Alex Rivera
In 2014, when our church was forced to be relocated from an urban setting to the heart of Amish country, I wasn’t worried about the longer commute our people would face. My genuine concern was deeper: how would we connect with a community that looked so different from us? At the time, our congregation was made up primarily of black and brown families, and the community we were moving into was the exact opposite.
As a leader, these questions weighed on me. Would people come? Would they feel at home in a place where everything from the culture to the rhythm of life was unfamiliar? What I didn’t realize then was that God was about to teach me one of the greatest lessons in my leadership journey: diversity isn’t a barrier to ministry; it’s the very thing that strengthens it.
Diversity is God’s Idea
Look around creation and you’ll see that God loves variety. From the way the seasons change to the uniqueness of every single person, He never repeats Himself. Humanity carries His image, but we each reveal something different about who He is. That means every culture, background, and experience is a piece of the bigger picture of God’s glory.
Let me be clear, diversity is not expressed solely in color, culture, or ethnicity. It also shows up in socioeconomic backgrounds, levels of education, life experience, gender, and generations. All of these layers of uniqueness are part of the “coat of many colors” that God has woven into His Church.
At Journey Church, we say it this way: “We embrace the beauty and the uniqueness of God’s creation. While celebrating our God-authored differences, we are united by the common salvation we share in Jesus Christ.” That’s not just a statement on a wall; it’s a value we’ve seen come alive in real time.
One Flame, Many Colors
God doesn’t erase our differences; He reclaims them. On the day of Pentecost, the Holy Spirit descended like fire. Think about a fire for a moment. If you look closely, a flame is never just one flat color. At its base, you may see deep blue. In the center, you’ll notice orange, yellow, and white. Each shade reveals a different temperature and purpose within the same fire. The variety doesn’t weaken the flame; it proves its strength and intensity.
What’s powerful is that the first evidence of the Spirit’s presence wasn’t sameness; it was diversity. People from many nations, languages, and cultures all heard the wonders of God in their own tongue (Acts 2). One flame of the Spirit burned, but it expressed itself in many voices.
That’s the heart behind the idea of the multi-colored flame – the Church is united by one Spirit, yet expressed through the beautiful variety of God’s people. God reclaims our differences and uses them as a testimony of His power.
The Church is at its best when it’s not trying to flatten people into the same mold, but instead making space for each person’s God-given uniqueness. When those differences are surrendered under the lordship of Jesus, they don’t divide us; they strengthen us. They become fuel that makes the fire burn brighter.
Stronger Together
Different perspectives stretch us. They challenge the way we think, they expand the way we lead, and they remind us that our way isn’t the only way. I’ve seen this firsthand; people from different walks of life see things I don’t see, ask questions I would never ask, and bring solutions I would have overlooked.
This is not just practical; it’s biblical. Paul said it best – the body has many parts, and each one is necessary. The eye can’t say to the hand, “I don’t need you.” The same is true in the Church. The wealthy can’t say to the poor, “You don’t belong here.” The educated cannot tell the uneducated, “Your voice doesn’t matter.” No culture can tell another, “We don’t need you.” If we’re going to reflect the fullness of Christ, we need every part of His body functioning together.
Paul echoes this again in Ephesians 4 when he says that the Church grows “as each part does its work.” Unity doesn’t come from everyone being the same; it comes from each person bringing their God-given grace to the table. Diversity isn’t a threat to unity; it’s the very condition that allows unity to flourish. When God reclaims our differences, He positions them as strengths, not liabilities. A church where every part is honored and empowered is a church that will be both resilient and effective in its mission.
Leading With Intention
Diversity doesn’t just happen. As leaders, we have to be intentional. Transitioning into this community over ten years ago has stretched me in ways I never imagined ministry would. As someone whose life had been rooted in an urban context, I suddenly found myself surrounded by farming traditions, Amish culture, and even conversations about hunting. Things that once felt completely foreign to me became part of my everyday relationships.
What I discovered was that to lead effectively, I had to become a learner first. I couldn’t just come into this community as a teacher; part of my assignment was to be a student. I had to lean in, ask questions, and be intentional about understanding the people who made up this wonderful place.
I’ll never forget one moment that brought this home for me. I noticed the farmland our church owned was being overtaken by what I thought were weeds. Concerned, I was ready to spray the entire field with weed control until I called one of our members, who happens to be a farmer. He kindly informed me that those “weeds” were soybeans! I was so glad I asked before I acted, because I would have destroyed the crop. That simple experience reminded me that leadership isn’t always about having the answers; it’s often about asking the right questions and learning from those around you.
In the process, I came to see something powerful: while many things make us different, there are even more that make us the same. Choosing to learn from others has not only enriched me personally, but has also strengthened the ministry God has entrusted to us.
Leadership requires a willingness to trust God’s work, believing that He is reclaiming stories, backgrounds, and experiences in ways that we could never orchestrate on our own.
Built for Mission
When a church embraces diversity, it doesn’t just look good; it becomes powerful. A diverse church is positioned to reach a diverse world. People walk in and see themselves represented, and they recognize that the Gospel is for all people.
Remember, diversity isn’t only about color and culture. It’s also about embracing the poor and the wealthy, the educated and the uneducated, those with different talents, skills, and stories. Every expression of God’s creation belongs at the table, and every one of them strengthens the mission. That’s what makes the church so compelling: it’s not a club for people who all look the same and think the same. It’s a family where differences aren’t erased, but reclaimed by the Spirit, because together, we reveal more of Jesus.
A Final Word
If there’s one thing the past decade of ministry has taught me, it is that the church is not monochrome. It’s a multi-colored flame expressing the beauty and power of God’s creative intentional design. Diversity is not a weakness. It’s the place where God does some of His best work.
Here’s the challenge: diversity doesn’t just happen; it must be cultivated. It takes courage to invite voices that are different from yours to the table. It takes humility to admit you don’t have all the answers. It takes faith to believe that God can weave together a people whose differences are significant, yet whose unity in Christ is greater.
If we settle for comfort and convenience, we’ll miss the beauty of what God wants to build in our churches. If we lean into the work of embracing diversity, we’ll not only reflect the Kingdom more accurately, but we’ll also equip our people to carry the Gospel more effectively into every corner of the world.
The ultimate goal of the Church is not diversity. The goal of the Church is to be faithful to Jesus and His mission. When the Church is functioning as God intended, when the Spirit leads, when every part of the body is valued, and when Christ is at the center, diversity will naturally be evident.
When we honor the uniqueness of God’s creation and bring it all under the banner of Jesus Christ, we don’t just become a larger people; we become a stronger, more empowered people. And that kind of Church shines with the light of Christ in ways the world cannot ignore.
Pastor Alex Rivera is the founder and Lead Pastor of Journey Church based in Lancaster, PA. He has a humorous and relatable teaching style that gives people from all walks of life, an honest perspective on their relationship with God and ways to grow in their faith. Pastor Alex is married to his best friend, Tammy and they live in the Lancaster area with their five sons, AJ, Caleb, Jayce, Jaxon, and Micah.
