A Message on Unity in Cultural Diversity

God’s creation is filled with amazing diversity, from fingerprints to galaxies. We may also see His creativity and diversity through the unique talents and gifts He gives us and in the diverse ministries where He calls us to serve (Ephesians 4:11–13). It is clear that God delights in diversity.

While we are each unique, we also share certain qualities. These qualities can relate to nationality, race, ethnicity or culture, which constitute the dimension of diversity that we will discuss in this statement. In a sense, I believe that this aspect of diversity is a result of fulfilling God’s command to “be fruitful and multiply” (Genesis 1:28). Throughout history and even in heaven (Revelation 7:9), we see expressions of this incredible diversity.

Sadly, this diversity has sometimes led to misunderstandings and broken relationships (e.g., John 4:9; Acts 10:28; Galatians 2:11–13). As we can see in our broken world, distrust and prejudice have created barriers between races and cultures, causing alienation, discrimination and oppression. As a result, God’s gift of diversity has at times been abused to marginalize and exclude.

The good news is that reconciliation and restoration of our brokenness are possible for our community and our world. The Bible calls us to seek deep unity within our diversity (e.g., Psalm 133:1; Romans 12:4–5; 1 Corinthians 1:10; 1 Corinthians 12:12–31). Through God’s grace, we can bridge the barriers that divide us and build unity with one another as new persons in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17).

In His ministry, Jesus sought out and connected with people of different nationalities and cultures (e.g., Matthew 8:5–13; Matthew 15:21–28; Mark 5:1–20; John 4:1–42; John 12:20–26). Jesus, in fact, defined “neighbor” in the context of intercultural engagement (Luke 10:25–37). He called His followers to use their gifts and talents to create a community of faith that can transcend national and cultural divisions (Matthew 28:18–20; Acts 2).

As Seventh-day Adventist Christians, we must share the eternal gospel with “every nation, tribe, language and people” (Revelation 14:6). As a result, this mission will be fulfilled when persons from “every tribe, people, and language” stand united before God, praising Christ as Lord and Savior (Revelation 7:9–10) — the One who names the stars and who also holds us in the palm of His hand (Psalm 147:4; Isaiah 49:16; John 10:28–29).

What does this mean for Andrews University? It means embracing cultural diversity and promoting intercultural understanding in ways that consistently lead to unity. It means that we are called to create a caring community where we value each other, show compassion, and strive for justice and fairness. It means listening to each other’s experiences, discussing our challenges openly and working together to build a unified community that advances God’s kingdom.

We have made progress here at Andrews University, but there is still more to do. In fulfillment of the biblical vision, our University administration will seek to ensure that policies and practices of our institution effectively support and foster inclusion of different races and ethnicities. We will continue to work closely with all institutional entities throughout our community to support ethnic and cultural sensitivity and equality so we can be more fully united in Christ. We will strive to provide opportunities for intercultural understanding and engagement, modeling biblical ethics and respectful conversations about race and ethnicity, whenever and wherever we can.

Connected with the student experience, we will continue to provide awareness of advising and coaching services to prospective students who may need assistance during the application process. In particular, we will enhance special support for first-generation college students before and after they enroll. We will include content and clinical experiences in professional programs so that our students and graduates are able to provide competent and compassionate care for all populations.

More broadly, we will continue to highlight our global campus and seek to communicate value to the international members of our Andrews community. We will develop and nurture close relationships with local communities to provide opportunities for service and practical experiences with diverse cultural populations. We will employ employee recruitment and retention strategies that include diverse racial and ethnic populations. We will further work to ensure that committee composition across our Andrews University community is broadly representative of the University’s treasured racial and cultural diversity.

Together, we will use the incredible diversity of our University to inspire and build an exemplary community—united in mission, committed to truth as it is in Jesus, and reflecting the qualities of the family of God.


John Wesley Taylor V
President, Andrews University