“Strength lies in differences, not in similarities” —Stephen R. Covey
Half of LMC congregations are predominantly people of color. Realizing this fact is critical for mission. LMC worships in 11 different languages: English, Spanish, Vietnamese, French, Karen, Mara, Amharic, Swahili, Laotian, Nepali, and Creole.
In March of 2021, the LMC-Legacy Foundation funded a grant to access and address race within LMC. The AAILT will lead and facilitate the grant-funded activities. The work will take place in two phases. Phase 1 addresses LMC internal policy. Phase 2 implements new resource development.
The AAILT uses the Intercultural Development Inventory (IDI) as a primary tool to assess and increase intercultural competence within organizations.
The African-American Intercultural Leadership Team (AAILT), formally approved by the CEC as a ministry of LMC, addresses issues of race and intercultural competence. This group has focused leadership attention on racial issues within LMC. Its task is to help move leaders and members of LMC from minimalization toward acceptance and adaptation in the language of the Intercultural Development Inventory (IDI) .
The team is led by Bishop Al Motley, who is also LMC assistant moderator.
Currently, LMC has the following opportunities and resources for followers of Jesus who want to increase their intercultural competency and share together in the pursuit of justice:
There are more monthly prayer gatherings you may join. If you would like to connect to these opportunities, please contact Karl A. McKinney or Marcia Mylin at mmylin@lmcchurches.org