The value of every individual member and the effort for unity within the body 

Kingdom Culture Vision
Our desire as a church is to define more clearly God’s call for our body to emulate heaven by being a racially and ethnically diverse people that live out Kingdom Culture as a unified body. These clarity statements are not offered to appear socially conscious, nor are they offered to appease the initiatives of any group of people. They are offered to help people understand the direction of our church related to biblical Kingdom Culture. The statements also serve as accountability to our leadership to be intentional about the fulfillment of these statements. Biblical Kingdom Culture encompasses many aspects of how Christians should embrace societal concerns, but for clarity and forward movement, this statement primarily refers to racial issues. 

A “Kingdom Culture church” is a Spirit-led, biblically based family of God embracing every nation, tribe, people and language, committed to worshiping Jesus and living out Kingdom values in community.

We are clearly stating that we are for Jesus Christ, His Church and His mission to the world. We are committed to engaging culture from a biblical worldview; therefore, our mission is not to align to any specific person, social trend, political party or organization but to challenge everyone in all spheres of society to live as disciples of Jesus and to apply biblical conviction in their leadership and influence. Prioritizing Jesus does not mean practicing “colorblindness” but simply means that we will honor Jesus first and then honor the uniqueness of every tribe, tongue and people among us.  

Also, because of our biblical convictions, we are clearly stating that we oppose any form of human oppression toward, but not limited to, the poor, women, the unborn, the elderly, the immigrant, people of every culture and race and persons with mental, emotional, social or physical disabilities.  

Kingdom Culture Values 

1) Church members prioritize Christian identity over any racial, cultural or political identity. 1 Peter 2:9-10  

2) Value is placed on every person of any race, gender and age. Value is shown in many ways, often through encouragement, honor, care, meeting one another’s needs, rejoicing and mourning with one another and advocating for one another when subject to injustice. Romans 12:9-16; 1 Corinthians 12:12-27 

3) Church leaders seek God and respond to the Holy Spirit’s leadership in establishing Kingdom Culture through church leadership, church teaching and church ministries and services. Acts 13:1-3 

4) Church leaders equip every church member to understand and apply God’s Word when distinguishing between Kingdom Culture and societal narratives. Acts 15:1-35

5) Church leaders prayerfully discern when to speak publicly about societal issues and controversies. When they do speak publicly, it is done to teach biblical perspective and declare truth. Ephesians 4:11-16 

6) Church members participate in cross-cultural relationships with the hope of learning to love one another and to dwell together in unity. John 13:34; John 17:20-24; Ephesians 2:14-16

INTRODUCTION

We believe the Bible speaks clearly regarding the value of life in the womb. We also acknowledge the complexity and sensitivity of the issues surrounding abortion, a subject that disproportionately affects women. We know that this topic is one laden with emotional weight, and we in no way seek to contribute to the pain or guilt someone might feel who has had, performed or contributed to an abortion. We also recognize there are valid concerns that many proponents of abortion are trying to address (e.g., systemic poverty, the pressures of being a single parent, etc.) and we seek to engage those issues with compassion. The goal of this paper is to outline a biblical approach that navigates the issue of abortion specifically. It is limited in its scope and is not intended to comprehensively address all of the attending and underlying issues. Though the content is brief and to the point, we hope to communicate the church’s stance with empathy. Jesus came full of grace and truth (John 1:14), and the church must walk in the same manner.

WHAT IS GOD LIKE?
The foundation of our beliefs as followers of Jesus is the nature of God Himself. Our convictions concerning the value of life arise from our understanding of who God is. God is:

Creator – Colossians 1:16 says, “For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible …” Therefore, we believe that our origins as human beings are a result of the creative act of an intentional God, not a random series of unguided chemical processes (Revelation 4:11).

Love – 1 John 4:8 says, “Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love.” God is not just loving; He is the embodiment of love. This is the core of the Christian ethic and informs everything we do.

Sovereign – As Creator (Genesis 1:1), God understands what makes humanity flourish; as such, He guides us in what is right and wrong, good and evil. Additionally, He reserves the right to establish the value of life (Genesis 9:6; John 3:16) and the timing of birth and death (Job 1:21; Daniel 4:35; Ephesians 1:11).

Present – God’s intent as revealed throughout the Bible is to walk in fellowship with mankind (Matthew 1:23; Revelation 21:3). This fact alone places immense and unique value on mankind.

Compassionate – God cares about all people, but He has a special concern for those who are powerless, vulnerable and marginalized (1 John 3:17; Proverbs 19:17; Luke 14:12-14). Throughout the Bible, God demonstrates His concern for women and children in particular (James 1:27; Isaiah 1:17; Psalm 68:5).

WHAT IS THE NATURE OF MAN?
We believe that mankind was made in God’s image, and therefore our purpose and value are derived from the intention of His will, not our own.

Made in God’s image – Genesis 1:26, 27 says, “Then God said, ‘Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.’ So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.” God made every single person in His image, which endows every person with intrinsic value. The good news for everyone is that each person’s value is not dependent on how others value them. Their value is determined by God, and He values everyone regardless of gender, race, abilities and socioeconomic status. Every life is precious to God.

In addition, to be made in God’s image is to be relational, rational, emotive and communicative, able—like God Himself—to restrain our desires and channel our creative energies, including the mandate to reproduce (Genesis 5:1; James 3:9; Psalm 8:3-6).

Life begins in the womb – David writes in Psalm 139:13, “For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother’s womb.” We firmly believe that life begins at the moment of conception (Job 31:15; Psalm 22:9, 10; Isaiah 44:2; Psalm 119:73)

At fertilization, the gender, ethnicity, hair color, eye color and other traits of a person are already determined. At four weeks, the baby’s heart is beating, the head and face are distinguishable, and the arms and legs have begun to bud. At eight weeks, babies can suck their thumbs, respond to sound and recoil from pain.

It might also be noted that while a fetus is connected to the woman’s body, it is comprised of a completely different set of DNA, having inherited only 50% of the blueprint for life from the mother. The baby is its own unique entity.

Personhood is established by God – It is no longer widely disputed among the scientific community that life begins at conception. What is asserted is that although a fetus is a human being, it is not yet a human person because it cannot survive on its own. We believe that all human beings are also persons, including embryos and fetuses in utero. A human is not a person simply because he or she is fully functional, but because he or she possesses fundamental value—whether or not they are able to survive on their own—within or without the womb.

The word “baby” in the New Testament is the Greek word brefos. This is the word used in Luke 1:41 for the baby in Elizabeth’s womb, and then again in Luke 2:16 for the baby Jesus, having already been born. The biblical concepts of an unborn baby and a baby outside of the womb are one and the same.

John the Baptist was filled with the Holy Spirit in the womb (Luke 1:14, 15), and only people are known to be filled with the Holy Spirit in Scripture.

God’s plan for the unborn is often stated before birth (Jeremiah 1:5; Galatians 1:15).

In the Old Testament, babies in utero were offered some protections under the law (Exodus 21:22-24).

That each person yet unborn has equal value and status before God is indicated in Job’s declaration that God “shows no partiality to princes, nor regards the rich more than the poor, for they are all the work of his hands …” (Job 34:19)

WHY IS ABORTION WRONG
In light of the Bible establishing personhood for babies in utero, we believe the Bible’s injunctions against the taking of innocent life apply to any person at any stage of development after conception.

Abortion, including abortifacient contraceptives, then, is ending the life of millions of innocent babies and will threaten millions more in the years to come. It is an unacceptable alternative for birth control, population control, sex selection and elimination of the physically and mentally handicapped. Exodus 20:13 says plainly, “You shall not murder” (Leviticus 24:17; Revelation 21:8; 1 John 3:15).

At the same time, we recognize that often the circumstances contributing to the felt need for an abortion are complex, especially, and acutely, for the expecting mother who might be lacking support, under pressure from her parents or partner or generally ill-equipped to deal with the strains of raising a child. This statement on the biblical clarity protecting innocent life is in no way meant to diminish the challenges these mothers face and the intense stress they are often under when they make the decision to terminate a pregnancy. The church must find a way to uphold our convictions about the value of every single human life while also providing compassionate care for the vulnerable (including both unborn babies and expectant mothers).

God’s attitude toward taking innocent life is clear (Psalm 106:37-39). Innocence in this context means that the individual has done nothing deserving of death.

An argument could be made in the event that a pregnancy imminently threatens the life of the mother, the termination of the pregnancy might be warranted. This would need to be a decision made prayerfully, in the context of wise medical and spiritual counsel.

While the circumstances surrounding a pregnancy resulting from incest or rape are devastating, we do not believe this necessarily substantiates the grounds for an abortion for the reasons stated throughout this paper. This situation requires counsel, tremendous care and prayerfulness.

Demands for abortion most often flow from the practice of sexual freedom without corresponding responsibility. God created mankind with the ability to procreate through the beautiful act of sex within the context of marriage. To protect the sanctity and power of this act, the Scriptures, therefore, speak definitively against premarital and extramarital sexual intercourse (1 Corinthians 6:9-20; Galatians 5:19). We affirm the biblical mandate for sexual purity and responsibility that, when observed, will eliminate situations in which abortion might otherwise be contemplated.

SHOULD PEOPLE HAVE THE RIGHT TO CHOOSE AN ABORTION?
Our culture has tried to make “choice” the highest value—a right unto itself, the absolute value above all others. But neither logic nor the laws we hold dear are consistent with such a position.

