Race, Ethnicity, & Socieconomics

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“There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” (Galatians 3:28) Unfortunately, present reality, including our churches, hardly reflect these words. Racialization impacts every area of life and evolves in ways that make it very difficult to address. At New Wine, New Wineskins, we hope to foster the skills and tools needed to move forward toward justice, reconciliation, and equitable and diverse unity in Christ.

One of the many fruits of our activity over the years is Consuming Jesus: Beyond Race and Class Division in a Consumer Church (Eerdmans, 2007), written by our Director, in part during a research sabbatical grant from the Center of Theological Inquiry, Princeton. It includes an afterword by Dr. John M. Perkins. New Wine Board of Directors’ member Ross E. Halbach has addressed the subject of race in his volume Bonhoeffer and the Racialized Church (Baylor Press, 2020). New Wine colleagues have also engaged the subject in various ways, including Pastor Jimi Calhoun, Dr. David E. Stevens, and Dr. David Kresta. Dr. Metzger wrote the forewords for each of their books: Jimi Calhoun, The Art of God: Reflections on Music, Diversity, and the Beauty in You (Cascade Books, 2015); David E. Kresta, Jesus on Main Street: Good News Through Community Economic Development (Cascade, 2021); and David E. Stevens, God’s New Humanity: A Biblical Theology of Multiethnicity for the Church (Wipf and Stock, 2012). Check out New Wine’s YouTube channel and New Wine Clubhouse for a variety of videos, some of which feature New Wine leaders, including Board and Advisory Council members.

Dr. Metzger and New Wine has partnered over the years with Dr. John M. Perkins, co-founder of the Christian Community Development Association and John and Vera Mae Perkins Foundation, Mae Elise Cannon, Andrea Smith, Lisa Sharon Harper and others at Evangelicals4Justice, Mosaix Global Network, Randy Furushima, President Emeritus of Pacific Rim University, Hawaii, Thomas John Hastings of the Overseas Ministries Study Center, Dr. Daniel Lee, Academic Dean for the Center for Asian American Theology and Ministry, Fuller Theological Seminary, and Marc and Marion-Torrance Foggin of Plateau Perspectives.

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Our mission at Gateway Church is “Partnering With Jesus To Love People.” New Wine, New Wineskins has provided us with resources and insights that have enabled our people to be more effective in loving the culture and our neighbors. Through the forums on Mental Health, Science and the Church and Racism, we have been equipped to gently, compassionately, and clearly bring the message of the gospel in relational ways to the Parkrose area and to the city of Portland. We consider New Wine to be a vital partner in fulfilling the calling the Holy Spirit has given us.

Pastor Tom Schiave, Gateway Church, Portland, OR

The Institute for Cultural Engagement: New Wine, New Wineskins is at the cutting edge of today’s holistic ministry movement. And because it’s connected to a Christian University and Seminary, it’s in a great position to challenge future leaders. I am highly impressed.

Dr. John M. Perkins, John and Vera Mae Perkins Foundation