Although Rod Hollinger Janzen considered his intercultural competence to be more than adequate due to his many years of intercultural experience, the IDI revealed his weaknesses.
Rod Hollinger Janzen Administrative Assistant for Church Vitality at Mennonite Church USA; Waterford Mennonite Church Based in Goshen, Indiana, he serves as tri-chair on the Indiana Poor People's Campaign Coordinating Committee.
______________________________________________________
The Beginning
I first encountered cultural differences in my third year of primary school. That year, almost 60 years ago, the Canadian government integrated Indigenous students into public schools, moving them from private, church-run residential schools that had been mandated by the government to separate Indigenous children from their language and culture. I will never forget the day when about 10 Willow Cree children from a nearby reservation sat next to 25 white settler children in my class. As one of the settler children, I felt uneasy. Moreover, many of the Indigenous children were significantly larger, physically older, and therefore more developmentally advanced than the white children. The discomfort was palpable.
The relationship between these two cultures was never discussed, and we were never taught anything about what each culture represented or how we could best learn to coexist. Looking back, I realize that our teachers were also overwhelmed, with little to no guidance. They taught in an almost “color-blind” manner, trying to treat all students the same, obscuring the vast cultural differences between us.
In this situation, the only relevant information I had was what I learned at my local Mennonite church: God loves everyone and we are called to love our neighbors. Despite this positive message, I began to be troubled by the fact that there were no Indigenous people in our church. When I publicly asked church leaders why this was the case, I received no answers.
I tentatively began conversations with my Native American classmates, Clarence, Joe, and Karen. We at least acknowledged each other's existence, but we lacked the awareness and vocabulary to converse about cultural differences. Segregation was nearly complete, in the classrooms and on the school grounds. While we white boys played soccer, softball, or kickball, our Native American classmates stood together in the shade, chatting and watching others play. Did I ever invite them to join us? I don't think so.
This situation continued for the rest of primary school: at best, Cree and white children ignored each other, at worst, there was insults, belittlement and the occasional fight.
I didn’t begin to think about this racial and cultural divide as a child, but it had a pretty powerful impact on me, and it planted in me a desire for myself and our Mennonite church to move toward the beautiful diversity and inclusion of the New Testament church, a desire that has never gone away.
The Transition to Adulthood
It is no wonder that after completing my undergraduate studies, I enrolled with the Mennonite Central Committee and ended up serving in Upper Volta (now Burkina Faso) in West Africa. During my two and a half years there, I worshipped with African Christians, deepened my faith, and opened my heart. Feeling a calling to serve in Africa, I studied at the Anabaptist Mennonite Bible Seminary, married Linda, and eventually began serving with the Mennonite Mission Board (the precursor to the Mennonite Mission Network). In preparation for my service in Benin, I spent two years studying West African culture, religious expressions, and history. Linda and I went to Benin equipped with critical knowledge and cultural insight, and ready to learn more as we entered the lives of the neighbors and churches we were called to serve.
Intercultural work as a career
During my 14 years in Benin, I was blessed with many relationships and also struggled with many relationships. There were times of disappointment and times of wonderful missionary fruitfulness. I learned a lot about the way Beninese people think and act. I also had the opportunity to confront my own weaknesses and habitual relationships. Some of them were positive, while others led to more fear, reaction, and avoidance. Some parts of Beninese culture seemed difficult for me to accept or understand, so I cannot call them “rational.” At other times, I found myself feeling much more positive about Beninese culture than my own. Through various experiences over the years, Beninese spirituality seemed richer and deeper than my own, and I just wanted it to be my reality.
I continued my intercultural journey through my work with the African Intermennonite Mission, where I served as Executive Coordinator from 2005 to 2021. During this period, while based in the United States, I was able to maintain vital connections with African churches in Central, Southern and West Africa. I also had the opportunity to work with AIMM's International Committee, which is made up of African church leaders, North American and European missionary leaders. Especially during my first decade after relocating from Benin to Indiana, I struggled culturally to “relocate,” to embrace and love my culture, to understand its strengths and tolerate its weaknesses. It was easier to connect with different African cultures across the continent.
Intercultural Development Inventory
When I was asked by Mennonite Church USA to take the Intercultural Development Inventory, I had a lot of thoughts: “Oh, I know this stuff.” “Oh, what if I missed something that I thought I learned but didn't actually learn?” So I went into the assessment with a mixture of confidence, fear, and curiosity.
The IDI is based on a developmental model of intercultural relations. It identifies the stages people go through as they struggle and learn in intercultural situations. These stages lead to greater sophistication in their understanding of both cultural differences and similarities. It also assesses whether they can effectively use those understandings to live and work in intercultural environments, negotiate real differences, and manage conflict situations. The stages are: denial, polarization, minimization, acceptance, and accommodation.
When the first results came back, I was near the end of minimization and the beginning of acceptance — in other words, I was just a little more than halfway along the development spectrum.
I assumed that after so many years of living and interacting in intercultural environments, my understanding would have been much more advanced, and it was humbling to see and a bit difficult to accept.
The more I thought about this, the more I realized that there was still a lot of room for growth in my intercultural relationships. Over the years, when I had conflicts or misunderstandings with my African colleagues, I had a strong tendency to cede control or downplay the problem. While this tendency could be a strength in some situations, in others it prevented me from truly engaging with the differences. I short-circuited the learning process, both for myself and for my colleagues. I didn’t share my true self and therefore failed to offer alternative options that could have enriched the solutions we were all seeking. In other words, when things got complicated, I reacted with more fear than necessary, instead of trying to move forward. Through You will learn how to overcome differences and misunderstandings and navigate confusion and complexity.
The IDI is a tool that helps me process my experiences on a deeper level. It is the best tool to help me calmly and carefully consider where our understandings and actions in intercultural relations have led us so far. As well as serving as a theoretical reference point, there are also concrete suggestions that have emerged from this inventory that can help me take the next steps in my intercultural journey.
invitation
Many of us experience uncertainty and confusion as we learn to understand and respond appropriately on an exhilarating and exciting path of growth. If you have a desire to grow interculturally, IDI is the place for you.
MC USA has several IDI-certified administrators. Certified administrators can coach individuals or groups through the process of taking the IDI, processing the results, and conducting appropriate follow-up learning. I believe that churches in MC USA strive to develop the capacity to respectfully and lovingly engage with people of all nationalities, cultures, and ethnicities. After all, Revelation 7 shows that Jesus is leading the church to a place where we all worship together. It is wise to continually develop individual and collective capacity to go deeper into intercultural spaces. I recently became a certified administrator. Feel free to contact me at RodHJ@mennoniteusa.org., For more information, please contact Sue Park-Hur, MC USA’s Director of Race/Ethnic Engagement, at SuePH@mennoniteusa.org.
Learn more about the Intercultural Development Inventory.
The IDI is an assessment tool that measures intercultural competency – the ability to interact effectively and appropriately with people who are different from oneself. The IDI uses a developmental approach to assess individuals, groups, or organizations working toward intercultural competency. The tool can be used to evaluate programs, develop benchmarks, create program plans, coach leaders, and foster a deeper awareness of power and privilege in all cultural contexts.
Staff at the Mennonite Church USA and Mennonite educational institutions are providing qualified administrators across the denomination to expand access to the IDI to churches, denominational agencies and boards, leadership teams, and other Mennonite-related organizations. Qualified administrators are not only qualified to administer the IDI, but also able to provide feedback to individuals and organizations working to improve their intercultural competency.
The views and opinions expressed in this blog are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of the MC USA Executive Board or staff.
Want to submit a blog post to Menno Snapshots? Please see our blog guidelines here.