Choice as a human right does not precede the right to life itself, but rather proceeds from it. Therefore, along with rights to privacy, rights to personal choice have always been held as secondary and limited by the rights and protection of other lives. Even privacy laws are limited to protecting the rights of lives who can’t protect themselves, child abuse being the most obvious. “Life” and “choice” are simply not an equally level set of values. In the context of pregnancy, the unborn child’s right to life overrules the right of choice. The fact that the unborn child’s life is dependent on the mother and lives within the mother’s body does not circumvent the right to life. As already mentioned, the unborn baby is a unique person with unique DNA.

The right of a woman to choose whether to reproduce is absolute. Any force used to violate her body should be vehemently protected against, including through laws against incest and rape, including rape by her husband.

“Reproductive rights,” however, are different from “post-productive rights,” and the practice of abortion is more accurately a practice of post-productive rights. Abortion is about a life already reproduced, and in over 98% of all cases reproduced by choice, the most common reasons for abortion include1:

• Financial difficulties

• Partner challenges

• The need to focus on other children

• Poor timing

HOW FAR DOES GOD’S GRACE EXTEND?

John 3:16, 17 says, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.” Everyone needs the mercy and grace of God, and God offers that grace liberally through the gift of Himself—the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Ephesians 2:1, 2a, 4-6: “And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked … But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved—and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus …”

There is forgiveness and healing for anyone who has personally had or has contributed in any way to an abortion who chooses to ask God for forgiveness. Our belief is that no one has disqualified themself from the grace of God. The only unforgiveable sin is to reject the conviction of the Holy Spirit over the course of a lifetime. It is never too late to acknowledge the evil of our deeds, ask for forgiveness and receive the saving grace of God and the healing power of the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 2:8, 9; Romans 10:9; Titus 3:5; John 14:6).

Amazingly, for followers of Jesus, “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” (Romans 8:1). No condemnation. Period.

HOW CAN THE CHURCH RESPOND?
Micah 6:8 says, “He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the LORD require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?” The Church throughout history has been called to respond to injustice. What follows are several ways to counteract the injustices of abortion and the conditions that contribute to this epidemic.

Pray – The foundation of any advocacy must be laid in intercession for our communities, for the hurting and broken in our midst and for the leaders of our nation (1 Timothy 2:1, 2; Matthew 5:44; 18:19, 20; Ezekiel 22:30).

Love – The body of Christ must engage every person in situations surrounding this issue with tremendous charity and graciousness of spirit—whether for the low-income, teenage mother who terminates her pregnancy, the politicians with whom we disagree or the practitioner providing the abortions (1 Corinthians 13:1-3; 1 Peter 4:8). Christians are called to compassionately minister to those who suffer remorse and guilt from having had abortions or participated in abortions and other life-destroying activities or research, reminding them of these words of Jesus, “Whoever comes to me I will never cast out” (John 6:37).

Educate – Understand the issue and help others grow in awareness. Know the history of abortion and its effects on women, families and communities. Learn how the abortion industry works in America. Develop empathy by hearing women’s stories who have had abortions. Understand the complexity of factors (social, economic, cultural or otherwise) that contribute to the demand for abortions. And most importantly, learn what the Bible has to say concerning the issues we’ve raised in this paper and beyond.

Serve – There are more ways than voting alone to effect change.

Be a loving shoulder for pregnant mothers to lean on. Many of the women who feel trapped and choose to have an abortion are walking through their ordeal alone. Create space in your life for someone in crisis.

Serve at or give financially to a non-profit that helps pregnant mothers who are considering abortion (e.g., Care Net Pregnancy Center).

Become a foster parent or provide respite care for foster parents.

Adopt or support adoption agencies and families who have adopted.

Offer prayer support for politicians who advocate for life.

Make disciples and be involved at a grassroots level in seeing the ways of Jesus permeate a community.

Advocate – To be “pro-life” is to advocate for human flourishing at every level of society. Be an involved and informed citizen. Understand that life is an issue that transcends political parties and agendas.

Vote with these important life issues in mind. We admonish every believer to engage the issue of abortion (as well as the contributing factors) at a civic and national level (Proverbs 31:8, 9).

The gospel is a clear declaration that laws can provide a valuable backdrop for human conscience, but laws do not have the ultimate power to change lives. As such, legislation has a legitimate but limited role. We cannot legislate morality, but we can legislate an affirmation of morality. That is, legislation bears the symbolic significance of sanctioning our corporate responsibility.

The Law only exposes our hearts. Jesus brings the transforming grace of God, offering forgiveness and His indwelling life to change us from the inside out as we are reconciled to God. In the same way, our hope should never be in the Law but in His power to change hearts. The laws we choose as a nation, to the degree they reflect the Law of God, cannot change us and make us “righteous” people, but they can provide a backdrop for our human conscience.

ADDITIONAL CONSIDERATIONS
Because life begins at conception, there are other topics in addition to abortion that should be considered in order to value ALL life in the womb. This means we should be careful how we approach both contraception and IVF treatment so that we don’t unknowingly or carelessly end the life which we’ve just written to defend. No matter how life begins, we value all children as a gift from the Lord.

Contraception – Antioch, finding no clear scriptural mandate, does not take an official stance on the appropriateness of contraception within a heterosexual marriage for purposes of regulating the number of children, determining the time of their birth or safeguarding the health of the mother. We do believe, however, that it is important when a couple chooses to use contraception that the contraceptive is designed to prevent fertilization (e.g., condoms) and is not designed to abort the fetus (e.g., any contraceptive that prevents the embryo from implanting in the womb).

Throughout Scripture, children are regarded as God’s gift (Psalm 127:3). There are certain circumstances when couples may choose not to have children for very good reasons. However, the use of contraception merely to avoid the demands of childrearing because of selfishness ought to be prayerfully examined in terms of the purity of one’s motives and the personal implications of the divine mandate to reproduce.

These are matters of personal conscience as godly spouses prayerfully seek God about the growth of their families. While there are important ethical issues in determining whether to have a family, the prevention of pregnancy is understood to be qualitatively different from the termination of pregnancy since the sperm has not fertilized the ovum and human life has not yet begun. It should be remembered, however, that some methods commonly regarded as contraception are actually agents that abort, rather than prevent, pregnancy. Some abortive methods inaccurately advertise that they “prevent pregnancy” because they don’t acknowledge that conception is the same as pregnancy. We recommend that the affected parties thoroughly research the options and consult with a medical professional to stay up to date on contraceptive options.2

In vitro fertilization – From a study of the Scriptures, we believe God’s plan for human conception is the sexual union between a man and woman in a legal marriage covenant. However, couples confronting infertility may be presented with a consideration to utilize in vitro fertilization, and we recognize the difficulty and sensitivity of this topic for these couples. We do not consider this option to be inferior to sexual conception, and we rejoice that the option to seek medical intervention exists in order to assist these couples. At the same time, there are numerous ethical issues to be evaluated in such a process, including the manner of harvesting the sperm and ova and the nurturing of multiple living human embryos, not all of which will likely be implanted in the uterus. Because of our belief that life begins at conception, the disposal of unused embryos is an acute moral issue that needs to be considered. It is imperative that those who elect this procedure prayerfully seek godly and knowledgeable counsel and engage medical professionals with compatible ethical standards.

Biomedical research and genetic intervention – We are supportive of morally responsible genetic research and therapies. Genetic research conducted with reverence for life appears to have great potential for the health of human beings through the identification of and intervention in the genetic roots of hundreds of diseases. By the same token, we believe legislation is necessary to prevent intrusive genetic screening and resultant discrimination as well as misguided experimentation and termination of life.

Biggs, M, Gould, Heather, Foster, Diane Greene, (July, 2013). Understanding why women seek abortions in the US. BMC Women’s Health. Retrieved from https://bmcwomenshealth.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/1472-6874-13-292.

2. Focus on the Family offers a good starting point for further study: https://www.focusonthefamily.com/family-qa/use-of-contraceptives-in-marriage/

What Is the Issue?

Sexuality provides a significant religious flashpoint in the modern Western world. Social views regarding sexual morals have changed dramatically within the last 60 years. Sex outside of marriage is now considered normal, divorce rates have increased significantly and pornography and other sexually charged media are widespread. Homosexuality is widely seen as a social rights issue in modern society. These trends have placed culture on a collision course with the traditional teachings of the Church.

Prior to engaging the immediate topic, we must first evaluate an even more significant question: Who holds authority?

Modern secular voices teach that authority is relative, either entirely individualized or based on the social constructs of our society. These views place humanity in the position of authority, whether as individuals or as a collective. As such, they hold a fundamentally different view from the Christian faith, which teaches that God is the final authority and that His authority is seen in the person of Jesus as revealed in Scripture.

Sexuality is a secondary topic, but with major implications. In other words, how we understand the question of authority will directly affect our view of sexuality. If we resolve the issue of authority, then the topic of sexuality becomes clear.

Standing on the Authority of Scripture and Christian History

In contrast to modern secular culture, we uphold the authority of God as our moral standard, as expressed in the person of Jesus and revealed in the Scriptures. God created us, and He alone knows how humanity can best thrive. His standards provide boundaries to protect us, enable us to live a rich life and reveal God to humanity. We believe God calls us to live according to His ways in our treatment of others and in our personal lives—including our sexuality.

