Committee seeks information on barriers to intercultural ministries.

The Annual Conference Intercultural Study Committee has met twice this spring: in Richmond, Ind., April 21-24 during the Cross-Cultural Consultation and Celebration, and via conference call May 9.

The April meeting provided a time to learn about cross-cultural efforts being made on an independent basis throughout the denomination and to discuss barriers that prevent the Church of the Brethren from being more successful in achieving John's vision of the church found in Revelation 7:9. Discussion centered on recommendations in Annual Conference statements and their implementation, current and previous denominational staff and offices that supported ethnic and intercultural ministries, a review of conversations with denominational and district staff and church members, and a denominational resources list.

In a listening session with the Cross-Cultural Consultation, the committee received information on the barriers participants have found in moving forward with intercultural ministries. "The committee heard painful stories on the lack of action at all levels of the denomination, the continuing presence of prejudice and racism within the church, and poor perception and preparation for evangelism and church leadership," Monn reported. The committee also listened to discussion between participants in the consultation and Bethany Theological Seminary on multicultural preparation in seminary education, and spent time with members of the Cross-Cultural Steering Committee.

To continue gathering information from across the denomination on the barriers to an intercultural church and actions to overcome them, the committee has developed a questionnaire be sent to districts for dissemination to all congregations. Work is being done to translate the questionnaire into Spanish, Haitian, and Korean. The questionnaire will be posted at www.brethren.org/ac/multiethnic.htm. The website will feature updated contact information for committee members as well.

Committee members also will contact the following ethnic groups with no representation on the committee, in the course of faithfully completing the work charged to them by the 2004 Annual Conference: Korean, Native American, Haitian, and Arab.

In the conference call, the committee made plans for a listening session on Saturday, July 2, at the 2005 Annual Conference in Peoria, Ill. The committee will ask the Conference for an additional year to complete its work.

Committee members are Darla Kay Bowman Deardorff of Peace Covenant Fellowship in Durham, N.C.; Ruben DeOleo of Maranatha Multicultural Fellowship in Lancaster, Pa.; Thomas Dowdy of Imperial Heights Church of the Brethren in Los Angeles, Calif.; Nadine L. Monn of Germantown (Pa.) Church of the Brethren; Neemita Pandya of Naperville (Ill.) Church of the Brethren; Gilbert Romero of Bella Vista Church of the Brethren in Los Angeles, Calif.; chair Asha Solanky of West Richmond (Va.) Church of the Brethren; and Glenn Hatfield, ex officio representative from the American Baptist Churches USA. Hatfield pastored a New Jersey congregation with members from 23 nations, during the period when the congregation began an intentional effort to be more multicultural.

Source: 05/25/2005 Newsline
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