Tomorrow's leaders embrace intercultural training
Tomorrow's leaders embrace intercultural training
13 July 2022
The Intercultural and All Abilities Team piloted the CALD Emerging Leaders Training in NSW with 10 participants from four different nationalities.
A group of 15 participants representing 14 different nationalities recently started The Salvation Army’s Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CALD) Emerging Leaders Training.
People from diverse backgrounds across Australia with a passion for serving in The Salvation Army were invited to participate in the nine-month program delivered through mentorship and online learning.
The training provides a pathway for foundational ministry leadership training that is culturally appropriate, engaging and able to raise leaders from different cultures to best serve in ministry through The Salvation Army.
From July 2021 through to March this year, The Intercultural and All Abilities Team (Mission Support Department) piloted the CALD Emerging Leaders Training in NSW with 10 participants from four different nationalities.
“People who have CALD backgrounds have so much to offer and contribute in the Salvos. We want to give them pathways and the opportunity to serve and lead,” said Adrian Kistan, General Manager of the Intercultural and All Abilities Team.
A unique aspect of the program is its intercultural focus. “So it’s not training up a group of people from a cultural group to go back and minister to that particular cultural group,” said Adrian.
“The context of Australia is multicultural. So how are you [participants] best equipped to minister to anyone and everyone in Australia, even those outside your cultural background or grouping?
“The feedback we got was that one of the highlights of the initiative for each participant was the mentor relationship. Each person is required to have a mentor that will journey with them through the course, and we specifically asked them to find a mentor who is outside their cultural group.
“Some of our Chinese participants from Bankstown Salvos said that mentorship was the best thing; that it was just amazing to build a relationship with someone outside their cultural comfort area that was able to speak to their lives, encourage them, journey with them. And the bond that they formed as a result of this was just phenomenal.”
Adrian and his wife Natalie are also leaders at Auburn Corps, a vibrant multicultural community with over 40 nationalities represented. Princess Dawo, an active part of the Auburn Salvos, was invited to participate in the training pilot.
“I really enjoyed it. It was a great opportunity. It helped me to grow in my personal faith – to connect with God,” said Princess.
Princess was born in Liberia, West Africa, and speaks Gio and English. Her busy life includes working as a Registered Nurse and raising two young children.
“We learnt from each of the cultures through their testimonies, different ways of communicating. It helped me to be patient and listen, to give the time and opportunity for people to speak,” she said.
“It taught me to show people the love of God first – discipleship is to introduce them to and show them the love of God through our actions, and then it’s up to God.”
Since completing the CALD Emerging Leaders Training, Princess has continued to build her knowledge and faith, commencing studies in Certificate IV in Christian Ministry and Theology at Eva Burrows College.
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