The Antioch Movement stands in agreement with the clear teaching of Scripture, which we hold as the final authority, as well as the nearly unanimous teaching of the Church since the New Testament era1 and the majority of Christians around the world today in affirming the following:

God-ordained marriage is a lifelong covenant between one man and one woman. Sexual activity is a gift to be enjoyed solely within the context of marriage.2

Extra-marital sexual activity, homosexuality, pornography and other forms of sexually explicit media fall outside of the boundaries God placed on sexual behavior.

Modern Application
Regarding the topic of homosexuality, Antioch has consistently upheld a stance of clarity and compassion. Clarity that the practice of homosexuality is sinful, and compassion toward those who sin sexually, experience sexual confusion or deal with unwanted sexual desires.

Unfortunately, many people with a homosexual orientation have been treated horrifically by both the church and society at large. We believe any form of hatred, bullying or abuse is sinful and call on Christians to show love and compassion toward each person, including active homosexuals and those questioning their gender identity.

At the same time, we provide clarity regarding a Christian view of human sexuality. We believe humankind flourishes when we live under the authority of God as revealed in Scripture, and the world suffers when we reject His boundaries. We believe the Church is the pillar and support of truth and has a God-given obligation to uphold the teaching of Scripture, even in the face of societal pressure or cultural disagreements.

1. A common argument for those supporting homosexual behavior is that some people are “born this way,” and thus have no control over their sexuality. The extent to which this is true is disputable, but either way, it fits within the Christian teaching that all humankind is born with a sinful nature.3 We believe all men and women have a sinful nature. This is manifested differently in different people. This does not validate sin, but instead reveals the need for a Savior.

Furthermore, we believe a Christ-follower’s most fundamental identity is found in their adoption as a son or daughter of God, not in their sexuality.4

2. Temptation is not sin and is common to all humanity.5 Jesus Himself was tempted by sin.6 Temptation, including homosexual attraction, is not sin and should never be a place of condemnation. Due to the social stigma surrounding homosexuality, many Christians have hidden their tendency toward same sex attraction. We believe the Church should be a safe place to share our temptation and support one another in our desire to live in freedom from all kinds of sinful behavior.

3. Jesus provides grace to overcome temptation.7 Though we’re all tempted to sin, Scripture teaches us that God empowers us to overcome.8 This does not mean that everyone with homosexual attraction is guaranteed to develop heterosexual feelings (though many will), nor is this the goal of faith, but it does mean we can all live in freedom from sin.

Freedom from sin is found first and foremost in the grace of God and is supported by Christian community.9 We joyfully support believers in their journey to freedom and growth in Christlike character.

4. Homosexual behavior is not a “worse” sin than others, but it is still sin. We recognize that some manifestations of sin have received strong condemnation in Christian culture, such as homosexuality, while others have been rationalized or overlooked, such as greed or slander. We grieve over any place of hypocrisy in the church. We believe Jesus calls all believers to the life of a disciple.10 This life involves sacrifice and surrender for everyone, including, but certainly not limited to, our sexuality.

“Whoever does not take up their cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Whoever finds their life will lose it, and whoever loses their life for my sake will find it.” Matthew 10:38-39

“Then Jesus told his disciples, ‘If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.’” Matthew 16:24-25

5. The Church should be a welcoming place for everyone, while also clearly teaching the Scripture.11 We wholeheartedly believe the best way to love people is to introduce them to Jesus and then encourage them to live as a disciple.

As a result, we worry about attempts to normalize any lifestyle of sin,12 including sexual activity outside of a marriage between one man and one woman. We also recognize everyone is on an imperfect journey of spiritual growth. We welcome anyone to attend our churches and pray they feel genuinely loved and accepted. We also call everyone to a life of surrender to Jesus and freedom from sin.

6. We believe God created men and women as His image-bearers on earth and, as such, both men and women are of equal worth and dignity.13 Furthermore, we believe gender is an integral part of our humanity and is determined by our biological sex at conception.

We recognize some people struggle to embrace their gender. We strive to show them love and compassion as they discover their God-given identity, first as a child of God and then in their God-given gender.

We also recognize others have a physical disorder in their sex development. They are of equal worth before God and are not “lesser” Christians in any way.

Conclusion
Our heart of compassion leads us to speak with clarity because we believe the clarity of Scripture guides us into the life of a disciple. At the same time, our clarity is never intended to condemn people and must always lead to compassionate support as the church community comes around those struggling to provide encouragement, comfort, mercy and hope. Additionally, we must humbly recognize every single one of us is saved by grace alone.

In all of our teaching, we point people to Jesus—His love for us, the example of His life, His death to atone for our sin and His resurrection which empowers us to a new way of living. He is our hope, and He is our passion.

—

Notes:1. See Unchanging Witness: The Consistent Christian Teaching on Homosexuality in Scripture and Tradition by S. D. Fortson III and G. Grams for a scholarly review of the subject

2. Matthew 19:4-6, Mark 7:21-22, Acts 15:20, Romans 1:22-27, I Corinthians 6:9-11, 1 Corinthians 6:12-20, 1 Timothy 1:8-11

3. Romans 3:23, 5:12

4. Romans 8:12-17

5. 1 Corinthians 10:13

6. Hebrews 4:15-16

7. Romans 6:1-14, Titus 2:11-12

8. Galatians 5:19-25

9. James 5:16

10. Matthew 16:25, Luke 17:33

11. Matthew 9:10-13

12. Timothy 4:3

13. Genesis 1:27-28 ta\

At Antioch Ann Arbor, we believe that women are able to preach, lead, hold offices, and have authority in our church. We do not want to exclude half of the body of Christ from leadership, and you will see that represented in our staff and our teams. You can learn about our beliefs on women in leadership in the Antioch Movement’s article below which explains our biblical theology and stance on this topic. In addition, Bridgetown Church in Portland has released a thorough 4 part biblical statement in alignment with our beliefs that can be found here.

_____________________________

The purpose of this article is to address the Antioch Movement’s stance on the role of women in ministry. Our heart is to release both men and women across Antioch into the fullness of their uniqueness, gifting and calling. The Scripture is our authority for faith and practice; therefore, we should always allow the Bible to interpret our lives rather than allowing our culture to interpret the Scriptures, and ultimately, our application. Biblical clarity gives our movement both strength and longevity.

In Scripture, we see that men and women are both created in the image of God. Together they are blessed by God and given authority on the earth, and together they express the image of God. There is a uniqueness to both genders that, when joined together, express God’s image to the world. This starts by affirming that men and women are equally valuable in the sight of God, and they are different. This was always God’s design for humanity—and He declared it “very good.”

Sin corrupted the goodness of God’s creation, and the relationship between men and women was placed under a curse. Rather than demonstrating God’s image to the earth, the relationship between men and women often became a place of pain for both. We believe this rupture is still seen in our world today.

Each one of us views this topic through the lens of our experience. While we must show compassion to one another as we seek God for healing and proper empowerment of all, we must also avoid the temptation to allow our (or someone else’s) pain to guide our theology and praxis.

The death, burial and resurrection of Jesus changed everything for humanity. He freed us from our bondage to sin and made us a new creation, once again empowered to express God’s image on the earth. The curse of sin still affects humanity, but in Christ we overcome and live according to His original calling for mankind. This holds major implications for the relationship between men and women—the brokenness of sin still impacts us, but our calling is to walk in the Spirit. This requires us to embrace our gender as a good and beautiful aspect of our calling and identity, and it calls us to recognize that men and women are equal in the sight of God and need each other in order to fulfill our calling on the earth and to demonstrate His image to the world.

We believe God empowers both men and women with every type of spiritual gift and invites both genders to exercise their gifting within the church. We also believe that there are God-ordained gender roles within the home, with men leading their families with the humility and sacrificial love of Jesus and with women respecting and following the leadership of their husbands. We believe gender roles extend into the church, which is the family of God.

Men and women alike must step into ministry under the authority of Jesus and as revealed through Scripture. Our fulfillment will never take place outside of our surrender to Him; therefore, it is of vital importance that we first submit ourselves to the Word of God when determining our role in the Body of Christ.

This framework guides the following conclusions:

We believe gender is assigned by God at conception, is realized at birth and is a critical aspect of God’s design for humanity, that we might bear His image and fulfill His purposes. Genesis 1:27, 28; Galatians 3:28

We believe women can demonstrate every spiritual gift found in Scripture and can hold leadership roles in the church, including those of teacher, pastor, international team leader and elder. Eldership is left to the discernment of individual churches. Acts 2:17, 18; Acts 21:9; Ephesians 4:7, 8, 11, 12; 1 Corinthians 12:4-7

We believe every leader—male and female—must serve under authority and model the leadership example of Jesus, which seeks to serve, love and empower those they lead. Philippians 2:2-8; 1 Peter 5:1-11

For those called to marriage and/or parenting, we believe the home is the first priority for the calling of both men and women. We believe this calling is more important than our unique careers, and we encourage all couples to seek the Lord accordingly. Ephesians 5:21-6:4; 1 Timothy 3:4, 5

We believe the church is best represented as the family of God and not a corporation; therefore, we look to biblical teaching on the family as an example for order within the church. We believe this example includes a male covering with the primary goal of releasing and empowering both women and men in every way. As such, it is not the normal practice of the Antioch Movement for women to serve as Lead Pastors. Though this is not derived from any one passage, we see this reflected in several passages, including many that are discussed later in this document, including Ephesians 5:21-32.

