The Rev. Dr. Oliver Phillips, Lead Connector at Lake Como Connexions (Church of the Nazarene) in Orlando, Florida and a former Director of Mission Support for the Church of the Nazarene USA / Canada Region, presented a Cultural Intelligence (CQ) Seminar to the Pastors and Leaders of the Church of the Nazarene Trinidad and Tobago District on Friday 10th October, 2014 at the Arima Church of the Nazarene in Arima, Trinidad and Tobago.
The seminar had six objectives, two of which were: to gain increased awareness about ethnic and organizational cultures in a ministry context and to strengthen one’s ability to discern the fundamental assumptions of other cultures.
Dr. Phillips defined Cultural Intelligence (CQ) as the capacity to function effectively in a variety of cultural contexts, including ethnic, organizational, generational, and national contexts. He said Cultural Intelligence (CQ) consists of four differenet capabilities – CQ Drive (motivation), CQ Knowledge (cognition), CQ Strategy (meta-cognition), and CQ Action (behavior).
Dr. Phillips suggested a number of ways to enhance one’s Cultural Intelligence (CQ), including learning a new language, attending cultural celebrations, eating out at ethnic restaurants, consuming a variety of news sources, and joining a multicultural group.
Church of the Nazarene Trinidad and Tobago District Superintendent Dr. Victor George thanked Dr. Phillips for his timely visit, noting that many foreign nationals now make their home in Trinidad and Tobago. The seminar was well appreciated by those in attendance as it was also noted that the Church of the Nazarene Trinidad and Tobago District has begun to send out Work & Witness Teams to other countries on the Church of the Nazarene Mesoamerica Region which includes communities of Spanish, French, Dutch, Creole, and English Cultures.
Rev. Kwame Payne, District Communications Team.
