In the book of Acts, we read that God the Holy Spirit is uniting a people from numerous different cultures together in one church (Acts 2:1–12). Galatians 3:28 emphasizes that in God’s church, traditional distinctions that divide people should do so no longer. Revelation tells us that in the new Jerusalem, there will be people from every tribe and tongue and nation (Revelation 7:9). From this we can conclude that God’s church is meant to be a place where diverse people unite in worship.

When we confess as Christians in the Nicene Creed that we believe one holy catholic and apostolic church, the term catholic does not refer to the Roman Catholic church, but to the universal nature of God’s church. God’s church includes people from lots of different backgrounds and cultures. It is not limited to one people or one group.

Because the church is meant to be a place where there is a unity through faith in Jesus Christ (Ephesians 4:3–6), we must make sure that we do not exclude anyone from our church gatherings on the basis of culture or age or background. Church must be a place where all Christian believers are welcomed.