A “Community” of Discipline: The Paradox of Diversity Within an Intercultural Church

In recent years, a sense of community has declined throughout the United States. Central Community Church has responded to this trend by promoting the organizational metaphor of “community.” Building upon 4 years of ethnographic fieldwork, the present study explored potential limitations and consequences of this metaphor among Central Community's racially/ethnically diverse leaders and members. Results revealed a one-sided insight that values a White normative view of “community” over alternative understandings, thus, silencing current minority members within the organization. I begin this exploration, first, with a brief review of relevant literature. Next, I outline this study's intercultural context and research methodologies. I then discuss two unintended consequences of the community metaphor: (a) one-sided insight, and (b) self-disciplined members. I conclude by introducing the diversity paradox: an emphasis placed upon one potential expression of diversity which, in turn, deemphasizes alternative expressions of difference for certain minority members.