Issue 8

Intentionally Multicultural – Breaking Down Walls of Separation

Rev. Andrew Lau
Pastor-at-Large of the Cornerstone Christian Community Church

Cornerstone Christian Community Church was started with an intentionally multicultural mandate. Launched in June 1996 with a core group of 35 (2nd Gen English-speaking) adults and my own two children. Of the original 35 members, 33 were of Chinese descent and only two were of European descent. Despite this initial lack of diversity, the mandate remained (and still is) “intentionally multicultural” with the aim to reach beyond our ethnic and cultural comfort zone.

Cornerstone became an independent church in 1998; and in this 30-year journey, it has shifted from a primarily mono-ethnic start to a diverse, intercultural/multi-ethnic congregation of approximately 1,250 attendees from 50 different countries of origins. What began as a small, predominantly Chinese-descent church plant has evolved into a diverse intercultural and intergenerational congregation. Allow me to share how my own personal faith journey serves as the foundational “aspiration” behind Cornerstone’s vision and mission.

I came to Canada as a foreign student when I was 15 yrs. old. In response to God’s call to full-time ministry in a revival meeting the night before I turned 16, I attended Bible college immediately after high school with the intent to become a “bi-cultural bridge pastor” between first and second-generation Chinese immigrants. My preparation for pastoral ministry was extended by another three years spent at Regent College in Vancouver.

In a lecture on evangelism by Dr. J.I. Packer we were given an assignment to consider the theological basis of the Homogeneous Unit Principle (HUP) – popularized by Donald McGavran and the Church Growth Movement – and to assess whether it aligns with the Gospel. HUP was a prevailing evangelism and church-growth strategy focusing on reaching people of similar backgrounds or social groups, asserting that people become Christians faster when they do not have to cross racial, linguistic, social or class boundaries. The weighty critique of HUP as a pragmatic, sociological approach lacking a robust theological basis catalyzed a crucial theological shift in my understanding of missions, evangelism, and church ministry.

The Lord opened the door for me to further my postgrad studies in New Testament at the University of Aberdeen, after four and a half years in pastoral ministry with the English congregation at my home church.

During our time in Aberdeen, my wife and I attended a vibrant, growing congregation composed of diverse nationalities and ethnic groups worshiping together. Multicultural worship is viewed not just as a preference, but as a primary identity marker used by God to share the good news of the kingdom. Participating in a diverse small group and involving in occasional preaching solidified my growing conviction that an intercultural congregation reflects the glory of God and His world restoring mission. My research in NT Christology consolidated the theological framework that the Gospel is intended to break down walls of separation rather than reinforce cultural silos. The 5-year Scottish adventure was pivotal and served as the “final seal” in my heart, aligning my academic research with a lived experience of the biblical vision where “every nation and tribe and people and language” worships together and fulfills in unity God’s redemptive purposes.

Upon returning to Toronto in pastoral ministry at my home church in 1993, I preached about evangelism and church growth in the book of Acts; an opportunity to propose an intentionally multicultural church plant was accepted by the board, supported by the English leadership, affirmed by congregation, and endorsed by the Executive Council of the Association. While 90 people initially expressed interest, the group narrowed to 35 committed adults and two children after three months of vision-casting. In addition to regular Sunday worship, this core group gathered twice a month for training and strategic planning over a year before launching out in June 1996. This all happened before Markham became the most diverse city in Canada, as reflected in the past three national censuses.

In summary, the intentional multicultural vision of Cornerstone is rooted in an “Incarnational Ministry Model.” My own theological shift was catalyzed by academic critique at Regent College, my post-grad research and experiential proof in Aberdeen, Scotland. Cornerstone serves as a case study in biblical vision over sociological pragmatism. My personal theological development has shaped the Cornerstone journey; it traces a shift from a “homogeneous unit” ministry model to an intercultural vision rooted in the biblical imagery of kingdom worship found in John’s vision (Rev. 5:9-10; 7:9-10) and Paul’s teaching (Gal. 3:28; Eph. 2:11-22; Col. 3:11).

In this post-modern, post-pandemic environment that is constantly grappling with identity politics, cancel culture, ethnic tension, loneliness, and social fragmentation as well as inter-/intra-personal brokenness, it’s not an exaggeration to say that the Canadian mosaic is splintered in need of “the Gospel of Shalom.” For churches that seek to do effective ministry in the many culturally diverse communities across Canada, God’s people are challenged to be “Shalom-makers” who break down walls of separation, created to do good work, to be a sign-post and working model of God’s cosmic redemptive work, serving as intercultural God-image bearers of a kingdom-mosaic.