Approximately 60 people attended a multiethnic outreach panel discussion Nov. 17 at Cornerstone Community Church in Orangeburg.

“Multiethnic Evolution: Modeling a Church Without Prejudice” was organized by the church multiplication group of the South Carolina Baptist Convention. The purpose was to challenge church leaders to reach out to people of diverse ethnic backgrounds and to hear what God is doing in South Carolina churches in multiethnic outreach.

Artie Davis, host pastor and Orangeburg native, began by sharing the elements he believes are necessary for a multiethnic church to reach and disciple people for Christ, including conviction on the part of the pastor and leadership, intentionality that must begin with the leadership, education and knowledge of the cultures of the people, adaptation and being able to make decisions quickly, and the need to be able to accept rejection and exclusion.

Derrick Smith, pastor of Kaleidoscope, a church plant in Spartanburg, said in the nine weeks his congregation has met, 11 nationalities have been represented among the 46 people attending. He said his church desires to be a place that welcomes and loves God and others, serves God by serving others, and desires to multiply by making disciples.

Andrew Winburn, pastor of Generation Church in northeast Columbia, spoke of the need for intentionality. “The world will come to know Jesus when they see our diversity becoming one,” Winburn said.

Fred Luter, pastor of Franklin Avenue Baptist Church in New Orleans, La., citing 1 Corinthians 12, said the vision for a multiethnic church must be embraced by the pastor and leadership, and the membership must model the pastor’s vision.

Marshall Fagg, associate executive director of the SCBC evangelism and missions team, moderated a question-and-answer session.

For more information on reaching multiethnic people groups, contact Marcos Elizondo, director of the multiethnic group, SCBC, at marcoselizondo@scbaptist.org. – SCBC