24 Oct 2018: ADME On Cultural Intelligence
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]ADME’s Cultural Intelligence: On These Pages and In Person (Vol 7, 2018)
Barney Wells, ADME President
From its earliest days, the Church has struggled to be in the world but not of it. Controversies in Rome and Corinth over what Christians could eat or not eat. Paul attempting to appease Judean nationalists in the Temple and being arrested. Peter needing divine intervention to overcome cultural bias and enter the home of Cornelius. These and other examples show how hard it can sometimes be to see the truth of God when looking through our cultural lenses.
This issue of the Journal of Christian Ministry, as well as this year’s ADME Conference, invites you to consider cultural intelligence and its importance to both the practice of ministry and the education of the Doctor of Ministry student.
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[vc_separator type=”transparent” position=”center” up=”3″ down=”0″][vc_column_text]Dr. Soong-Chan Rah, prepares our heads and hearts to consider the importance of cultural intelligence, and the danger of lacking it, for the Church today.
Over the last several years, enrollment in DMin programs has seen a plateauing of white male students and an increase in nearly all others. Ministry contexts are becoming more diverse, not only in the type of ministry, but also in the cultures of those whom students serve. Whether one’s ministry is directing a DMin program or serving in any of the multitude of contexts DMin students serve, cultural intelligence is an essential skill.
The feature article in this issue, by Dr. Soong-Chan Rah, prepares our heads and hearts to consider the importance of cultural intelligence, and the danger of lacking it, for the Church today. This feature is supplemented by other work helping us understand the world of ministry, especially that of the DMin student, today.
My prayer is that this issue of the Journal is a blessing to you. I hope it provides you with tools for your task, encouragement in your ministry, challenges for your thinking, and a sense of connection to others who labor at the same calling. [/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]