Biblical Diversity Task Force

Overview

In August 2005, the EFCA re-activated its Biblical Diversity Task Force (BDTF), aimed at addressing diversity throughout our movement. This task force was originally created as a directive from the President of the EFCA with support by the EFCA Board of Directors to address the issues of biblical diversity which are present in the United States today. As the EFCA continues to evolve as a denomination and seeks to fulfill its mission to “all people,” this group has been tasked with being forward-thinking in the agenda of making the EFCA a denomination for all people. The BDTF’s mission statement is:

Transforming and building EFCA systems and relationships to take a biblical stand for justice, diversity, and racial reconciliation so that healthy churches can reach all people.

The BDTF has committed to three main initiatives, and created subcommittees to undertake these three tasks:

• Develop and articulate a biblical apologetic for diversity and reconciliation.
• Conduct a review of the EFCA national office and its systems and address institutional aspects of racism and homogeneity (such as personnel policies and hiring).
• Create deliverable tools to equip EFCA churches in living out biblical principles of unity across racial lines.

The BDTF is made up of EFCA national office directors and staff, EFCA pastors, Board members and Trinity International University/Trinity Evangelical Divinity School faculty.

Resources

The Biblical Diversity Task Force is currently developing tools to help our Evangelical Free Churches strengthen their outreach “among all people.”

The BDTF has developed a biblical apologetic for diversity, as well as a dialogue event to present the apologetic called “A Time to Talk” for district conferences and local congregations. If you are interested in hosting “A Time to Talk” in your church or district, contact Dan Reeve at dan.reeve@efca.org.

Click here to download the Biblical Theology of Diversity Outline.