The last church I wanted to pastor was an immigrant church. I’d just graduated from seminary. If I had to tier the types of Silicon Valley churches I wanted to serve, the “Google Church” would have been at the top of my list. This is the established, healthy church with great ecclesiology, vibrant elders, and a good reputation. I would have also relished the “Tech Startup Church,” a cutting-edge church plant where I could shape its various contours and be at the center of evangelistic energy.
You know what would have been at the bottom of my list? The immigrant church. I thought my newly minted MDiv deserved “better,” that pastoring an immigrant church felt like joining “Yahoo,” a passé and suboptimal organization.
Twelve years later, I realize how wrong I was. I’ve happily served as the English pastor of an immigrant Chinese church, and I have learned to love it. It thrills me to serve here; there’s no place I’d rather be.
Below I’ve written three reasons I love ministering in an immigrant church. My hope is that you too will discover its distinctive beauty in the mosaic of local churches God has designed.
1. Immigrant churches are a
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