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Intercultural Competency

An Intercultural competent pastor has the ability to shift perspective appropriately and adapt behavior to the cultural context (culture refers to ethnic, racial and regional context).

Increasing Intercultural competency is an ongoing part of the journey of spiritual leaders in the United Methodist Church. Both Jesus and the Apostle Paul modeled elements of Intercultural competency as they adapted their way of relating, organizing, preaching and teaching to reach their audience. When pastors develop their Intercultural competency skills they increase their leadership capacity and effectiveness in ministry. Intercultural competent pastors are equipped to step outside of their shoes, their culture, their way of being into another’s shoes, culture and way of being. These skills enable pastors to see through the eyes of another—how another lives, functions, and makes decisions while maintaining the ability to step back into one’s own way of functioning, making decisions, living, etc.

Benefits of increasing cross cultural competency include:

• Increasing leadership skills
• Becoming a more effective pastor
• Developing a non-anxious presence
• Finding bridge people who cross cultures
• Increasing ability to dismantle the “ism” because we are more aware of themIncreasing awareness of and the ability to resolve conflict due to Intercultural misunderstandings before one has to call in the District Superintendent or the Conflict Resolution Team