Rev 7:9 Unity v. Assimilation: The Call to Reconciliation

With Eric Logan and Marissa Mattox Heffernan

During a 1960 “Meet the Press” interview, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. declared, “I think it is one of the tragedies of our nation, one of the shameful tragedies, that 11 o’clock on Sunday morning is one of the most segregated hours, if not the most segregated hours in Christian America.” Data shows that this trend is still true. While it is human nature to categorize and group similar things together, the story of Pentecost (Acts 2) and Revelation 7:9 show us that the Homogenous Unit Principle is not the way of the Holy Spirit. Marissa Mattox Heffernan and Eric Logan will walk us through a discussion on recognizing the vertical and horizontal components where diversity is reflected in these Scriptures, understanding the nuances between unity and assimilation, and how that translates into our spaces as Christian leaders.

For over 20 years, Rev. Marissa Mattox Heffernan has served in several different contexts of worship ministry. She built and led worship teams, toured as a part of a worship duo, and teaches inclusive practices of worship leadership. The unity experienced in worship has driven Marissa to explore what the culture of Christianity would look like if all people were equally recognized as image-bearers of God.

Eric W Logan (RWC Class of '77) is vice-chair of the FMCUSA BOA and in his second term on the Genesis Conference Ministerial and Educational Guidance Board, and serves as a founding member of the Justice Network of the Free Methodist Church.