Attending the Intercultural Church and City Transformation (ICCT) Gathering, organised by the Bible Society and the Gather Movement, in London on 31 January and 1 February was an experience that will stay with me for a long time. Over 230 church, charity, and community leaders came together under the theme “One Body. Many Parts, from every nation, tribe, people, and language.” It was more than just a conference – it was a prophetic space, a different kind of gathering that asked us to look beyond surface-level diversity and engage deeply with the heart issues shaping our churches and communities.
One of the most impactful takeaways for me was the challenge to learn to unlearn in order to learn. In a world where cultural misunderstandings, historical injustices, and deeply ingrained biases exist, we were reminded that transformation requires us to unlearn certain assumptions before we can truly learn from one another. This is not always a comfortable process, but it is necessary for genuine intercultural engagement.
From a racial justice perspective, I found myself asking an important question: Can this space truly allow us to wrestle with the difficult realities our brothers and sisters face in different cultural contexts? Can we move beyond polite conversations about diversity and into the deeper, more uncomfortable questions about power, equity, and justice? Can we commit not just to being present with one another but to being comrades in the fight for equity and equality? And yet, even as I wrestled with these thoughts, I was reminded that this space is indeed prophetic. It calls us to a bigger vision—one where cultures do not simply coexist but where they actively teach and shape each other, revealing the glory of God in new and powerful ways. It is a space where we are invited to truly see one another, not just in our outward expressions but in the inner beauty of being made in God’s image.
This conference was not just about dialogue but about transformation. It challenged us to go beyond merely tolerating differences and instead to embrace diversity as a divine gift. As we move forward, I hope that the relationships and conversations sparked here will lead to real change—within our churches, our communities, and our understanding of what it means to be the body of Christ.
The journey does not end here. The ICCT Learning Toolkit and ongoing collaboration offer us the opportunity to take what we have learned and turn it into action. May we continue to build spaces where cultural diversity is not just acknowledged but celebrated as a reflection of God’s Kingdom.
The Bible Society is a Charity and Network in Association with CTE.