emerging church diversifying slowly

Here in the United States, we’ve got at least 28% of the population that are not in “white” racial grouping: 12.5% Latino/ Hispanic, 12.3% African, 3.6% Asian (cf. Census), but we don’t see this proportional representation in the emerging church, yet.

We may be in a post-racial society, where racial categories are arguably passe’, people with multiracial backgrounds are on the increase, and with the shift of global Christianity exploding in South America, Africa, and Asia; yet it is not reflected in the attendance at emergent conventions and gatherings and blogosphere.

Paradoxology echoed the above sentiment:

Why is there a seemingly disproportionate number of EC leaders with this particular background, as compared with those from, say, a Holiness/Pentecostal background (not to mention those from specifically Asian, or African-American churches)?

Being right in the middle of a multiracial American society, how does this unintentional demographic reflect on the locus of the conversation? Is it pertinent to this multiracial society and to the multiracial world, or not? To quote McLaren, “there’s a high cost to non-repentance” (cf. A Generous Orthodoxy, page 273). Perhaps more intention must be put forth to build a more diverse mix of generative friendships.

I’m finding a small blip increase in the blogosphere about this global, ethnically diverse, aspect of the too-large-to-get- your-hands-around emerging-church conversation: a month ago, Jonathan Finley’s the m?tissage of the church generated a little buzz, picked up by BeChurch, en direct, and even Jonny Baker.

Just found out about an enthusiastic (and academically armed) African-American blogger, Anthony Bradley, with his World Magazine blog and his personal blog, The Institute.