Those working at the grass roots in any project have a range of wisdom
that often remains unrecognised and untapped. It appeared impor tant
to redress this common imbalance and to express something of the experience
and views of those most involved in transcultural experiences.
In order to connect with something of this richness a group of members
involved in transcultural congregations were invited to respond to six
questions about their Church's story of multicultural development.
The respondents were selected for the range and depth of their experience
in the field as well as for the variety of their cultural backgrounds.
Some of the respondents were ministers or leaders, others described themselves
as ordinary local Church members. The congregations in which
they were involved reflected many differences, coming from a variety of
denominational backgrounds and were located in a wide range of differing
contexts. All were situated in Ireland, some in urban or suburban
areas, others in towns or villages, scattered throughout the country
This chapter tries to encapsulate the respondents' reactions in a way
which honours their experience. As well as giving a 'voice' to those most
deeply involved in this area of transcultural development, it also seemed
imperative to reflect the wide variety of views expressed as well as to note
commonality of thought and experience where this existed.
Not all those invited to respond did so, and of those who did, not all
answered each question. Responses are, however, characterised by aremarkable
degree of reflectiveness and insight. Many are profoundly challenging
of the respondents themselves and indicate a very high level of
both personal awareness and honesty. A number of responses are also
quite challenging of the Church structures and of the larger denominational
systems. Some question sensitive issues s~ch as existing structures
of power, leadership and tradition. Others share very personal aspects of
their own journey. All speak for themselves; their views are not necessarily
those of others in their congregation or their denomination. Instead,
they are stories of a story. If there is an emergent commo~ theme it may
be to suggest that the creation of transcultural community provokes a
questioning of the assumed status quo in all sorts of unexpected and
frequently uncomfortable ways.
To preserve a sense of privacy for both respond~nts an~ t~~ congregations
involved, responses are not credited to part1cular 1nd1V1duals or
congregations
