Many churches claim to want an ethnically diverse congregation. Such talk can seem like lip service, though, if the church’s leadership teams are mono-ethnic. The decisions a church makes when it comes to power and authority say far more than any mission statement could about the value a congregation puts on ethnic diversity.

In this roundtable video, TGC Council members Darryl Williamson, Kevin DeYoung, and Danny Akin discuss why and how churches should actively pursue ethnic diversity in their elder board or leadership teams. Pastors may say “anyone can be an elder here” and sincerely mean it, yet be unaware of invisible barriers keeping ethnic minorities out of church leadership. Akin, DeYoung, and Williamson also talk about ways for churches in mono-ethnic areas to pursue a kingdom vision of ethnic diversity through missions and church planting.

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Related:

How the Country’s Largest White Presbyterian Church Became Multiethnic (Sarah Eekhoff Zylstra)
Why Asian Americans Struggle to Feel at Home in White-Majority Churches (Steve S. Chang)
The Blessings and Challenges of Multicultural Churches (Joel Kurtz)

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Danny Akin (PhD, University of Texas at Arlington; MDiv, Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary) is president of Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary in Wake Forest, North Carolina, and is a Council member of The Gospel Coalition. He is the author of a number of books, including Discovering the Biblical Jesus. He and his wife, Charlotte, have four children.

Kevin DeYoung (PhD, University of Leicester) is senior pastor of Christ Covenant Church (PCA) in Matthews, North Carolina, and associate professor of systematic theology at Reformed Theological Seminary (Charlotte). He is the author of more than 20 books and a popular columnist, blogger, and podcaster. Kevin’s work can be found on clearlyreformed.org. Kevin and his wife, Trisha, have nine children.

Darryl Williamson (MA, Friends University) is the lead pastor of Living Faith Bible Fellowship in Tampa, Florida, leads Arise City, and is a member of TGC’s Board of Directors, He has contributed to All Are Welcome and 12 Faithful Men. He and his wife, Julie, have one adult child.