Interview: New Greater Europe Mission President on Strategies, Opportunities
The new president of Greater Europe Mission, Henry L. Deneen, spoke to The Christian Post last week about the opportunities and hope he has seen in spreading the Gospel in Europe, where Christianity is fast declining.
Deneen will become GEM's new president effective on Sept. 1.
CP: What attracted you to Greater Europe Mission and to accept the position of president?
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Deneen: The things that the Greater Europe Mission has been doing in trying to build bridges, trying to be salt and light there in Europe … with all the different people groups there, with all the immigrant population that was there …. It just felt like it was an exciting place to be, to minister and be a part of what God is doing.
CP: How is your own experience in missions?
Deneen: I actually represented a company while we lived in France called SITE which stands for Specialist in International Training and Education (Our family had lived in southern France for four years …). I was representing them, trying to push forth initiatives not only in France but also in North Africa. We work in Sudan, Egypt, Libya and Tunisia, trying as a follower of Christ to be salt and light in those countries to engage business people and educators and others in some of those countries.
And even before I was married, my wife was a missionary in Hong Kong for a couple of years. And then, while we were living in South Carolina before moving to France, we led college students on mission trips both in the United States and internationally. So we had quite a bit of exposure to missions and cross-cultural ministry over the years.
CP: What new strategies do you hope to implement during your presidency?
Deneen: Well one thing I'm going to do is to know our field personnel – finding out what they're doing, what they have seen some success in, and ways they have not only brought value to the people of Europe but engaged them in positive ways. So what I will be doing is some assessment coming in as the new president.
But some of the things we are trying to do are to ask questions of how we can successfully build bridges with other cultures. How can we effectively be salt and light and really represent the person of Christ? How can we use skills from businessmen and businesswomen in starting businesses and relating to people in offices and in their neighborhoods sometimes out of traditional way that we have done it in the past?
I'm excited that those possibilities exist out there – new initiatives not only continuing what has been done in the Greater Europe Mission but also looking at some of the new possibilities of ways to engage people throughout Europe.
CP: Can you explain more the role you foresee for GEM missionaries under the context that the mission group wants to work alongside native Christians rather than lead?
Deneen: The overarching point … the ethos of Greater Europe Mission is to be collaborative – that is to come alongside other people who have the same desires we do [such as wanting] to be salt and light [and] to make a difference in these societies. GEM wants to work alongside other mission agencies and churches both internationally and indigenous that have the same goal.
But our desire is to work with people who live in Europe to empower them, to work alongside them, and possibly introduce other people from the west who could come in and engage with them and work alongside them.
I think the biggest thing that we are looking at is to enhance and empower the indigenous people to continue to move forward to develop a witnessing fellowship, develop churches and all of the discipline that go alongside being a follower of Christ.
One of the things we are trying to do is say this work is an opportunity for all followers of Christ and not just a situation where the paid clergy do all of the work. As we are moving into the 21st century, we feel that is going to be a real hallmark of the work of the Lord in the future of Europe and other places.
CP: Can you explain more about what you mean by empowering the natives?
Deneen: Training in church planting (principles of planting rapidly multiplying churches so that churches can begin and then spin off and birth other churches) and other principles such as:
• talking to indigenous believers about different faiths around the world, whether it is Buddhism, Hinduism, Islam or New Age.
• meeting in homes and other things that we see directly tied to the New Testament that could be modeled.
Because we seen a lot of the decline in traditional churches in Europe as we move into the 21st century, some things we'll be focused on are new models and new paradigms and being sure that our workers [are] teaching and modeling cultural relevance so that the person who is European will say: "That is something I want. I want to know more about Jesus because what I have seen modeled in the life of the missionary or indigenous believers."
CP: How do you think your experience with Center for Global Strategies will help in GEM's mission?
Deneen: Well the Center for Global Strategies is a company that is focused on building bridges with other societies. So first of all, that will serve me well because the Greater Europe Mission has been for a number of years and will continue to build bridges with societies. Second, we have an ethos of being involved in countries that have a lot of needs – spiritually and in other ways. We see that in Europe with spiritual need, with a desire to learn, with a desire to partner with churches in America and other places. That is another plus that CGS brings. Also in engaging professionals in advancing the Kingdom of God. For many years those professionals were underutilized and what we ask people to do is come and be a part of their profession whatever that is – banking, law, business, tourism. So I see that as having some application in Europe because we ask professionals to come and add value and be salt and light in Europe.
CP: Is there anything you would like to add?
Deneen: I think the most important thing is I see opportunities and hope. I see the Greater Europe Mission as accomplishing a number of positive things over the year. I think the organization is sound financially and populated by people who love Jesus and love being a part of the work where God is and advancing God's kingdom. I'm just excited to be able to come alongside and to play a role and be a part of what I believe God is going to be doing in a wonderful way in an extremely strategic part of the world for many years to come. I feel the Greater Europe Mission is ready for the future and is embracing some of the things we bring. I see a lot of positives in the future.
