Diop promoting 'healthy' accountability among church's global study centers
With his passion for mission, theologian Ganoune Diop is well-qualified to oversee the five Seventh-day Adventist Church global study centers, whose mission is to build bridges to other religious groups. It also helps that he’s comfortable in 10 languages.
Raised in a multicultural, predominantly Muslim setting in Senegal, he became a professional flautist, an academic and a multilinguist. Now a manager on the job since July, Diop granted an interview last week regarding the church’s five outreach centers, which are a part of the Office of Adventist Mission: Hindu, based in India; Buddhist in Thailand; Muslim in Cyprus; Jewish in Israel; and secular and postmodern in England.
After a few years in existence, some centers are still ramping up with one-person operations while others have several staff and a body of produced resources. Diop discussed their goals, their progress and need for an expanded role in the church’s mission.
The dapper Diop, 51, became an Adventist 30 years ago while studying flute at the Conservatory of Music of La Rochelle in France. His extensive education includes a master’s in philology, a doctorate in Old Testament studies and another in New Testament studies on the way. He also serves as a liaison between the centers and the church’s administration, including the 13 world divisions and the church’s Biblical Research Institute. Excerpts:
Adventist News Network: Why do we need study centers? Paul and Silas didn’t have them.
Ganoune Diop: Paul and Silas didn’t need them because they had a very localized ministry and they were conversant with the people with whom they were preaching. Paul knew about Greek philosophers. He could converse in the idioms and cite their poets. Today we have a worldwide movement, the Adventist Church, so the centers are to equip the church in developing awareness and competence among church members in reaching people in various world religions.
ANN: What are the centers doing?
Diop: They are creating methods, models and equipping the church to know how to better understand and approach other people groups. This is helping us train missionaries. Now, some centers are more active than others. Some are [producing] results that could be quantified. Others, like the secular and postmodern center have just started and it takes more time because they work in more challenging areas. Scott Griswold is doing a fantastic job in Thailand. They are putting out a CD of resources and the Global Center for Adventist Muslim Relations has one already. The World Jewish friendship center is creating communities in several countries. These centers are also helping various church departments put out materials. Obviously, it’s not just about multiplying activities and production materials. It’s also about developing a proper theological vision and applying missional perspectives that are loyal to the church.
ANN: We contacted the secular and postmodern center in England, who said they are still in the preliminary stages of research. How long have these centers been open?
Diop: The initiative started in the 1990s, so some of them have been around for about 10 years. The Centre for Secular and Postmodern Studies is the newest. It started a few years ago and its current form is only just over a year old.
ANN: The Hindu center told us they’re having success by promoting an Indian style of worship. What is that?
Diop: It doesn’t mean that they worship in Hindu temples. I was in India and they sat on the floor, you know, it’s not like the same Western [style] with the hymns. They’re singing their own songs in their own melodies with words that are in harmony with the Christian gospel. ... The centers can do much more; many of them are just at the infant stage of producing materials. They’re on a learning curve right now. Some of them are really doing well. This is my challenge, to help them really deliver what they were set up for.
ANN: What have been some of the shortcomings?
Diop: I think the church needs the collaboration of missiologists, practitioners and theologians to really bring about a radical understanding of world religions and long-lasting ministries. It’s not enough to just have a “missionary heart.” That’s necessary, but we also need to engage both theologians and missiologists to benefit the ministries in various unentered areas.
ANN: I imagine, like within some church administrative structures, that personnel is also limited.
Diop: Ideally, we would want to have the centers fully devoted to their global mission because if the centers work for the [local church division administration], the temptation is to miss the global mission. Even though these centers are located in various divisions, they are General Conference [world church administration] entities, so they are called to serve the world church. As they see the global need, the centers will be prompted to produce materials. ... But they are having results. To me, the results can be maximized and we can be doing far more than we are currently doing.
ANN: What’s next?
Diop: I think the future would be to expand the centers and have a body of cross disciplinary competence. Also, identify new venues. I just got back from Azerbaijan and it would be great to equip those people to minister to nearby countries. That’s something I’m exploring—different venues and the unreached people groups. Many of those [nearby] countries are Islamic but with a communist, secular twist. It’s a different kind of Islam than you find in the Middle East or Africa or Indonesia.
ANN: There are parts of the world where proselytism is illegal. To what degree can we promote our beliefs?
Diop: Well, let me say this is where contextualized ministry functions—indigenous people are empowered to find ways to live their newfound faith in Christ in spite of the adverse circumstances in which they live. So the centers explore ways, in that sense, and develop models.
ANN: How can we encourage generosity among missionaries and promote embracing people rather than dueling with people to whom they’re sent? Do some feel they are in a battle of who’s right?
Diop: It’s not that “we have the truth and you better listen to us.” But, definitively, I think a missionary can be confident in being sent to proclaim God’s truth. There’s no arrogance in that. Actually, every religion, you know, claims their beliefs are absolute. Well, except Hinduism and syncretistic religions. However, you go out there, not to patronize them or demean them, but rather to accompany them in their spiritual journey toward a radical transformation.
ANN: Is there anything else you wish to share with us, the readers or the study center directors?
Diop: I’d have to say the mission is God’s mission. We are participating in what God is doing. These centers not only equip but develop mission awareness in people by training them all over the world. But in participating in God’s mission, the bottom line is still about promoting Jesus Christ, His dignity and sovereignty, His compassion that He shares with all people groups. So I want to encourage the study center directors to fulfill the mission entrusted to their care in conversation and in partnership with the leaders of the church. Accountability is healthy and the only way to measure efficiency and overcome a sectarian mentality.
—additional reporting by Taashi Rowe