We believe men need women in their lives, and women need men. This is the way God made us to express His glory, for “in the Lord, neither is woman independent of man, nor is man independent of woman. For as the woman originates from the man, so also the man has his birth through the woman; and all things originate from God” (1 Corinthians 11:11, 12). We recognize that some people will live a life of singleness, including major leaders of the church throughout history, and believe they can equally experience the fullness of God and their unique calling through church community. 

We believe the church is responsible to intentionally develop women leaders, both married and single, into the fullness of their gifting so that God might be glorified and the church built up. Ephesians 4:11-13

The Antioch Movement is called to reach the nations of the earth. We uphold biblical principles while also recognizing they need to be contextualized within a wide range of the cultures we seek to reach as well as adapted to the various church models we employ. As such, our various international teams and global church family will need to wrestle through the application of the Bible’s teaching on gender within their specific contexts.

Gender is a beautiful representation of the character and love of God. Gender distinctions should be celebrated, and it is our joy to release one another into our various giftings. The topic is certainly complex, but we believe that as we celebrate and uphold God’s design, He will lead us into healthy practice.

Biblical Overview
The rest of this document reviews passages from Scripture that inform the previous conclusions. The New American Standard Bible (NASB) translation is used unless otherwise noted. Specific Greek words will be addressed when necessary for accurate translation.

1.    God’s Design for Gender

Men and women are created of equal value and worth

Genesis 1:27, 28: “God created man in His own image. In the image of God, He created him; male and female He created them. God blessed them and God said to them, ‘Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it and rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over every living thing that moves on the earth.’”

Men and women are created equal in their personhood as image-bearers of God. Despite the differences between men and women, both are of equal value, of equal dignity, of equal honor and of equal worth. God designed men and women to complement each other from a place of equality. Being secure in God’s value for us, male or female, inspires confidence to fulfill whatever ministry He has for every individual.

God affirmed His created work, including gender, to be “very good.” Gender is not a design flaw in God’s created order; it holds significance for our ability to understand God’s nature and to realize His purposes on the earth. God created gender intentionally in order to reveal His image. Furthermore, He blessed both men and women and provided them with a vocation to rule the earth, to be productive and to multiply. 

There is tremendous cultural pressure in modern America to reject any distinction between men and women and instead view gender as an optional construct of society which can be changed or modified. We believe this is a serious error that undercuts God’s original design for humanity. Though it’s important to address the tremendous pain associated with gender relations, we must first recognize and affirm the beauty of the God-given design found in gender. The extent to which we celebrate God’s intent for gender is the extent to which we can navigate the reality of a broken world.

We must resist the contemporary pressure to abandon God’s design. We must administer the grace of God to the brokenness of mankind to see His purposes redeemed through the work of Jesus. 

Sin corrupted God’s good creation

Genesis 3:16-18: “To the woman [God] said, ‘I will greatly multiply your pain in childbirth, in pain you will bring forth children; yet your desire will be for your husband, and he will rule over you.’ Then to Adam He said, ‘Because you have listened to the voice of your wife, and have eaten from the tree about which I commanded you, saying, “You shall not eat from it”; cursed is the ground because of you; in toil you will eat of it all the days of your life. Both thorns and thistles it shall grow for you; and you will eat the plants of the field.'”

Sin distorted the beauty of creation. The relationship between genders, the joining of two complementary humans to form one new flesh and thus more fully reveal the image of God, morphed into a place of pain and brokenness. Childbirth, the introduction of new life into the world, morphed into a place of pain and sometimes even loss. All people experienced this curse as thorns grew up to thwart humankind’s vocation to subdue the earth.

Ultimately, humanity’s relationship with God was ruptured, and we were exiled from the Garden into the untamed wilderness, a haunting image of sin distorting God’s good creation—including us. Brokenness was inserted into the union between God and man and then also between man and woman. These painful conflicts have hindered God’s design for humanity.

This curse is still felt today in a myriad of ways—the intensity of sexual immorality, abuse, manipulation, abandonment, along with the mundane problems of miscommunication and conflict. In the two most significant human relationships—parent-to-child and husband-to-wife—this pain is most deeply felt.

No one is left unscathed by sin’s curse. This is our reality, but for Christians, this is not our destiny. We must recognize the pain and yet still hold onto God’s idea of man and woman being co-image bearers, though we may never see it fully realized until Christ’s return.

Jesus redeems and restores the brokenness of sin

Galatians 3:26-29: “For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s descendants, heirs according to promise.” 

The death, burial and resurrection of Jesus freed us from the power of sin and death. In Him, we are born again as a new creation. Through the transforming work of the Holy Spirit, the curse of sin is broken over our lives and we experience relationship with Him and the restoration of our identity. We return from exile, we access His presence unhindered, we experience a restored relationship, we live under a new covenant and we live within His Kingdom. This new reality transforms every aspect of our life, including gender.

When both men and women experience the grace of God and walk in relationship with Him, the beauty and purpose of gender is once again revealed and restored.  A Kingdom Culture recognizes men and women to be fundamentally different, yet of equal value and purpose in displaying God’s character. This stands in contrast to our world, which seeks to both minimize gender distinctions while simultaneously promoting a sexualized and antagonistic relationship between the two.

Grace allows us to recapture God’s intention for humanity. This process will remain incomplete until the return of Christ. His Kingdom is still not yet fully realized on the earth, but we believe we can access His grace now to bring fresh healing, purpose and life.

The uniqueness of femininity and masculinity

The confusion of our culture requires us to clearly state that men and women are different. We believe these differences reveal God’s original and complementary design. It is right for a woman to be a woman; it is right for a man to be a man.

Each person has a unique personality, which sometimes conflicts with cultural gender stereotypes. However, this does not change nor lessen their God-assigned gender. Furthermore, our gender represents the image of God. Therefore, it is important that we embrace the roles and responsibilities of our gender, regardless of our personality or preferences. Men should embrace their role(s) as son, brother, husband and father, as according to the teaching of Scripture. Likewise, women should embrace their role(s) as daughter, sister, wife and mother. These roles come with responsibilities, as we will see in the next section.

Gender roles in the home

Ephesians 5:21-33: “[B]e subject to one another in the fear of Christ. Wives, be subject to your own husbands, as to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife, as Christ also is the head of the church, He Himself being the Savior of the body. But as the church is subject to Christ, so also the wives ought to be to their husbands in everything.

“Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her, so that He might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, that He might present to Himself the church in all her glory, having no spot or wrinkle or any such thing; but that she would be holy and blameless. So husbands ought also to love their own wives as their own bodies. He who loves his own wife loves himself; for no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ also does the church, because we are members of His body. For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and shall be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh. This mystery is great; but I am speaking with reference to Christ and the church. Nevertheless, each individual among you also is to love his own wife even as himself, and the wife must see to it that she respects her husband.”

1 Peter 3:1-9: “In the same way, you wives, be submissive to your own husbands so that even if any of them are disobedient to the word, they may be won without a word by the behavior of their wives, as they observe your chaste and respectful behavior. Your adornment must not be merely external—braiding the hair, and wearing gold jewelry, or putting on dresses; but let it be the hidden person of the heart, with the imperishable quality of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is precious in the sight of God. For in this way in former times the holy women also, who hoped in God, used to adorn themselves, being submissive to their own husbands; just as Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him lord, and you have become her children if you do what is right without being frightened by any fear.

“You husbands in the same way, live with your wives in an understanding way, as with someone weaker, since she is a woman; and show her honor as a fellow heir of the grace of life, so that your prayers will not be hindered.

“To sum up, all of you be harmonious, sympathetic, brotherly, kindhearted, and humble in spirit; not returning evil for evil or insult for insult, but giving a blessing instead; for you were called for the very purpose that you might inherit a blessing.”

We believe gender roles within the context of marriage and family reveal the nature of God and serve as a model for the Church. Ephesians 5:21-33 illustrates God’s design for marriage. Ephesians 5 calls believers to imitate God, embrace our identity as beloved children and walk in the way of love as modeled by Jesus. This then leads to an attitude of mutual submission, which undergirds a healthy marriage. We believe both husbands and wives must first submit to God, and then to one another. From this place, a husband is called to model the sacrificial, servant-leadership of Jesus in leading his home, and the wife is to submit and respond to his leadership. 

Christ-like leadership is never domineering, selfish, demanding nor harsh. Likewise, submission does not require passive acquiescence to a husband’s decision. Godly leadership is both understanding and “regard[ing] one another as more important than” self (Philippians 2:1-11). Jesus modeled sacrificial leadership with His life and taught it to His disciples. (Mark 10:42-45)

A husband is called to emulate Jesus and should seek to empower and encourage his wife into her gifting, whatever that may be, even putting her interests above his own. A wife should honor and support her husband’s leadership. When both model sacrificial love to one another, honoring their differences and supporting one another in their calling, God’s character is revealed in the home and far beyond.

In Ephesians 5:31, 32, Paul teaches that marriage reveals a great mystery by modeling the love of Christ for His Church. By properly ordering the home and embracing our roles, we demonstrate a critical aspect of God’s relationship to us.

The biblical delineation of these marital roles is not speaking to the capacity, giftedness or value of either the woman or the man. Rather, through the marital relationship, God is showing the world a living, breathing picture of how much Jesus loves His followers and how much His followers love Him back. The wife and husband are like actors in a divine drama—the husband playing the role of Christ, the wife playing the role of the Church—each constraining themselves to the requirements of their roles as defined by the director—God—so that the world may recognize the gospel.

