"God has called us to be counter-cultural. If we only have multicultural churches, we are just mirroring society – that’s not what God has called us to do. We need to rise above multicultural Britain and develop intercultural and inclusive churches…”

As we seek to share the good news of Jesus in our diverse urban communities, our churches must become places of welcome and belonging for people of all backgrounds and cultures. Jason Roach speaks with Rev Dr Israel Olofinjana, Director of the One People Commission at the Evangelical Alliance, about the importance for churches to move towards being ‘intercultural’.

Speaking directly to church leaders, and those in positions of leadership in our churches, Israel shares more about the need for churches to move beyond simply being ‘multicultural’, where different groups are represented but don’t necessarily share a common vision. Instead, churches should seek to share a common vision – or a ‘mutual inconvenience’, as Israel puts it – to become places where connections are made across the barriers and boundaries of cultures and ethnicities.

Intercultural churches might not be easy to build, but it is important for the Church to address these issues through a Biblical lens, having the uncomfortable, authentic conversations that may previously have been swept under the carpet.

Watch the episode or listen via your preferred podcast provider (links available below).