The church has committed itself to being intentionally multicultural, and the diversity of people at the opening showed that they are succeeding. The 70-member church is made up of families from various ethnic and racial backgrounds.
Dr. Michael Emerson, a sociology professor at Rice University and author several books, including Divided by Faith and United by Faith, was the guest of honor at the grand opening. His work has had a strong influence on Mosaic’s American-born Chinese pastor, Ed Lee, as well as others in the congregation.
“The church in America is segregated,” says Lee. “I was convicted by that and I felt I wasn’t doing enough to curb the problems of prejudice and racism….I love this country and I want to make a difference. That’s why I left a very comfortable position at another church to start this new church.”
The church began meeting in a local elementary school in 2007 and now has 70 members. The new 4,000 square foot building will seat 200 people.
The church plans to launch Mosaic Learning Center, a nonprofit organization that will support families in the community through mentoring, tutoring, and parenting workshops.
The church also intends to launch a nonprofit called the Mosaic Association, a collaboration among believers seeking to promote healthy race relations in the community.
The church already offers a “Movie Night” every other month and shows films such as Crash and Mississippi Burning. Attendees discuss the movie afterward.
National Covenant Properties provided a loan to help with construction of the new building.
For more information on the church, visit its website or its Facebook page.