Cultural Crossroads | Introduction
From Challenges to Impact: Ethnic Diaspora Churches in the American Mosaic
A Familiar Beginning & A Common Tension
Excitement buzzed in the air as a small group of recent immigrants from the former Soviet Union gathered for their first Sunday service. They stood together in the rented sanctuary of a local church, their faces reflecting both hope and anticipation. This was the birth of the First Slavic Family Church, an ethnic community born from the shared desire to worship and preserve the faith they had carried with them to this new land.
In those early years, the church flourished. Services were held in Ukrainian and Russian, echoing the hymns and traditions of their homeland. It became more than a place of worship, it was a haven. Here, first-generation immigrants found comfort and belonging in a new country that often felt alien and isolating. They brought their struggles, their memories, and their faith, weaving them into a shared experience that gave them comfort and strength.
But time has a way of changing even the most cherished traditions.
As the years passed, the children of these immigrants grew up surrounded by American schools, culture, and language. For them, the sermons and songs in Ukrainian and Russian began to feel distant, relics of a world they only knew in their childhood or from the memories of their parents. Sunday services, once a source of joy and connection, seemed more like cultural preservation projects than vibrant spiritual gatherings.
Some younger leaders recognized the growing divide and took steps to bridge it. They first proposed incorporating English into the Sunday services. Later, they introduced a separate English-language service that allowed for contemporary “American” worship styles and created space to invite friends and coworkers. However, these efforts were often met with resistance and even hostility. Many older members feared that adopting English would erode their cultural identity, an anchor they held onto tightly amid the uncertainties of a rapidly changing new world.
After a few decades, the vibrant congregation of First Slavic Family Church had diminished. The younger generations had moved on, seeking out English-speaking churches where they could invite friends and feel a deeper spiritual connection to their own lives. What remained was a faithful but aging group, gathering each Sunday for services that felt more like cultural reunions than expressions of dynamic worship.
This story, while fictitious, reflects a reality shared by many ethnic diaspora churches in America, not just among Slavic immigrants, but across diverse communities. Whether Korean, Hispanic, Chinese, African, or other immigrant congregations, these churches often find themselves at a cultural crossroads, grappling with the tension between preserving the cherished traditions of their homelands and engaging with the shifting cultural landscape of their new environment.
Defining the Ethnic Diaspora Church
Before moving forward, it’s important to clarify a key term that will guide this series: Ethnic Diaspora Church.
The word “diaspora” refers to a group of people who live outside their ancestorial homeland1, often maintaining strong emotional, cultural, and religious ties to their roots. In this context, ethnic diaspora churches are communities of faith formed by immigrants, often first and second-generation, who gather around a shared ethnic heritage.
But what exactly is ethnicity?
In Introducing Cultural Anthropology: A Christian Perspective, Brian Howel and Jenell Paris write, “Ethnicity is a category based on the sense of group affiliation derived from a distinct heritage or worldview as a people… ethnic identities are expressed and maintained through linguistic, cultural, and social markers.”2
Likewise, Marietta Stepaniants, a professor at the Insitute of Philosophy in the Russian Academy of Sciences, defines ethnicity as “a group of persons sharing a common cultural heritage… made by common history, environment, territory, language, customs, habits, beliefs, in short, by common way of life. Undoubtedly, religion is an important component of any cultural heritage.”3
These perspectives underscore that ethnicity is not merely about physical appearance. It encompasses language, traditions, beliefs, and a shared way of life.
Drawing on these insights and personal experience, I define an Ethnic Diaspora Church as:
A homogenous congregation that primarily serves a specific ethnic or cultural group, often composed of first, 1.5, and second-generation immigrants. It conducts worship services in the native language of that group and seeks to preserve cultural traditions, customs, and heritage as an integral part of its identity.
At the Crossroads of Faith, Culture, and Mission
Ethnic diaspora churches in the United States stand at the intersection of faith, culture and identity. They are vital yet often overlooked communities within the broader Christian landscape. These congregations frequently face complex challenges:
Language barriers between generations
Differing cultural worldviews
Tensions around contextualization
Internal resistance to change
As younger members grow up immersed in American society, many begin to feel disconnected from services and traditions that no longer speak to their context. Some eventually leave, seeking spiritual communities that feel more accessible, relevant, or missionally engaged.
Yet, these challenges don’t have to be the end of the story.
What initially appears as a barrier can, through intentional discipleship and theological reflection, become a launchpad for mission. When rooted in Scripture and open to cultural engagement, ethnic diaspora churches can harness their unique identity and experiences to:
Enrich the tapestry of American Christianity
Cultivate cross-generational spiritual growth
Model gospel-centered cultural integration
Contribute meaningfully to the Great Commission
Behind the Research and What You Can Expect from This Series
I came to the United States in the early 2000s from Ukraine and joined a local Slavic ethnic diaspora church. It was at this church that I was baptized, attended youth and adult services, preached my first sermon, and was eventually ordained as one of the pastors overseeing an English-speaking service. I met and married my wife in this community and today I continue to serve as an associate pastor.
This journey has deeply shaped my faith and perspective. However, for this series, I’ll be leaning primarily on research rather than personal narrative. My aim is to explore the broader landscape of ethnic diaspora churches, sharing the data, stories, and struggles of various communities across the country. I’ll supplement this research with personal insights where appropriate, but the focus will remain on offering a well-rounded picture of the challenges and opportunities that these churches face.
To understand this cultural sector, I conducted both formal and informal research, including:
Attending ethnic and multiethnic churches
Conducting interviews and surveys
Attending conferences
Analyzing online communities and social media
And of course, reading books, articles, and academic literature related to church, culture, diaspora, and mission
From this work, I identified recurring themes, tensions, and strengths across many ethnic church communities. These insights guide the structure of this series, which will unfold in four major parts, each composed of several installments. While the chapters are organized around specific topics, they all fall under the following broader themes:
Part I: The Landscape: Understanding the Ethnic Diaspora Church Context
Part II: The Vision: God’s Mission and Our Identity
Part III: The Path Forward: Preparing for Gospel Integration
Part IV: The Movement: Practical Models of Integration
Thank you for joining me on this journey. In the next post, “The New Pilgrims: How Immigrant Believers Are Shaping American Christianity,” we’ll explore how waves of faithful immigrants have not only preserved their faith but are actively reshaping the spiritual landscape of the United States. Their stories reveal both the beauty and complexity of carrying faith across borders, and what it means to be a pilgrim in a new land.
Merriam-Webster. “Diaspora,” www.merriam-webster.com. August 8, 2025. https://www.merriam‑webster.com/dictionary/diaspora
Howell, Brian M. and Jenell Paris. Introducing Cultural Anthropology: A Christian Perspective, Second Edition (Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2019), 85-86.
Stepaniants, Marietta. “Ethnicity and Religion.” Dartmouth.edu. http://www.dartmouth.edu/~crn/crn_papers/Stepaniants2.pdf
Good work, brother!