Katie Blume (far right) facilitates a dialogue about cultural humility, mission and identity with (from left to right) Molly DeWitt, Michelle Muñiz Vega and Ayana McCalman. Photo by Michael Martin.
Better Together
By Laura Cheifetz
Better Together is the title of a book on Presbyterian mission by Sherron Kay George, and descriptive of cross-cultural relationships toward mission efforts. It’s also a theme that emerged in the “Global Partners and Young Adult Volunteers Dialog,” during the Friday morning plenary session of the 2015 Churchwide Gathering of Presbyterian Women. PW Churchwide Coordinating Team member Katie Blume facilitated a conversation among three Gathering participants—Ayana McCalman, an attorney in Guyana and a Mission Partner through the Global Exchange; Michelle Muñiz Vega, a photojournalist and former Young Adult Volunteer in Miami; and Molly DeWitt, a Young Adult Volunteer serving in Arkansas, who also served in South Korea.
Katie explained a dialog is a conversation in which the participants try to figure out something specific. In this dialog, participants explored a series of questions together.
Michelle went to Miami with the assumption that Miami wasn’t that different from her home of Puerto Rico, but found instead an experience of difference. Molly shared this experience, finding that she had to have a crash course in the Korean language, and as a white Christian American woman, living as a minority for the first time in her life. She had to reflect on her identity for the first time in her life.
Ayana provided context and background for the PW Global Exchange participants, bringing them to urban and rural areas during their visit to Guyana, so they could experience various parts of the country (which she made sure to mention isn’t in Africa). The Global Exchange participants thought there would be more “doing,” but their visit was more about conversations. Ayana encouraged Gathering attendees to approach mission as a balance of dialogue, reflection and action.
The three respondents shared insights on how PW and the PC(USA) can practice cultural humility and grow in cultural proficiency. Molly said as a mission partner, she doesn’t try to fix anything. She sees her role as forming relationships with people. Michelle emphasized creating partnership and relationship, which changes the purpose of being in a place. She shared the example of learning not everyone wants a hug and a kiss in greeting, and shifting her own greeting practices in response.
Ayana enjoyed journeying with the Global Exchange participants, and sees cultural humility as something we all need in our understanding of One Body, One Spirit. People should share themselves just as they are, giving us the opportunity to love them unconditionally.
As Katie closed the dialog, she said, “We just showed you in 20 minutes a very brief way to do a dialog.” She encouraged Gathering participants to go home and talk with our sisters about mission. Start your own dialog at dinner tonight or your next circle meeting: how can we do mission better together?
Watch a video of the dialog.