Ultimately, no illustration will capture the idea perfectly and Paul himself referred to this as a divine mystery. This ideal will never be fully realized within the brokenness of our world, but it is important that we continue to uphold God’s design for marriage. Sin hinders the fullness of God’s design for marriage. This is seen in abusive relationships, disengaged spouses, selfishness, harshness and more. We recognize the tension that exists as we seek to faithfully live out God’s design in a broken world.

Some women must lead their families because the husband refuses to embrace his role as a spiritual leader. Some marriages end due to the sin of a spouse. We trust in the grace of God for each one of these scenarios. It is not God’s design or intention, but Jesus’s death and resurrection teaches us that God’s ability to bring redemption is greater than the stain of sin. The Antioch Movement strives to be a place of grace, healing, safety and support in each one of these situations.

 2.    Gender Roles in Ministry

God distributes spiritual gifts to both men and women

Romans 12:4-8 (NIV): “For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us. If your gift is prophesying, then prophesy in accordance with your faith; if it is serving, then serve; if it is teaching, then teach; if it is to encourage, then give encouragement; if it is giving, then give generously; if it is to lead, do it diligently; if it is to show mercy, do it cheerfully.”

1 Corinthians 12:4-7: “Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit. And there are varieties of ministries, and the same Lord. There are varieties of effects, but the same God who works all things in all persons [men and women]. But to each one is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good.”  

Acts 2:17, 18: “‘AND IT SHALL BE IN THE LAST DAYS,’ God says, ‘THAT I WILL POUR FORTH OF MY SPIRIT ON ALL MANKIND; AND YOUR SONS AND YOUR DAUGHTERS SHALL PROPHESY, AND YOUR YOUNG MEN SHALL SEE VISIONS, AND YOUR OLD MEN SHALL DREAM DREAMS; EVEN ON MY BONDSLAVES, BOTH MEN AND WOMEN, I WILL IN THOSE DAYS POUR FORTH OF MY SPIRIT and they shall prophesy.’”

Ephesians 4:7, 8, 11, 12 (NIV): “But to each one of us grace has been given as Christ apportioned it. This is why it says: ‘When he ascended on high, he took many captives and gave gifts to his people.’… So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up.”

It is our biblical conviction that God distributes all spiritual gifts to both men and women. We specifically chose the NIV for the Romans and Ephesians passages because it best captured the original Greek by referencing all humanity (the Greek word Anthropoi refers to all humanity).

A few points of note from the above passages: 1 Corinthians 12:4-7 reveals God working His gifts through all, representing all of humanity—men and women. Additionally, Ephesians 4:7 states that “to each one of us grace was given” which, in this context, refers to spiritual gifts. The passage goes on to declare that Christ “gave gifts to His people.” Acts explicitly states that women will prophesy, which is a public gift according to passages like 1 Corinthians 14:3, “one who prophesies speaks to men for edification and exhortation and consolation.”

Antioch interprets these passages to state that God gives gifts to both men and women, including the ministry gifts of apostle, prophet, pastor, leader, teacher and more.

This stance is further strengthened by glimpses into early church life in the book of Acts and the Epistles. In Acts 21:9, Philip’s four daughters are considered prophetesses, presumably exercising a public ministry. Paul acknowledged the pastoral, evangelistic and apostolic gifts of women in Romans 16:1-16, honoring them as servants, just as Paul was honored as a servant of the Lord. In Romans 16:7, Junia (a woman) is acknowledged as an apostle. 

Paul acknowledged the contributions of Priscilla and Aquila in their church leadership role. Furthermore, in Acts 18:18, 26, Priscilla is mentioned before her husband, indicating her significant role in the ministry which potentially eclipsed the role of Aquila. She is specifically mentioned as teaching Apollos, who was a man and an emerging leader in the church. 

In summary, Scripture teaches that different gifts establish the Body of Christ and these are given to men and women alike. The predominant emphasis in these passages is that all spiritual gifts be exercised in a Christlike attitude of love, honor and submission. The extent we model the love of Jesus in how we use our different giftings is the extent to which we will see His Church established.

Lastly, it is important to note that family roles are not “giftings” as described above. Men and women are given spiritual gifts and callings in the church, but that is distinct from their role in the home. We believe our first priority is to our families, which may periodically limit how we may exercise our gifts and callings in the church. We encourage husbands and wives to work together to see their respective giftings released for the building up of the church, knowing that their individual expressions may manifest differently in different seasons of life.

Passages indicating prohibitions for women in ministry

Having discussed giftings available to both men and women, we must now shift to the Scriptures that seem to prohibit women from speaking in the church. In reviewing these passages, it’s helpful to remember God’s original design for gender and Jesus’ redemptive work on the cross. We no longer live as slaves to sin, nor do we live bound to the Law, because of the atoning sacrifice of Jesus. We live in Christ, and He is transforming us and healing the curse of sin.

Sound biblical scholarship looks to the whole counsel of Scripture to discern doctrinal principles rather than developing a doctrinal position based on one or two verses or passages. This approach is important when considering the two passages of the Bible in which women seem to be prohibited from speaking. 

Throughout the New Testament, Paul repeatedly addresses inherent weaknesses of men and women. With this background, read 1 Timothy 2:8-15.

“Therefore I want the men in every place to pray, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and dissension. Likewise, I want women to adorn themselves with proper clothing, modestly and discreetly, not with braided hair and gold or pearls or costly garments, but rather by means of good works, as is proper for women making a claim to godliness. A woman must quietly receive instruction with entire submissiveness. But I do not allow a woman to teach or exercise authority over a man, but to remain quiet.  For it was Adam who was first created, and then Eve. And it was not Adam who was deceived, but the woman being deceived, fell into transgression. But women will be preserved through the bearing of children if they continue in faith and love and sanctity with self-restraint.”  

Paul is addressing heart attitudes throughout this passage. He starts by challenging men, calling them to a life of prayer with hearts that are loving, forgiving and peaceful toward one another. The point of this exhortation is not the physical act of lifted hands, but rather the posture of the heart.

In verse 9, Paul addresses the heart attitudes of women, stating, “I want women to be modest and discreet, not with braided hair, gold, or jewelry.” We do not believe the Bible prohibits earrings, gold-plated jewelry or braided hair. This passage refers to the heart, and Paul utilized cultural examples to make his point.

The central message exhorts women to reject vanity and the temptation to find their value in external appearance—a message of equal relevance today! The antidote is a quiet and gentle heart. 

A modern application should not focus on braids; rather, we should determine how this same temptation is seen today and, in doing so, learn to find our identity in Christ and respond with a quiet and submitted heart. If the heart is right, we will trust God with the rest of the outward trappings.

This is critical in order to understand verse 10. “A woman must quietly receive instruction with entire submissiveness. But I do not allow a woman to teach or exercise authority over a man.”  

The word “authority” could be a reference to Genesis 3:16 and a woman having a “desire” for her husband, indicating a tendency to usurp or dominate. Other scholars have suggested it is referencing the cult of Artemis or addressing problems that come from the education levels of women at that time. Regardless, the core problem being addressed is the attitude of the heart. 

Through using cultural examples, this passage challenges men and women regarding sinful tendencies. Women should reject any temptation to manipulate others or attract attention using their feminine beauty and instead should show submissiveness to their husbands in the church. Men should walk in peace and the fruit of the Spirit. 

Taken in the context of the passages regarding spiritual gifts and the numerous examples of women leading throughout the New Testament, as well as a better understanding of the overall exhortation, we believe this passage is confronting a heart issue in the context of a specific problem within that specific church.

We must also consider 1 Corinthians 14:29-36.

“Let two or three prophets speak, and let the others pass judgment. But if a revelation is made to another who is seated, the first one must keep silent. For you can all prophesy one by one, so that all may learn and all may be exhorted; and the spirits of prophets are subject to prophets; for God is not a God of confusion but of peace, as in all the churches of the saints. The women are to keep silent in the churches; for they are not permitted to speak, but are to subject themselves, just as the Law also says. If they desire to learn anything, let them ask their own husbands at home; for it is improper for a woman to speak in church. Was it from you that the word of God first went forth? Or has it come to you only?”

Both Acts 2:17-21 and 1 Corinthians 11:5 (just three chapters earlier in the same letter) specifically mention women prophesying in the church; therefore, women speaking aloud does not appear to be the primary concern of 1 Corinthians 14. 

Submissiveness, in the context of ordered worship, is the main point of this passage. Paul is primarily addressing the attitude of wives to their husbands in the church. It appears the Corinthian church was taking their freedom in Christ to inappropriate extremes. In this context, we understand that if a woman’s prophesying in the church can’t be done properly and in a submitted attitude, then it ought to be worked through in the home. Paul was confronting wrong heart attitudes that affected order in the church. 

We do not believe either of these passages prohibit women from exercising their spiritual gifts in the church, but rather that these passages reveal appropriate heart attitudes necessary to see these gifts properly function in the church.

Women serving as elders

1 Timothy 3:2: “An overseer, then, must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, temperate, prudent, respectable, hospitable, able to teach.”

The role of gender in determining who can serve as an overseer has been interpreted in two ways by Bible scholars. How we interpret the phrase, “husband of one wife” is the primary dispute.

Some believe this passage requires overseers to be men since the command is specific to husbands. These scholars may also point out that Paul is assuming male eldership through this command.

