Years ago, as Gwinnett County demographics began to change with the influx of immigrants and refugees from all over the world, First Baptist Church of Lilburn faced a unique challenge.
As the makeup of the community grew increasingly diverse, language and cultural barriers made it more difficult to reach out to our neighbors. It quickly became obvious that if we were to reach this community with the love of Christ, we would need to embrace those from other cultures and find ways to minister to them. As we sought direction for how best to reach the nations at our doorstep, God put on our hearts the desire to begin specific-language congregations that could reach their cultures so much better than we ever could. The reason? Not only do these congregations have the language skills, they also know the nuances of their culture and how best to minister in those settings.
When we began with our first language congregation, we knew we wanted it to be more than a “landlord/tenant” relationship. Our desire was to follow the biblical model of worship set forth in Revelation 7:9, with “every tribe, tongue, people, and nation” joined together in praise and unity.
We were in unfamiliar territory, so we looked around for a model and there just didn’t seem to be one. While there were many churches in the area providing space for other language congregations to meet, we didn’t find any that were incorporating language congregations into their English-speaking fellowships. It has been a learning experience for us. Sometimes it feels as if we are figuring it out as we go, but God has richly blessed us through each language congregation with whom we are privileged to serve.
Our desire has never been to simply host language congregations. Rather, we want to function as one in the body of Christ. We genuinely love one another and delight in serving one another. We like to think of First Baptist Church of Lilburn as two campuses, 12 languages but one church. Each of our language pastors serves on our staff as the associate pastor for his specific group. They attend weekly staff meetings and participate in various events and ministries alongside the English congregation. We take multiethnic groups on mission trips and experience the joy of cross-cultural ministry together.
Because each congregation worships in its own language, we are not able to physically worship together. But at least twice a year, to celebrate being one congregation, all 12 groups meet together to worship and celebrate how God has blessed us through one another.
On any given Sunday, if you walk the halls of First Baptist, you will hear voices lifted in praise and worship in a variety of languages. And while we may not understand the language, it sounds a lot like it will sound in heaven one day.
Elaine Brown is missions administrator for Lilburn First Baptist. Ken Hall is senior pastor of Lilburn First Baptist.
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