Intercultural Ecclesia: An Intentional Journey of Mennonite Church Eastern Canada

-Fanosie Legesse

I’ve often been asked to explain why we use the term intercultural to describe the Church. The word doesn’t appear in Scripture. It’s more commonly used in academic, political or business circles to describe respectful and meaningful engagement across cultures. 

So why use it for the Church? Because the Church has always been called to cross cultural boundaries—not just to include people from many backgrounds, but to build a shared life where those differences shape and enrich the whole. When Jesus spoke about His Church, He used a word that invites us to take this intercultural calling seriously. 

The Word Jesus Used: Ecclesia 

In Matthew 16:18, Jesus said: “I will build my church.” The Greek word for church here is ecclesia—a term already well-known in Jesus’ time. In the Greco-Roman world, the ecclesia was an assembly of citizens “called out” to participate in public decision-making. These gatherings weren’t passive; they were active, shaping the direction of the city or empire. 

Being one of the denominations that claim to be the continuations of the early Church, Anabaptist/Mennonites have always emphasized Community, Peace and Discipleship

When Jesus used ecclesia, He was declaring that His followers were being called out—not to serve the interests of a political empire, but to participate in God's redeeming mission for the whole world. His ecclesia would be multiethnic, multilingual and Spirit-filled. It would be a new kind of assembly: not united by nationality or heritage, but by allegiance to Christ. 

The early church lived this reality. From Pentecost onward, it was a community where people from many nations heard and responded to the Gospel in their own languages (Acts 2). The early church also dared to elect leaders from both the Jews and the Gentiles that exhibited the needed gifts and wisdom bestowed on them by the Holy Spirit. 

Being one of the denominations that claim to be the continuations of the early Church, Anabaptist/Mennonites have always emphasized Community, Peace and Discipleship. But in our increasingly globalized and diverse context, we are being invited to live out these values interculturally. 

This means, we must envision and continue to build a Community that includes and learns from believers of many cultures. Yes, we must dare to promote Peace that bridges cultural misunderstandings and builds trust across our diverse Congregations. Indeed, I believe that the Holy Spirit is nudging us to foster Discipleship that is shaped by more than one cultural lens. The intercultural ecclesia is not a departure from our Anabaptist identity—it is a deepening of it. 

Why “Intercultural” Matters for MCEC 

In Canada today—and especially within MCEC—we live in a context of deep cultural diversity. We speak different languages, come from different continents and bring different cultural ways of expressing faith, community, worship and leadership. 

To be intercultural doesn’t simply mean we are a church with many cultures. It means we are a church formed by the interaction between cultures—learning from each other, changing through each other and growing together in Christ. It is a shift from side-by-side to truly life-together. 

Jesus does not erase our cultures. He transforms them, and through them, shapes a new body that reflects the fullness of God’s image. 

Whether we realize it or not, culture shapes how we: understand God, read Scriptures, pray, sing, worship and lead our congregations. The culture we get to grow up in also gives us a frame of reference on how we: approach time, perceive relationships, imagine leadership and process decision-making. 

Cultures don’t just coexist—they interact. They shape one another. And over time, they build something new together.

For example, some of us experience God most deeply through stillness, silence and reflection. Others experience God through movement, expressive singing and animated prayer. Both are faithful responses—but they come from different cultural frameworks. Some of us see punctuality as an important discipline of a leader, others of us see that prioritizing a leader’s interpersonal relationship should take precedence over being on time. For example, if a leader is having a meeting over a coffee with someone, worrying about being punctual to the next meeting is a priority for some of us but negotiable for others.  

To become intercultural is to acknowledge that no single culture captures the fullness of God’s Kingdom. We need each other’s ways of knowing, worshipping and living the Gospel. 

Therefore, we as MCEC churches are taking an intentional journey together from multicultural to becoming an intercultural body of Christ. Multicultural churches include many cultures—but often, one culture sets the tone or holds most of the power. In contrast, intercultural churches seek mutual transformation. Cultures don’t just coexist—they interact. They shape one another. And over time, they build something new together. 

This journey requires: intentional relationship-building across cultural lines—socially, spiritually and theologically; sharing power and leadership so no single culture dominates; learning from one another, including different interpretations, practices and theologies and welcoming discomfort, knowing growth often comes through tension 

At MCEC, this isn’t just a nice idea. It’s part of our calling to live out the Gospel in our Canadian context today. Let’s allow intercultural to be filled with Spirit-shaped meaning, just as Jesus did with ecclesia. Let us continue to become a Church where cultural difference is not a barrier, but a gift—through which we see more of who God is. 

Let us become the intercultural ecclesia God is calling us to be.