Others believe the passage requires marital faithfulness but is not limited to men. These scholars point out that Paul did not explicitly state elders must be men and the primary purpose of this command does not appear to be gender-specific. If gender were the main issue, then why was it not clearly stated? The main point of his command appears to be faithfulness within marriage, not the role of gender.

If the latter interpretation is accurate, then overseers may be either a man or a woman, but both must be faithful to their spouse. Taken with the spiritual gifts found in Ephesians 4:11, we believe a woman can exercise oversight as long as she follows the requirements of 1 Timothy 3:1-7, including a submitted heart and faithfulness in marriage (if applicable).

The Antioch Movement extends liberty for local churches to decide their stance on women serving as elders within the context of the overall church government model. Some churches might appoint women elders while others might interpret the 1 Timothy 3:1-7 passage to show eldership is exclusively for men. We provide freedom to make this decision. Regardless of which stance is taken, we ask churches to diligently search the Scriptures and be prepared to support their position in a way that highlights the authority of the Bible.

We believe eldership requires a gift of governance and should be based on character, gifting, calling and capacity—whether male or female. It is normal for only one spouse to serve on the eldership team. If a husband and wife both serve on the eldership team, then each spouse should be identified separately as having an oversight calling in order to serve as an elder. 

Spiritual covering and headship 

1 Corinthians 11:4-16: “Every man who has something on his head while praying or prophesying disgraces his head. But every woman who has her head uncovered while praying or prophesying disgraces her head, for she is one and the same as the woman whose head is shaved. For if a woman does not cover her head, let her also have her hair cut off; but if it is disgraceful for a woman to have her hair cut off or her head shaved, let her cover her head. For a man ought not to have his head covered, since he is the image and glory of God; but the woman is the glory of man. For man does not originate from woman, but woman from man; for indeed man was not created for the woman’s sake, but woman for the man’s sake.

“Therefore the woman ought to have a symbol of authority on her head, because of the angels. However, in the Lord, neither is woman independent of man, nor is man independent of woman. For as the woman originates from the man, so also the man has his birth through the woman; and all things originate from God. Judge for yourselves: is it proper for a woman to pray to God with her head uncovered? Does not even nature itself teach you that if a man has long hair, it is a dishonor to him, but if a woman has long hair, it is a glory to her? For her hair is given to her for a covering. But if one is inclined to be contentious, we have no other practice, nor have the churches of God.”

In 1 Corinthians 11:1, Paul calls the church to “be imitators of me, just as I also am of Christ.” In verse 3 he continues by stating, “I want you to understand that Christ is the head of every man, and the man is the head of a woman, and God is the head of Christ.”

This passage can be confusing and therefore it is important to recognize the context. Paul is teaching how a woman should operate in her gift of prophecy. In doing so, he assumes she is using her gift on behalf of the church.

In the first century, wives expressed their submission to their husbands by covering their head with a shawl. We do not believe this cultural expression is required today and thus do not feel women must wear a head covering or maintain a certain length of hair. However, we do believe the passage highlights two enduring principles.

First, Paul affirms differences between men and women. Though this was illustrated through the customs of his day, we interpret this passage to reinforce the fact that men and women are created distinct, and that we glorify God by embracing our gender.

Second, we believe women thrive when under the spiritual covering of their husbands (if applicable) and the leadership of the church. While we uphold this as a general truth, we also recognize a variety of unique family dynamics which lead to complications. We also honor the calling to singleness. In each of these scenarios, we believe God will provide a healthy covering as we submit to Him and to one another. Ultimately, we believe men and women alike need spiritual covering and accountability, and all the more so in an anti-authoritarian culture. 

Conclusion 

Embracing the God-given distinctions of gender demonstrates His design for men and women (see 1 Timothy 2:9-15) and ultimately reveals His character to the world. These distinctions do not prohibit empowering women for leadership or the full expression of their gifting in serving the Body of Christ.

Everyone serving in ministry should serve as one under authority—male and female, everyone should be accountable to someone. This principle applies equally to men and women.  

God’s design for gender and His ordering of the family provides a blueprint for the church. We believe male covering is an important and enduring principle in order to release women for ministry within the church.

We encourage men to be initiators and servants to women, first in their homes and then in the church. We want men to empower and encourage women into their gifting and calling. We believe women can lead men; however, we also believe these women should serve under a male spiritual covering. Humility, mutual submission and servanthood allow us to express God’s design in both the home and the church. 

We recognize the pain surrounding the treatment of women in the Church throughout history and in our world today—everything from the extreme examples of abuse to the general failure of churches to proactively develop and release women into their calling. Our prayer is that biblical clarity combined with a deep conviction to empower women into their God-given gifts and calling will result in a fresh wave of women leaders raised up through the Antioch Movement.

Our highest goal is to glorify and honor God in every aspect of our life. These issues are complex, biblically and culturally. If our motivation stays centered on the person of Jesus, His purposes in the earth and His heart of sacrificial leadership, then He will give us wisdom to navigate this topic and apply His grace no matter the situation.

Revelation 7 presents a glorious picture of eternity declaring that every people group on the planet will worship God together, forever. All of mankind standing in a unified state may be so glorious that only the majesty of God Himself would outshine it. For now, humanity longs for the beauty of unity as people struggle with one another in almost every human endeavor. In recent years, race has been one of the greatest places where individuals struggle with one another. The racial tensions, particularly in western culture, have become so great that the cause of unity may seem hopeless to some. However, the reality is that the current strife that exists in our culture represents an invitation from the Lord to shine the light of Jesus more brightly than ever into the darkness of cultural divisions. While unity between the races is certainly a most difficult goal, it is not impossible according to the Word of God.

We learn from Genesis 1 that all people are made in the image of God. All people also are subject to the brokenness of sin. This includes our culture, which means that our unique culture has parts that reflect the heart of God and parts that are broken. Therefore, the only way we can move forward in unity is if we don’t fall into the extremes of thinking that our culture is superior or inferior to others. These extremes will either cause us to fail to see the sin that corrupts us or will make us ashamed of our culture and cause us to reject the goodness of God that he has put in us. A healthy perspective on any culture is that it is uniquely made, carrying unique characteristics of God, but that it is also broken and thus needs to pursue unity with other cultures so that together, they can heal and reflect more of God’s diverse heart and character.

God’s Design for Race and Culture The New Testament speaks directly to the issue of race and ethnic divisions in the world, specifically in the Body of Christ. Paul’s letter to the Galatians, which is commonly held to be the first letter written in the New Testament, highlights the centrality of right relationships between people from different ethnic groups. In the modern context, we can point to examples of strained relationships between different ethnic groups, but it is hard for us to grasp the depth of the strain between the Jews and all other ethnic groups (the Gentiles). For 1,400 years, the Law had marked out the Jewish people as distinct and separate from all the other ethnic groups of the world. Even today, the ancient prayer of Jewish men is still prayed, “God, I thank you that I was not born a Gentile or a woman.”

It is into that context of separation that Paul states that the faithfulness of Jesus Christ has changed everything. In His death and resurrection, He has secured forgiveness from sins and delivered us from this present evil age. In the crucifixion and resurrection, Jesus is declared to be not only the Messiah for the Jews, but He is the true Lord and King of the world—of all nations. We are now no longer separated by our ethnic backgrounds, but we are one people in Christ, with one common story as heirs in the family of Abraham, and that means that we eat at one table as the people of God—all ethnicities together in unity! Rather than being an isolated theme in Galatians, racial and ethnic unity is prominent in the story of the New Testament and the rest of Paul’s greatest theological writing—from the Jerusalem Council in Acts 15 to Romans, Ephesians, Philippians and more. All these themes echo the prayer of Jesus in John 17 that His disciples would be one and live together in the shared love of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

How has the church missed the importance of our oneness in Christ? How have we been able to justify ethnic divisions in the Church—as if division is not opposed to the very heart of the gospel? Looking at Galatians is a great way to diagnose at least part of the problem. Since the Reformation, Galatians has played a vital role in emphasizing that we are saved and that we go to heaven, not through our works, but through faith in Jesus Christ. Although those points can be made from Galatians, the emphasis for Paul in Galatians is more concrete and present tense than simply “leaving the earth to go to heaven after we die.” He is saying that the gospel does not leave room for ethnic division in the Church (we need to pause and let that sink in). The gospel means that there is now one table and not two tables in the Body of Christ. (Think of Paul’s famous confrontation with Peter when the latter pulled back from eating with the Gentiles.) Gentiles have been made to be a part of the story of Abraham and are now heirs according to the promise and members of one family together with the Jews. The “end” to which Paul is pointing is new creation. That is what matters. Believers are to live signpost lives right now that anticipate and point to the reality of what is coming. Rather than being a story about one’s personal salvation, Galatians is about community, and is a deeply practical letter that urges the Church to live together in unity—in the right now of everyday life.

When we begin to see that Galatians is about being the one people of God together, then we are prepared for a fresh reading of Galatians. A reading where we are not excused from working through the implications for race and ethnicity. A reading where we see that oneness with distinction is important in community because that reflects the image of the triune and relational God of love. We cannot read Galatians and the rest of the New Testament and think that race and ethnicity is an optional conversation on the periphery of the Church. From time to time, we experience the “one table” unity and distinction of the Church and we think, “This is the way it is supposed to be.” And like the time that Peter first confessed Christ, we did not get that understanding on our own; it is a revelation from heaven. It is a vision of God’s heart for one worldwide people, together in the Messiah. It is a vision for the glory of God seen in and through the people of God. The reason that we do not experience the reality of this vision more often is because of the sin that has plagued humanity since the Garden of Eden. To that problem we now turn.

