Cultural sharing leads to growth

Regional gathering of immigrant church leaders explores cross-cultural learning

by Beth Waltemath | Presbyterian News Service

The Rev. Gad Mpoyo, associate for 1001 New Worshiping Communities, greets participants at the Inspire! gathering in Cincinnati.

ATLANTA — Culture has many forms and resonances. Even the word carries multiple definitions. In anthropology, it refers to customs, social norms and material traits of certain groups. In science, it means to maintain conditions suitable for growth. In sociology, it simply reflects the characteristics of ordinary relationships between people who share a particular time and place. Culture, like faith, is how people grow. It informs how people care for others and share their daily lives together. It shapes an understanding of the world and how people envision a future beyond themselves.

Last weekend, the growth benefits of understanding and sharing between cultures were in the hearts, minds and spirits of participants at the Inspire! Regional Gathering in the Presbytery of Cincinnati.

“We had a truly inspiring few days in Cincinnati, filled with joy and friendship among a diverse group of people from various backgrounds, cultures and many accents,” said the Rev. Rafael Viana, pastor to two immigrant congregations in Atlanta — Casa Brasil Church, a Portuguese-speaking community, and El Camino/On the Way Church, a primarily Venezuelan congregation.

Inspire! is the second regional gathering organized by the Accents! team in response to the momentum gained by a national conference held in Atlanta in April 2023. New immigrant congregations are a site of major growth within the PC(USA) and other Christian denominations and churches nationally and internationally, according to the Rev. Lindsay Armstrong, one of the members of the planning team. The team, which also consists of Viana and the Revs. Gad Mpoyo and Sam Kim, has written a guide called “Accents!” and structures the gatherings around four key concepts of mutuality and relationships taken from cultures around the world. Mpoyo leads Shalom International Ministry and works for the PC(USA)’s 1001 New Worshiping Communities. Kim leads Atlanta Oikos Church and coordinates the Transnational Ministry program at Columbia Theological Seminary.

At the gatherings, Armstrong and Mpoyo invite immigrant leaders within the region to lead worship and facilitate. The inspiring and accessible music of Korean Presbyterian Church of Cincinnati’s praise band set the harmonious tone that carried throughout the weekend as participants sang the repeating refrain, “Way maker, miracle worker. Promise keeper, light in the darkness. My God, that is who You are.”

As more and more immigrant leaders within the PC(USA) express desire to create regional networks, the regional gatherings expand in their purpose and deepen in their content.

Korean Presbyterian Church of Cincinnati’s praise band leads music at the Inspire! regional gathering.

In Cincinnati, more time was set aside in groups of two to five for cross-cultural exploration. Armstrong explained how sharing one’s understanding of “nonverbal cues, touch, time and gestures were intentional ways to start in on just exploring cultural differences.” Participants laughed as a thumb and forefinger pressed together could, with a flip of the wrist, communicate consent, praise, payment or an unspeakable insult depending on what continent one resided on. The conference played with cultural concepts of time as various sections were led in accordance with the values and measurement of leaders from Africa, South America, Asia and North America. Testimonies by participants marked transitions between keynotes and group activities. These Ignite! moments gave people a chance to share a cultural practice of something new happening in their ministry context. Each piece of the program encouraged the respecting and sharing of each other’s culture, so that, according to Armstrong, there was always a responsive invitation of “What about you?”

“‘What about you?’ has led to in turn to people feeling heard, valued, seen and culturally respected and known a little bit more and farther along throughout the time together,” said Armstrong. As executive director of the New Church Development Commission within the Presbytery of Greater Atlanta, more than half of the 32 new worshiping communities she works with are predominantly immigrant congregations.

The conference also addressed cultural misunderstandings among congregations sharing space together and national issues affecting immigrants during the sermons and through small group discussions. The Rev. Natarsha Sanders, associate for intercultural leadership and recruitment for the PC(USA), called out the injustice of a constantly changing, legally complex and expensive immigration system during a sermon she preached on the Nehemiah 4:11–17 during the closing worship.

The planning team for the gatherings consists of, from left, the Revs. Rafael Viana, Sam Kim, Lindsay Armstrong and Gad Mpoyo.

“Despite addressing sensitive topics, such as the challenges of fostering strong relationships between immigrant and established churches in the U.S., we were able to create an environment of mutual support and encouragement through sharing our experiences,” said Viana, who offered gratitude for the mid council and congregational hosts that weekend. “The hospitality of the Synod of the Covenant and the Presbyterian Church of Wyoming (Ohio) was exceptional, I really felt at mi casa.”

Viana added: “My hope is to see our immigrant churches thrive as we awaken to God’s call in the diverse cultures and languages that already surround us in our neighborhoods. I envision more leaders expanding their cultural understanding, embracing our differences with the certainty that the love of Jesus is the greatest bond uniting us as one Church.”

“The focus on best practices for creating mutually beneficial relationships between established churches and immigrant new worshiping communities is particularly encouraging, as it signals a commitment to inclusivity and sense of shared mission,” said Mpoyo, who is an associate for 1001 New Worshiping Communities of the PC(USA) and part of their team that assists presbyteries with developing thriving ecosystems between new worshiping communities and established congregations through the Pathways to Flourishing program.

“What brings hope about these regional gatherings is the opportunity they create for diverse communities to come together, share their stories, and build relationships based on trust and mutual respect,” Mpoyo said.

There is another regional gathering planned for Stony Point Center in New York with a new date of Nov. 11–12. Thanks to a partnership with the Presbyterian Mission Agency’s Financial Aid for Service, travel scholarships of $500 are available to participants.