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"The challenge for predominantly white churches," he writes, "will be how to make these minorities feel comfortable within their churches."

The last principle, adaptability, focuses on the willingness to change—locations, ideas, practices, styles, and structures.

Yancey also describes how to apply the principles. They are not a recipe for success, but rather guideposts toward colorful Christian community. Though he does not discuss them, there are forces of resistance to multiracial ministry that shadow each of these principles. Holding to them means fighting the impulses that move congregations in the opposite direction.

Implicit in Yancey's discussion is that racism is often the underlying cause of multiracial ministry failures. What counts as racism varies among and within groups. As churches endeavor to become multiracial, they will undoubtedly discover that, in addition to the vision here for inclusive Christian life, we must discern and dismantle racist forces.

Happily, this book is not the only work expected from this research.

Douglas R. Sharp is professor of Christian theology at Northern Baptist Theological Seminary and author of No Partiality: The Idolatry of Race & the New Humanity (InterVarsity Press, 2002).

Copyright © 2004 Christianity Today.Click for reprint information.

One Body One Spirit is available from Christianbook.com.

Christianity Today also reviewed United by Faith: The Multiracial Congregation as an Answer to the Problem of Race.

CT also hosted a forum of InterVarsity Christian Fellowship employees and their efforts to become a multiethnic ministry.

Recent Christianity Today articles on race and ethnicity include:

Graham Calls Bigotry a Sin | Evangelist calls for racial healing (July 16, 2002)

Sunday Colors | Dallas churches continue to challenge the racial divide (May 15, 2002)

The Forgotten Founder | The man who altered the course of black Baptist history finally has his say. (March 28, 2002)

Lost Common Cause | Christian focus on racial reconciliation is set back after Cincinnati's riots (June 14, 2001)

To the End, a Baptist Preacher | If you want to know Martin Luther King Jr., consult his sermons. (Jan. 21, 2002)

Separate and Equal | Martin Luther King dreamed of an integrated society. Boston minister Eugene Rivers thinks it was the wrong dream. (August 7, 2001)

Different Worlds | Interviewing blacks and whites in the same cities makes an author realize that these followers of Christ were speaking separate languages. (Oct. 2, 2000)

We Can Overcome | A CT forum examines the subtle nature of the church's racial division—and offers hope (Sept. 29, 2000)

Shoulder to Shoulder in the Sanctuary | A profile in racial unity. (Sept. 28, 2000)

Common Ground in the Supermarket Line | A profile in racial unity. (Sept. 27, 2000)

The Lord in Black Skin | As a white pastor of a black church, I found the main reason prejudice and racism hurt so much: because we are so much alike (Sept. 25, 2000)

Divided by Faith? | A recent study argues that American evangelicals cannot foster genuine racial reconciliation. Is our theology to blame? (Sept. 22, 2000)

Color-Blinded | Why 11 o'clock Sunday morning is still a mostly segregated hour. (Sept. 22, 2000)

Confessions of a Racist | It wasn't until after Martin Luther King, Jr.'s death that I was struck by the truth of what he lived and preached. (Jan. 17, 2000)

The March to Montgomery | Christianity Today's coverage of King's historic voting rights march, from our April 9, 1965 issue. (Jan. 17, 2000)

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August 2004, Vol. 48, No. 8