The Impact of Sin
People often use the phrase “in a perfect world …” to describe the way that a person or group has envisioned their world and experiences in it. Individuals use the phrase, realizing the description following the phrase is never realistic. However, there was a point in time when life experience occurred just as it was planned. In Genesis 1, Adam and Eve’s relationship with God literally could not be any better. That is until they chose to disobey God, and the ideal relationship was ended. Now, even the best of relationships experience pain and problems. We devalue, distrust and even destroy one another. This destructive behavior manifests in all kinds of divisions among people. Sin dims a person’s view of God, resulting in inaccurate estimates of one’s self and false ideas about others. These false ideas tempt us to classify and separate from each other. One of the many ways we classify human beings is by racially identifying them, which has led to the sin of racism. Racism at its core is holding negative views of another person based on the person’s race or believing that one race is superior to another. Racial separation, primarily due to racism, is practiced by most of the world and is even rigorously supported by many Christians because of the commonly held believe that race is a God-ordained natural form of classifying people.

However, the truth is that race is not a God-breathed concept, but a manmade one that reinforces divisions between people and allows one group of people to have power over another. Prior to the 15th century, people were primarily identified from a geographical perspective. The terms white, black or brown were not used. The descriptions of Caucasian and Negro where applied to specific people groups by Europeans during the colonization period specifically for the purpose of determining land and property rights as well as regulating indentured and forced servitude (Tisby, The Color of Compromise). Once created, these racial distinctives became rigid and consistently applied throughout society. In this social construct, whiteness was awarded the highest status and therefore non-whites as well as whites with lower economic status were devalued and oppressed. These devalued individuals responded with hostility and mistrust toward higher-status Caucasians, which further deepened divisions among people over time.

The practical results of these social constructs in western society include more than two centuries of chattel slavery, decades of Jim Crow laws, socially sanctioned segregation and strongly held cultural and political views related to various races of people. Slavery and Jim Crow segregation have been legally removed from western culture but many hold that these discriminatory behaviors are still practiced in more subtle ways. It is widely debated, but some hold that subtle forms of discrimination are primary factors in people of color lagging far behind the white majority in economic achievement, academic success and health outcomes, among other life experiences. Others contend that personal choice and individual effort are the main reason for the various disparities.

The term white privilege is a controversial term which, for some, explains dominance by whites in the aforementioned life experiences. Those who affirm this idea point to unjust practices that gave white Americans economic advantage. For example, after World-War II, returning soldiers were given two valuable means to improve their economic status: the GI Bill (which gave them college education) and home loans (to build wealth through property ownership). Black soldiers were not given these two privileges, establishing a wealth gap that would be passed along generationally. While the injustice in these two bills no longer exists, numerous research studies have shown that similar inequitable practices exist in real estate and bank lending practices (Taylor, How Real Estate Segregated America).

Critics of white privilege point to the vast changes in our laws since the Jim Crow era and to the work ethic practiced by white Americans who have achieved their dreams. They also point to the many people of color who have succeeded in our American system. While concepts like privilege are hotly debated, what we know for certain is that sin corrupts all things, including our ability to perfectly analyze the success or failure of each individual in society. Therefore, compassion is critical when responding to the cries of suffering. The centuries of disparity and hostility between cultural and ethnic groups does not suggest hope for the groups currently experiencing dissension with one another. However, despite humanity’s tendency to divide, there is good news!

The Reality of the Gospel
The good news is that Jesus is the answer to racial strife, ethnic division and even class division. God shows no favoritism. The life and teachings of Jesus reflect this truth. One could very easily argue that the simplest application of His commands and way of life would work to dismantle any social system unfairly built on preference by ethnicity or skin color.

Here is a non-exhaustive list of just four practices of Jesus (basic Christianity) which would actively work to produce racial harmony and remove division. As you read these, imagine the impact on society if just these four examples of Jesus were practiced by believers who lived in times where things like apartheid, Jim Crow laws or even subtle and systemic racial disparities prevailed:

1. Jesus prayed for us to be one. Jesus expresses a very clear desire for His followers to not be divided at all (let alone by skin color or ethnicity). To imitate the prayer of Jesus, believers would actively pray to be one with those of other ethnic groups “so the world may know that He was sent by the Father” (John 17:21). Followers of Jesus who carry His heart will reject division and actively pray for us to be one.

2. Jesus commands us to greet others, saying, “And if you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others?” This is no light command. This Scripture calls on followers of Jesus to intentionally greet those we perceive as different from ourselves—such as different skin colors. Greeting is an act of mutual respect and acknowledgement. We use it to value others, and we withhold it to express disdain. A greeting says, “I see you,” and likewise, to ignore others is to say, “You are of little or no value to me.” Followers of Jesus are commanded to intentionally seek to greet those whom society would lead us to overlook or ignore.

3. Jesus rejects social walls. In places of racial division, it is socially unacceptable to dine with someone of the other ethnic group. Even the apostle Peter fell prey to this ungodly social behavior. The apostle Paul immediately called out Peter’s hypocrisy in front of everyone, because Peter was misrepresenting Jesus. Here is a telling question that exposes the most subtle (and even unintentional) heart prejudice: When was the last time you had someone of a different ethnicity in your home for dinner? As the reader ponders this question, we remember that there was a time when skin color determined whether or not you were served food in a restaurant. Jesus openly rejected social walls by asking the Samaritan woman at the well for a drink and taking the time to talk to her with dignity and respect. Eating and drinking together with those of other ethnic groups is a bold statement of equality and respect. Followers of Jesus openly and intentionally share the table with those of other ethnic groups.

4. Make disciples of all nations. The word nations is ethnos in the Greek, meaning ethnic groups. The command is to make disciples of every ethnic group. Obedience to this command would cause churches to reach more than just their own ethnic group, especially in cities that represent more than one ethnic group. In the same way that we seek to learn other cultures and build effective teams for world missions, we must also consider equal effort and wisdom for the communities in our home nations. Followers of Jesus seek not only to make disciples of their own ethnic groups, but of all nations. It is important here to stress that to be an apostolic church planting movement that goes to the nations, we need to be comfortable and competent in building cross-cultural community. It is significant that in the book of Acts (chapter 11), the first church in Jerusalem that was mostly homogenous struggled to leave their comfort and obey the Great Commission. God had to allow persecution to get them out. But even then, it says, “they preached the gospel to none except the Jews”! In contrast, the Antioch community, where the term Christian was coined, was made up of three of the major racial groups—Jews, Greeks and Africans. A study of the names of their first elders is our evidence. It is important to understand that every time we call ourselves “Christians,” we are referring to a term first applied to disciples of Jesus who originated from a multiethnic community. The church in Antioch sent Paul and Barnabas to the nations, and we consistently read in Paul’s letters that he taught the believers to live in unity in the midst of cultural distinctions.

Jesus knew that nations and generations would need the wisdom to bring change in societies where inequities, discrimination and division prevailed. His wisdom equips us to live in such a way that our very lifestyles would impact society as we practice: 1. Praying that we may all be one in Christ, 2. greeting those that aren’t from our communities, 3. rejecting social walls and inviting those of other ethnic groups to our dinner tables and 4. making disciples of EVERY ethnic group so our churches will look like heaven.

The powerful witness of just these four ways of Jesus directly opposes divisive and discriminatory belief systems. These Christlike behaviors lay the groundwork for fairness and equality, and they help build healthy socioeconomic systems. Unfortunately, these truths have been misrepresented through men who have honored the ways of society and fallen man above the Scriptures. Despite the painful history of horrible oversights and intentional misuses of Scripture, we can be sure that laws establishing racial superiority, economic advantage for some over others, discriminatory practices and favoritism based on skin color and ethnicity are NOT the teachings of Jesus. His commands and His example help to establish His desires on earth as it is in heaven. These changes must begin with the house of God. Can we really walk in unity as the Church of Jesus Christ?

Unity in the Church
Jesus came to bring salvation to the world. While salvation ultimately results in an eternity in heaven with Jesus, salvation is not just limited to life after death for the redeemed. Jesus’ mission to save mankind also includes the hope of God’s provision, healing of infirmity, freedom from destructive behaviors and restored relationships here on earth. Ephesians 2:11-22 exhorts believers that Christ has broken down the barriers and hostilities between Jews and Gentiles. Christ’s sacrifice sets an eternal precedent for believers of all geographical and ethnic expressions to walk in oneness with each other. Differences might seem to make life more difficult, but in God’s economy, the opposite is true. Diversity demonstrates the beauty of God because it portrays a more complete representation of God’s character. The various cultures, giftings and personalities seen in people come from and show the nature and character of God to the world.

