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Cross-cultural appointments in the United Methodist Church

February 21, 2017 / By Rev. Ewart Morris

My guiding principle and mandate, both in the call and practice, of the ordained and pastoral ministry has been Jesus’ commission to his disciples. He directed them: “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you and remember, I am with you always, even to the end of the age” (Mat 28:19-20 NRSV).

The United Methodist Church encourages cross-cultural appointments among its churches in the denomination. Its “Mission to the World” commits to “crossing boundaries of language, culture, and social or economic status. . . . to be in ministry with all people, as we in faithfulness to the gospel, seek to grow in mutual love and trust” (The Book of Discipline of The United Methodist Church 2012, par. 125).

Cross-cultural appointments have demonstrated to me something of the breadth and depth of God’s love. All it takes is our willingness to be open to the moving of the God’s Holy Spirit and embrace the people we have been called to love and serve. They can come from all walks of life and we are called to minister to them as Jesus would.

I have never thought of my ministry as anything other than being cross-cultural. That means reaching the world’s people with the saving and life-giving message of Jesus Christ regardless of their cultural backgrounds. I have always understood my pastoral appointment to a community and not merely to a particular “congregation.” I have been blessed, as a person of Afro-West Indian descent, to serve both predominantly white and black congregations of various cultural backgrounds. Nevertheless, the one common thread continues to be that each one regards himself/herself as American and that provides common ground for communicating the gospel as well as being in ministry together.

One of the unique blessings I had recently was to be appointed to two diverse congregations. Emmaus UMC is a multi-ethnic congregation in Albany. A number of languages might be heard in this congregation including Kinyarwanda, Swahili, and French among the Africans, to Urdu among the Pakistanis, and Tagala among the people of the Philippines. Worshippers on Sunday hear Scripture readings and songs in one or two languages other than English.  The other congregation, Valley Falls UMC, located more than a 45-minute drive north of Albany, welcomes and embraces the people of Emmaus. Each congregation leaves its sanctuary and joins the other for a worship service and luncheon. The congregations see themselves as disciples of Jesus Christ growing in their walk of faith rather than racial and cultural identities.

When I was asked to reflect on the question, “What does a cross-cultural appointment mean to you?,” I was happy to share from my rich experience to encourage others to reach across the differences of color and race to be bearers of the good news of Jesus Christ. I have learned that one has to be intentional in reaching across those differences is to bear that witness.

Having served a number of congregations in my 23 years of ministry, I have discovered as Maya Angelou said very eloquently in her poem, The Human Family, “We are more alike, my friends, than we are unalike.”  The people of our congregations have a number of things in common. They love to hear the gospel preached from the Bible. They love worship and do not mind being introduced to new songs and hymns. Our work as pastors and leaders is to move at a pace that will allow them to catch up to the sounds and rhythms. I recall introducing the South Park, Buffalo and Covenant, West Seneca, congregations to the West Indian versions of “The Virgin Mary Had a Baby Boy” and “Go Tell It on the Mountain” at Christmas. Folks had come to expect them when they gather for Christmas celebration and were disappointed if they were not included. And yes, most of our churches love to have worship end at a reasonable time so that they can get on with the rest of their day.  While these examples may seem superficial, at the deeper level they show how much we are more “alike than unalike.” 

What I have come to learn and appreciate, to a degree, is that our varied expressions of ministry and propagation of the gospel have their unique cultural bias. So long as they are not perpetuating prejudice and division, they can be used to strengthen relationships and spreading of the love of Jesus Christ. Our main agenda should be expand our ministries for the Kingdom of God and the redemption of humankind.  At the end of the day, each seeks the same goal, which is decency, courtesy, respect toward all others as human beings. Such behaviors can happen through the transforming power in Jesus Christ, which can embrace all cultural backgrounds and with spiritual leaders who are will to be open to the moving of God’s Spirit where we serve.