- Believing that each ministry has a clear vision and mission while seeking to build a reconciled team.
- Believing that each ministry has clear expectations in areas such as authority, leadership style, compensation, music, respect, etc.
- Adding to your team a person from a particular ethnic group to minister to that ethnic group rather than as a part of your team with a concern for team reconciliation.
- Lacking a community environment that encourages positive, loving relationships.
- Believing that one’s ethnic identity makes him an expert on that ethnic group.
- Believing that general characteristics of a group define every individual from that group.
- Believing that merely having different cultural groups attending the same church is reconciliation.
- Believing that reconciliation is only racial/ethnic.
- Believing that we must like them to reconcile with them.
- Believing that ethnic/cultural groups do not change within their group.
- Believing that they must understand us before we can reconcile with them.
- Believing that they must “get over it” before we can reconcile.
- Believing that verbal assent or lack of dissent means commitment from your team.
- Believing that there will be no disagreement and/or disappointments on the journey.
- Believing that we understand each other.
- Believing that I will never be lonely.
- Believing that all of God’s people want reconciliation.
- Believing that every cultural context is the same.
- Believing that we have all the answers.
- Believing that interracial marriage is not an issue for believers.
- Believing that people will reconcile if they believe it is right.
- Believing that peer pressure only affects young people.
- Believing that those from a different people group know they are always welcome in our community.
- Believing that we cannot change negative perceptions of us due to past mistakes.
- Believing that reconciliation is easy.
- Believing that racism is a thing of the past.
- Believing that media racial stereotypes do not affect our perceptions of individuals.
- Believing that fundamentalists/evangelicals have always addressed racial issues in a biblically accurate manner.
- Believing that the Bible does not sufficiently address the racial issues of today.
- Believing that unity demands total uniformity.
- Believing that all disagreements within multicultural churches stem from cultural differences.
- Believing that multicultural churches develop naturally.
- Believing that people of the same color all share the same culture.
- Believing that images are not important to our children.
- Believing that if we don’t talk about racial issues they will go away.
- Believing that race is a scientific fact.
- Believing that solutions to racial injustices have come from homogenous efforts.
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