Therefore, Christians should wholeheartedly love and honor one another—particularly Christians who have some sort of difference such as ethnicity, culture or another social distinction which may tempt them to divide from one other. In our current society, believers are heavily divided along political lines and affiliation with certain social organizations. As has already been mentioned, John 17 tells us that when Christians love one another, it sends a powerful witness to the world about the love of God. Unity among believers is part of the Lord’s evangelism strategy. Since believers come from every ethnic, cultural and racial group, there should be unity among these various groups. Current expressions of this understanding of unity have led to the development of multiracial and multiethnic churches. Most recent statistics show that approximately 12% of American churches are multiracial, meaning at least 20% of the congregation represents a different racial group than the majority of the congregation (Emerson, Divided by Faith). It could be assumed that multiracial churches experience tensions and conflicts that homogeneous congregations might not. However, research has concluded that multiracial and homogeneous churches have the same amount of tensions but sometimes conflict over different issues. Conflicts related to diversity can be intense, particularly in our current political climate, but those conflicts can be overcome through consistent prayer for unity and repentance from racism and ongoing dialogue and learning among church members of different races. It is also vitally important to have teaching on the topic and other forms of communication by senior leadership of the church.

Racial unity occurs in two different areas—diversity and culture. Racial diversity occurs when people of different colors can be seen and noticed in a worship service or ministry setting. This results from intentional outreach and sometimes simply by people feeling drawn to the church. Cultural diversity occurs when diverse cultures can be experienced and felt in a service as opposed to just experiencing the majority culture. Cultural expressions vary but often center around styles of music, variation in communicators and advocating social issues important to various cultural groups. The Scripture also clarifies that there is no unity without justice (distribution of food in Acts 6). Justice is established in many ways, but it is primarily advanced through power being used fairly, distributed evenly and used to eliminate partiality instead of support it. Jesus was never angrier than when he cleared the temple. His anger was directed at those in leadership positions—those who had power in the temple. They were using their power to maintain an unjust system, one that discriminated against Gentiles and non-Jews. Gentiles were only allowed to worship in the outer court, where businesses were set up, creating traffic through the middle of their worship experience while the Jewish worship experience was protected and favored. Thus, Jesus explodes on them, “My house was built to be a house of prayer for all nations.” We should highlight again that this issue of racial division and ethnic unity is at the very heart of God and is not a fringe issue.

It is further impossible to establish unity without conflict. There is no such thing as a great marriage without proven conflict resolution. One barrier to unity is our anxiety, discomfort and fear of cross-racial conflict. Most of us have not seen healthy racial conflict. Most of us have seen the ugly conflict that happens on college campuses and in our political system. Regarding conflict, however, we need to understand that different cultures have different styles of dealing with conflict, but no one culture does conflict perfectly. Healthy conflict can only happen when Jesus is at the center and leading. Some cultures are extremely passive and rarely share their anger or hurt. Some cultures are on the other extreme, constantly “telling it like it is,” and are more comfortable in verbal conflict. Some cultures find themselves in the middle, being passive for a while, then exploding at other times. When minorities express frustration, the majority should respond with compassion, humility and not defensiveness. Humility allows us to affirm and apologize for legitimate mistakes. When majority culture makes mistakes through saying the wrong things, using wrong language or making bad assumptions, there should be grace, just like with any other issues of sin, and we should keep walking together instead of drifting away. The majority should be told what is offensive and why, and then affirmed for their heart and good intentions.

A number of churches in the Antioch Movement have experienced meaningful progress in racial and cultural unity, and much more progress lies ahead. Through careful study and obedience to the Word of God and intentional efforts toward unity, the seemingly Goliath-like issues of racial hostility and disunity can be overcome through the life of Jesus, lived out through His followers.

Contemporary Issues
The United States of America has experienced an upheaval in racial tension. The death of an unarmed black male named Trayvon Martin and the subsequent judgments concerning the “stand your ground” law ignited a wave of riots and protests amidst several other incidents. In the years following, the country and the Church has had to wrestle with race relations. The need for things such as diversity and implicit bias training has been made popular in the secular world. Church networks and Christian organizations have been challenged to make a clear break with any racism in their organization’s history. Incidents in the Christian community have also exposed a serious need for greater unity among the ethnic groups in the Body of Christ. A stage has been set for anyone who can offer guidance for the future concerning the racial disharmony in the Church and in society.

Jesus has already taught and demonstrated the path forward. His wisdom concerning this matter is incomparable. In His day, the Samaritans were the people group the Jews hated. A simple search of every mention of the Samaritans as the focal point of a story offers us a glimpse into how intentional Jesus was in the face of ethnic division. He used wisdom. He made a Samaritan the hero of the story of how to “love your neighbor.” He used another Samaritan as the hero of the story of gratitude as the only one of ten lepers who came back to give thanks after being healed. He broke social laws by engaging with the Samaritan woman at the well, and he even refused to travel around Samaria instead of going through it. The list goes on. So how can we apply His wisdom to today’s challenges?

Jesus was aware of the ethnic division of His day and the reasons behind it. He was also clear on what part He would play to bring change. He initiated change in several different ways. He remained uncompromising and open in His posture towards Samaritans—the people that other Jews hated. He did things that a heart full of hatred for Samaritans would never allow, and He made sure it wasn’t done in private. Today, the conversation around race needs that same direct, clear and holy response from the Church. The conversation has been polarized by the two major political parties on the left and the right. One side delves deeply into the term racism and researches its ugly history and its impact on society today. The other side sees the very term racism as an excuse for failure and a victim mentality. It sees the American opportunity as a sufficient solution for all the sins of the past. Regardless of which side the reader may favor, society is divided, and that fault line has made its way into the Church.

Instead of remaining in a sound bite war, let’s find language beyond political affiliations and preferences that invites people to the table. Consider being very selective before using terms that provoke others to close their hearts instead of hearing another’s stories. This is where Christian community is so powerful. We are an Acts 2:42 people. We come to the table. We break bread. We learn the stories of others from their own mouths and not from the news. Instead of building a belief system about others from a political commentator, we engage and even live among those who need us. We go after the least, the last, the lost and the left out. We meet the prisoners, the poor and the broken. We know them by name, so like Jesus, we can share great stories of virtue from communities that our typical social groups would never know or hear.

In all the Jews’ generational hatred for Samaritans, who would have anticipated that “one of them” was the example of virtue above a priest and a Levite? Who would have known that out of all the ten lepers whom Jesus healed at once, the one who returned to give thanks was also “one of them”? If Jesus had not loved so intentionally, who would have known that God could use one Samaritan woman to bring out a whole village of men to meet and turn their hearts toward Him? We didn’t come into this world to let hate and ignorance prevail. We are called to be light, especially in hard and dark conversations. The wisdom of Jesus is applicable to every generation, and they have the power to make things better for any person or group who will receive Him and His ways.

Summary
In 2008, Jimmy Seibert penned the book “The Church Can Change the World.” Jimmy purposed to remind and encourage the Body of Christ, specifically the Antioch Movement of Churches, that the Church is God’s Plan A for reaching and restoring a broken world. This means that for every person who believes in Jesus, salvation extends beyond the promise of eternity to the promise of experiencing the blessings of heaven in the here and now. Unity and oneness are a focal point of heaven, and therefore all churches within the Movement are encouraged to heed the biblical mandate of oneness through racial and ethnic unity within their church and the communities in which they reside. This unity can be pursued in but is not limited to the following means:

1. Preaching – The Scriptures offer plenty of instruction regarding how people and groups who are different should treat each other. Race can be a challenging topic for even the best communicators to make clear, but the Word of God provides the context from which to speak to the people of God. Majority culture communicators may even feel hesitant or out of place addressing the issue, but the Bible calls for the believer to reach out to those most different from oneself (Matthew 5:44), and the today’s struggles in culture invite and demand that the majority initiate this conversation in order to see meaningful progress.

2. Intentional efforts to create dialogue and build cross-culture relationships – Race often feels like one of those topics that should not be discussed publicly due to the tendency to create offense. However, no understanding, empathy or growth can occur without productive dialogue. Many resources exist to help churches facilitate conversations about race that will help everyone grow. Consistently challenging church members to individually meet and develop friendships outside their own race will significantly impact the corporate body. Developing rhythms of dialogue makes a difficult topic more accessible for anyone and everyone. Even though it is more comfortable to spend time with people in the church who are similar to us, we trust Jesus’ words and stretch out of our ethnic comfort zones to persevere through awkwardness until we learn how to have real relationships.

3. Increased diversity within Antioch congregations – The amount of diversity in the communities surrounding an Antioch congregation affects efforts in this endeavor, but diversity can also be expressed across economic, age, gender and giftedness lines. Most churches experience some organic diversity, but even those churches have to be intentional in their efforts to extend beyond surface levels of unity. Openness to diverse styles of worship and ministry-leadership development across ethnic lines are critical to realizing this goal.

4. Learning – When Antioch missionaries engage in church planting, they begin the process by learning the language and cultural nuances of their church planting destination. To advance racial unity in our local church, the same kind of learning needs to take place. We encourage leaders in our churches to regularly sit down with members of all ethnic minorities and ask them, “How is your experience in our church as a ___ person (fill in race)?” Explain that you want to learn from their experience and work together to build a church community for all nations.

5. Engage city transformation – Most municipalities address race from an equity standpoint and deal with systemic structural issues that contribute to people of color experiencing significantly less success in financial, educational, housing and health outcomes. Determining appropriate spheres in which to engage can be beneficial to the church as well as the city.

Revelation 7 provides for the Church a picture of all believers’ eternal destiny. We believe this shows us what we should be working towards now! While John’s prophetic picture seems distant from the current state of society, we know that because of Jesus’s sacrifice and the Holy Spirit, we will reach this destination. May the Antioch Movement of Churches be found faithful in pursuing the plan and purpose of God regarding racial unity and oneness within the Church and across the communities we serve.