Churches, Cultures and Leadership: A Practical Theology of Congregations and Ethnicities

As the church continues to hear and heed Christ's call to reflect the multiethnic character of his people, pastors and lay leaders need to gain skills and competencies to serve in those contexts. The multicultural team of Juan Martinez and Mark Branson has written this book to equip such leaders to create environments that make God's reconciling initiatives apparent in church life and in our missional engagement with neighborhoods and cities. Generated by courses they teach at Fuller Theological Seminary, Branson and Martinez take an interdisciplinary approach that integrates biblical and theological study with the disciplines of sociology, cultural anthropology and communications. The result is a rich blend of astute analysis with guidance for practical implementation of a deeper intercultural life for the church. Case studies, Bible studies and exercises for personal reflection and classroom use connect the real life and everyday challenges that inevitably arise in multi-ethnic contexts. Martinez and Branson offer not static model but a praxis of "paying attention," reflection and study that can lead to a genuine reconciliation and shared life empowered by the gospel that is personal, interpersonal, cultural and structural.

Mark Lau Branson (M.A., Claremont School of Theology; Ed.D., University of San Francisco) is the Homer L. Goddard Associate Professor of the Ministry of the Laity at Fuller Theological Seminary where he teaches courses on congregational leadership and community engagement. His most recent book is Memories, Hopes and Conversations: Appreciative Inquiry and Congregational Change.

Juan F. Martínez (M.Div., Mennonite Brethren Biblical Seminary; Th.M. and Ph.D., Fuller Theological Seminary) is associate dean of the Center for the Study of Hispanic Church and Community and associate professor of Hispanic studies and pastoral leadership at Fuller Theological Seminary. His most recent book is Walk with the People: Latino Ministry in the United States.