this edition of PRAC we are focusing on multicultural ministry. What stands out for you as some of the key issues here?
Australia is rapidly growing as one of the most multicultural countries in the world, and churches need to grow similarly and be ready to accept and adapt to such growth. At present, many churches are not willing to change to adapt. The idea of change seems to be a daunting one, whether it is in relation to people, attitude, or even styles of worship.
I believe God’s intention for the church is to include people of all ethnicities. God’s love knows no boundaries, and His message and gift of salvation is relevant and available to everyone. For this reason, it is essential for the church to be a welcoming community of all people. This means there must be a willingness to include God’s people from other ethnic backgrounds, in all aspects of church life including leadership.
The Biblical story provides us with a strong and positive mandate for a multicultural church. After all, it is the account of an inclusive God who calls on us to include all people for the sake of the Gospel. But for this mandate for inclusiveness also requires mutuality-not simply inviting others to become like us, but receiving and respecting the gifts they bring to us, as well.
PRAC: Do you think ministry among new immigrants is under-rated in our churches?
I think many churches in Australia have neglected this wonderful opportunity to share the Gospel with those who have come to our door step from all over the world. Settling into a new country is a daunting experience for most people as it often involves leaving family and friends behind. I believe every church should have a strategy to reach out to the new immigrants who are looking for new friends, family and a community to belong.
Unfortunately, many churches are not showing enough of an interest in the mission of reaching out to people, especially new immigrants, within the communities around them. In the past years the churches have been steadfast in sending missionaries into the field all over the world, and now the mission field has come to us from all over the world, right here in Australia. We must take advantage of this amazing opportunity.
PRAC: What would you list as the key priorities for churches eager to grow in this ministry area?
I believe it is extremely important to start by getting to know your community and being open to welcome strangers into your church. Encourage every person in your congregation to be friendly and extend hospitality to people from other cultures. The church should be promoted as a community caring for people from all cultural and ethnic backgrounds. Also, try to intentionally create opportunities for people to interact with people from other cultures. This can be achieved through opportunities such as Home Groups, international celebration, cultural nights and the like.
Parkside operates an International Café (Harmony Café) every Sunday that provides opportunities for people interact with each other.
Simply having a few members of different cultures in the church congregation does not necessarily make the church multicultural, so another important priority is to develop a culturally diverse leadership team. It is really beneficial to actively grow and promote culturally diverse leadership as a visible expression of church’s intention to grow in multicultural ministry.
PRAC: When you look at your own church and beyond to our national movement, what do you see as the key challenges to multicultural mission? What do you see working?
The greatest challenge to multicultural mission today is overcoming the ethnocentric mindset of many Christians. Many have embraced the homogeneous church growth principle to an extreme of excluding others who are not like them.
It is the struggle recorded in the book of Acts, as the Jewish Christians wrestled with God’s acceptance of the Gentiles, without making them become Jews. It is the struggle congregations experience today as they learn to accept and enjoy the wide variety of gifts that people bring in a multicultural society.
God’s purpose for the church is that “His house will be called a house of prayer for all nations” (Isaiah 56:7). When we refuse to actively love people of other cultures and races, we work against God’s purpose.
I have always believed that God’s church is a church without walls. At present there are many churches which have been established to operate based on nationality, culture and language, and there are churches which are not comfortable with reaching out to other cultures. Churches that have opened their doors to people from other cultures and have embraced them as ‘one body’ are not only blessed with healthy and growing congregations today, but are essentially fulfilling God’s mission of reaching out to people of all backgrounds.
PRAC: What’s a book or resource that has impacted your leadership over the past few years?
Rick Warren’s book The Purpose Driven Church has helped me to reshape my pastoral leadership in the church. It challenged me to redefine ‘the mission’ of our church and to set some strategies and goals to accomplish that mission.
PRAC: I know we can’t use names and details, but do you have a brief story of a person of non-english speaking background that you have seen impacted by the gospel?
A year ago a young boy who was born in a Buddhist family in China came to Sydney to study in high school. Coming to Australia at a young age, so far from family and friends, he inevitably experienced the feelings of loneliness. However, he was boarding with a family from our church who encouraged him to attend our church. He was warmly welcomed by our congregation and immediately found a community to belong. He was amazed by the way in which he was accepted into the church family and overwhelmed by the love of the congregation. After attending church for a few weeks he gave his heart to the Lord and was baptised. The most beautiful part of his story is that he is now eager to get back to China after his studies, to share his new faith with his family.
